My primary residence is a mid century home in Magnolia.

It is a home that my husband and I purchased to rehab and sell in two years. That was 8 years ago and we have grown to like this solidly build, open floor plan home with some views of Mt Rainier, Mt Baker, Queen Anne and the city rooftops. The home was not without its quirks though.

The entry stairs have always bothered me. Three different wood finishes—one on the risers, one on the stair itself and one on the baseboard. Without res-staining the entire stairway (and then the hardwood floors beyond) I needed to come up with a solution.

As a former designer, I always have some crazy ideas that I just need to figure out how to translate to reality and I did. The photos show a work in progress. As usual, I forgot to take a “before” photo until part of the painting started.

First came painting the sides of the stairs white. Sanding, primer and 3 coats finally got the wood covered. Next, I trimmed in the risers with a charcoal paint in preparation for the riser material—STAINLESS STEEL!

My superb tile setter was able to cut a template for each riser (old house and they were all different) and cut the stainless that I had procured to fit.

Now the stairs look floaty but not flashy (stainless is a matte finish) and really improve the look in the entry.

Proof that crazy ideas can sometimes be brilliant!