Stairwells, banisters and spindles
Hallway, Stairs and Landing Decorating
Hallway, stairs and landing decorating covers the walls, ceilings and woodwork of the whole stairwell, including the banister, spindles and skirting, and it is usually the trickiest room in the house because of the height over the stairs and the amount of detailed woodwork.
This page explains how we run that kind of job: how we reach the high walls safely, the order we work in, and how the stairs stay usable while we paint. If you are after prices, our hall, stairs and landing cost page covers that separately.
Why hallways are harder than other rooms
The wall above the stairs can be the tallest wall in the house, and it rises over a flight of steps rather than a flat floor. Reaching it safely needs proper access equipment set up on the stairs, which is not something a stepladder can do.
Hallways also take the most wear in the home. Bags, prams, bikes and hands all mark the walls, so the finish needs to be tough and wipeable, and the woodwork around doors and skirting tends to need more filling and sanding than in quieter rooms.
Staircases, banisters and spindles
Painting a staircase properly is slow, detailed work. Each spindle has to be cleaned, sanded, primed where bare and painted on every face, and the handrail and newel posts take the most handling of any woodwork in the house, so they need a hard wearing finish.
Where a banister has been varnished or stained, it needs keying and the right primer before paint will stick. We use dustless sanding equipment for this, which keeps the fine dust from spreading through the rest of the house.
The order we work in
A typical hallway, stairs and landing job runs top down, so drips and dust only ever fall onto areas not yet finished:
- Protect the stair treads, floors and anything that stays in place
- Set up safe access over the stairwell
- Fill, sand and prime ceilings and walls, then paint the ceilings
- Paint the walls, landing first, then the stairwell, then the hall
- Finish the woodwork: spindles, handrail, newels, doors, frames and skirting
- Remove the access equipment, touch up and clean down
Keeping the stairs usable
The stairs are the one route through the house you cannot close, so we plan the job around them. Treads are protected throughout, access equipment is set up to leave a safe way up and down, and we agree with you which doors and areas will be out of use on each day.
We work Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 6pm, and leave the hall tidy at the end of each day so the house still works as a home while the job is under way.
Choosing a finish that lasts
For hall walls we generally recommend a durable, wipeable finish that copes with scuffs and cleaning. Woodwork on stairs usually suits a hard wearing satin or eggshell, which is easier to keep clean than a high gloss and shows fewer marks.
Colour choice in a hallway affects the whole house, because it is the space you see first and it connects every other room. Many owners use the hallway to set a calm base colour and let the rooms off it carry the stronger shades.
Common questions
Do you decorate stairwells with high walls?
Yes. We set up proper access equipment over the stairs to reach high stairwell walls and ceilings safely.
Can you paint spindles and banisters?
Yes. Each spindle, the handrail and the newel posts are sanded, primed where bare and painted on every face.
Can we still use the stairs during the job?
Yes. Treads are protected and access is arranged to keep a safe route up and down throughout.
Where can I see prices?
Our hall, stairs and landing cost page covers pricing. Every job starts with a free written quote after a visit.
Do you paint over varnished banisters?
Yes, once they are keyed and primed with a suitable primer so the paint bonds properly.