Here, the entire stair hall was hand-painted to mimic the look of a custom wall covering. “We love the look of a wallpapered stairwell for its striking effect,” the Chicago-based Riker says.

Many of us have stairs in our home that could use a bit of a makeover, either due to wear and tear over time or because ...

Working with the 'inherited' history of the building, they uncovered layers from the past to reveal original joists, masonry walls and partitions ... led to the transformation of the staircase into a ...

“Having a continuous pattern on the wall gives the stairs a sense of autonomy from the architecture around them,” he says. “The picture frame molding appears unbroken as the stairs float by it.