Much more than just a connection between floors, your staircase is a key design feature of your home interior. With a little creative thinking, you can transform tired treads into a stylish focal point with instant wow-factor. From traditional runners to contemporary floating forms, give your staircase a step up with these genius ideas.

A fun way to make a staircase stand out is to turn it into a piece of art like this quirky retro design by The Vintage Round Top. The eclectic chalkboard-style numbering adds to the room's vintage vibe, imparting plenty of character. Alternatively, if you're particularly crafty, you could stencil contrasting patterns onto each step or paint each tread a different shade.

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Over time, wooden stairs can become worn and distressed. An easy way to breathe new life into them is by trying out a fresh new paint idea. Opt for a bright white or neutral hue to instantly open up your hallway. For a bolder, contrasting look, choose a rich dark shade for the treads – we love this beautiful deep navy.

Wooden staircases with closed treads are the most common and affordable choice for residential homes, but you don't have to settle for a strictly traditional design. Flanked by glass balustrades, this sleek wooden staircase appears to float in mid-air, adding to the space's cool, contemporary feel.

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If money is no object, an architect or designer can pretty much conjure up the staircase of your dreams. Here, a cherrywood banister offers a beautifully curvaceous cut-out design, creating a stunning sculptural backdrop for this luxurious living space.

For a characterful vintage vibe, try stripping back a painted wooden staircase to its bare wood. In this neutral stairway, the rustic pared-back design is warmed by a display of house plants positioned across the steps. Don't forget to treat the wood with wax to protect it from regular foot traffic.

The void underneath a staircase is often redundant, but it doesn't need to be. With a few built-in units and some clever thinking, it can become a useful and attractive space. Here, a snug home office has even been squeezed in alongside the shelving, complete with a curved desk and task lighting.

What could be more luxurious than a light fixture cascading down to frame your staircase? From a modern glass orb pendant to a traditional crystal chandelier, the visual effect makes an opulent and dazzling feature that's sure to wow.

If you don't like the idea of a staircase without a handrail, a floating staircase with the addition of a ceiling-hung balustrade may appeal. Creating the illusion of hovering treads, it's a sure-fire way to add a restful feel to a room and would make the perfect architectural addition to a contemporary open-plan layout.

Here's a bright idea you can carry out in a flash – give your staircase a quick makeover with an array of colourful vinyl stickers. Low-cost, high-impact and easy to remove when you're ready to redecorate, opt for mismatched patterns for a cool, eclectic feel. Complete the look by painting the steps and banister a vibrant complementary shade.

If your entrance hall has a distinctive theme, be sure to tie in your staircase too. This monochrome palette carries through to the stairs thanks to the black banister, treads and dogtooth stair runner, creating a stunning contrast against the white woodwork.

Clever lighting designs can transform the look and feel of your staircase when night falls, as well as adding plenty of ambience to your stairway. Here, strip lighting has been fitted alongside each tread, casting a cool, blue glow across the stairs.

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A sleek choice for a modern home, a staircase with a toughened glass balustrade is a great way to channel light down into a dark, dingy space – this scheme features illuminated treads to light the way after dark too. However, be aware that fingerprints will show up on the glass, so perhaps avoid this style if you don't fancy regular polishing.

Designed without a riser between each step, an open-tread staircase is perfect for increasing the light flow in a room and enhancing the feeling of space. It is not the most practical design for a home with young children or pets, but it's a great choice for modern, minimalist homes with streamlined interiors.

A glamorous sister to the standard open-tread staircase, this style is attached to the wall and constructed with a central column that gives the treads the appearance of aviation wings. Created by Marretti, this impressive retro wood design is appropriately named Concorde and has won an array of design awards.

Sometimes a staircase isn't all it seems... This innovative space-saving design was thought up by Zugai Strudwick Architects; the wooden treads pull away from the main structure to reveal large hidden storage drawers that can accommodate the family shoe collection – genius!

If you're tight on square footage, there are a plethora of space-saving staircases out there to fit the snuggest of interior layouts. Narrower than standard staircases and usually slightly steeper, they're a great way to make the most of a petite property. You may be limited by local building and fire regulations as to quite how small your design can be though.

Strong and durable, metal staircases are commonly found in public buildings, however, they can look just as effective in a domestic space too. Used here within a residential setting to connect the living space to a home office, the metal mesh balustrades impart an on-trend industrial vibe.

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Properties with many floors, like townhouses, can benefit from a little rest area between flights of stairs. This delightful window seat positioned on the landing bend offers the perfect nook for reading and relaxing.

Offering a classic, regal aesthetic, a stair runner is the perfect way to dress up traditional treads. Not a fan of carpet? Grab a can of paint and create a faux runner instead. Before painting, mark out a central run down the middle of the stairs with tape, leaving a simple border at either side. Dark tones are a great way to hide marks and dirt and can be easily touched up when needed.

Available in full or half spiral, metal spiral staircases are ideal for opening up a small dark area and increasing the feeling of space in a room. Commonly used to connect attics or mezzanines to the rest of the house, we love this intricate antique design, featuring a regal gold banister and spindled supports.

They may be more laborious to clean, but carpeted stairs feel cosier underfoot. Opt for a textured neutral for a calm classic feel, or if you want a more eye-catching staircase, go for a brightly coloured stripe or pattern. Choose a durable carpet that's designed to handle the wear and tear of a main thoroughfare – most carpets will state if they're suitable for stairs. For extra durability and comfort, invest in a good underlay, too.

A quarter-turn staircase, sometimes called an L-shaped stair, features a 90-degree turn that forms a mini landing. This configuration looks more visually interesting than a standard straight staircase and often works well in the corner of a room or in box-shaped hallways.

A carpet runner can be a more practical alternative to a fully-fitted carpet on your staircase. Running up the middle of the treads, it protects the most-travelled area and lets the beauty of the staircase show through on either side. A runner is also easier and cheaper to replace when it wears down or when you are ready for a refresh.

Concrete stairs have been used in external landscaping and commercial properties for years, but they're now creeping into our home interiors too. While they're not easy or cheap to install, they do impart an edgy industrial feel that can look stunning in modern properties. Here, a concrete design has been teamed with a transparent banister and glossy chrome-coloured fittings.

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If you have a large hallway, you may have the space to create a dramatic helical curved staircase. A dramatic piece like this creates a wow-factor focal point that's sure to leave a lasting impression on your guests. With such a large structure, it's important to consider what it will look like from the underside too. Here, floating treads offer plenty of architectural appeal from every angle.

Thanks to the development of carpet fitting and manufacturing techniques, stair rods that hold runners in-place are no longer a safety necessity, however, the strip of metal set at the base of each tread adds a regal antique feel. There's an array of designs and styles to suit every closed-tread staircase, even contemporary versions.

If you like optical illusions, a floating staircase could be the ideal design choice. Seemingly hovering without support, the treads are in fact bolted to the wall. Crafted from glass, wood and concrete, this staircase is nothing short of spectacular, however, if you have children or pets, you might want to consider adding a banister for safety.

The classic staircase design features a slightly curving form, with the last step rounded off to hug the banister. Curved stairs soften the transition between floors –  you can accentuate the line of the staircase by using a vertically striped stair runner, as shown here, to lead the eye up the treads.

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The Industrial Revolution spurred on the use of wrought iron for decorative purposes, leading to the rising popularity of wrought-iron staircases in the Victorian era. Original wrought-iron staircases can still be found in some period properties, but for those who want to recreate the look, you can add a wrought-iron balustrade to your existing stairs.

There is nothing grander than a traditional sweeping stone staircase and if you use the same stone for your flooring, it'll make the transition between floors feel seamless. Hard-wearing and durable too, stone is an easy way to add instant wow-factor to your entranceway. Here, this elegant stone staircase is completed by an intricate metal balustrade.

Stone might be an ancient building material, but it looks fantastic in modern staircase designs too. Portland stone and limestone are two popular materials used for contemporary staircases. By teaming a stone staircase with a simple modern balustrade, as shown here, it will instantly seem at home in a 21st-century house.

Wood works particularly well with a spiral staircase. The rounded shape of the stairs evokes the organic qualities of the wood, with each tread gently flowing into the next. This won't be a cheap option but it will create a fantastic focal point – for something a little different, choose wooden spindles in a contrasting hue to the treads and banister.

A dog-legged staircase is a specific staircase design that has a 180-degree bend in it, normally at a landing halfway between the runs of stairs. One of the advantages of this configuration is it ensures that the upper floor can't be seen from below, giving a greater degree of privacy to the upper level. It's often found in period properties but can work in any scheme.

You can let your imagination run wild when it comes to stair design if your budget will allow. Here, the banister and balustrade resemble climbing roses, complete with ornamental blooms along the way. Seek out specialist designers and metal workers who can bring your ideas to life and create a truly unique staircase for your home.

There's no need for stairs to be covered in carpet or dressed with a stair runner. A plain wooden staircase with a matching balustrade to suit the period of your property can look stylish and inviting. Wooden stairs can be left completely bare but for extra protection, it's worth treating them with wax, oil or varnish. They may become worn in parts after a few years, but that's all part of their charm. This treatment is perfect for those looking to create a casual, welcoming home.

The space underneath the stairs is the perfect place to conceal hidden storage. With a mix of deep pull-out drawers and cupboards, this kind of design is perfect for snug homes where every inch of space matters. In this open-plan living space, built-in shelves have been used to store kitchen crockery, utilising an otherwise wasted void.

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This beautiful dark wood staircase makes the most of its clean lines and minimal design with a transparent glass banister. The small turn at the top of the stairs is a neat space-saving trick as it means the diagonal distance of the stairs is reduced. Simple but effective, this streamlined design makes a stunning architectural focal point.

A galleried staircase blurs the line between floors, imparting an airy, spacious feel to a property, as well as allowing lights to filter across levels. Unfortunately, it will also make noise carry further too, so if privacy is an issue, this may not be the right choice for you. This design is generally seen in a period setting, but it can work just as well in a modern home.

Stunning and sculptural, this winding staircase features an enclosed banister with an extreme twist that limits visibility up to the next floor. Because of this, it's a practical design to adopt if your stairs lead up to a bedroom or home office as it helps to keep the two spaces separate, ensuring each area feels cosy and intimate.

Straight stairs are the most common stair configuration. Here, the steps run straight up to the floor above without any curves or turns, making this design very well-suited to contemporary properties. This simple form is one of the easiest and cheapest to install and only requires support at the top and bottom of the stairs.

This super space-saving staircase folds flat against the wall when not in use, opening up what would be dead space to a whole new world of possibilities. Here, a breakfast bar and bench seating are revealed when you fold the staircase away.

If you have the room, a double staircase will add a grand theatrical flourish to your home. They require a lot of space and can't be bought off the shelf so they are usually quite expensive, however, they guarantee a regal welcome to your home. Here, heavily ornamented balustrades offer the perfect finishing touch to this elegant design.

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