Picking up a paintbrush instead of a giant Transformer-like power tool is a much more sensible approach if you’re working up the motivation to do up the house under your own steam.
The simple DIY task of painting is one that most can manage easily, provided they’re equipped with the right tools and have done the prep. Colour can have a transformative effect on a space; even highlighting small details like skirting boards, door frames and staircase bannisters promises to revitalise your interiors with minimal effort.
Statement bannisters are a superb way of injecting colour into a stairwell or hall without the commitment of doing the walls. Depending on your bravery levels, a bright colour will bring a refreshing modern twist to homes - especially period houses - while sticking to neutrals can create a clean contrast to frame the area.
Painting bannisters and spindles usually require a different type of paint to standard emulsion, especially if you’re working on wood. Use a specialised paint to get the finish you’re after, and if you’re painting in a darkly lit area, which staircases often are, consider a glossier finish to help reflect what light there is around the room. Eggshell and gloss formulas are best for interior woodwork, offering a hard-wearing and durable result.
Before you crack open that tin of paint, it pays to do some prep first. Carefully secure a dust sheet on your stairs and over the surrounding area; tiny flecks of paint can get everywhere. Stick decorator’s tape on the areas you want to keep clean of paint and give your surface a thorough cleaning with sugar soap to free it from any accumulated grime.
Is the bannister already painted? Sanding off the layer will give your new shade a clean surface to stick to. Fix holes with wood filler and allow to dry before sanding it down too.
Many paints include primer in the formula, so you won’t have to bother with this step if you’ve chosen such an option. If not, it’s worth going the extra mile for rich, opaque results that will make your heart sing every time you look at them.
Slow and steady are the key rules when you're ready to paint. Apply a thin first coat and wait until it’s completely dry before going in with a second and a third if it needs it.
As for choosing the colour in the first place? Well, that’s the fun part. It’s all for the taking, but with so many choices and trends to copy, it can be immobilising to decide.
We’ve rounded up the best below to provide inspiration and guidance listed in rainbow colour order.
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Farrow & Ball Modern Eggshell Incarnadine No.248 - 2.5L
F&B is pricey, but if you dream of the designer touch, get the 750ml tin instead of the 2.5L - it costs less and it should be all that’s needed for a small project like bannister spindles.
For an unexpected zip of colour, we love this bright red Incarnadine hue. The finish, modern eggshell, is one of the toughest around, making it ideal for high-traffic areas like the stairway.
Buy now £36.00, Homebase
Graham & Brown Fortune Cookie Paint
Brighten up dark halls with a burst of zingy citrus. Graham & Brown's intense Fortune Cookie shade in Fortune Cookie comes in three finishes, with Interior Eggshell best suited to details like bannisters. It comes in a one-litre can only, meaning you should have plenty left over if you find the colour addictive.
Buy now £36.00, Graham & Brown
COAT Festival Eve
Offering a selection of interior emulsion paints, the eggshell finish is perfect for highlighting wood and metal surfaces. All colours in the collection are durable and hard-wearing making them one to reach for in high-traffic areas like the hallway.
Festival Eve is an elegant dusky rose shade that will highlight details like wooden stair bannisters, cupboard doors and wooden panels beautifully. Available in 1L and 2.5L cans.
Buy now £34.00, COAT
Little Greene Hortense
The luxury brand's water-based satinwood finish is made for imbuing some love to interior woodwork with a low sheen of 30 - 35 per cent. The resilient finish performs well in busy areas of the house and can withstand scrubbing should it need to be cleaned.
In terms of colour, there's a huge selection from brights and pastels to soft neutrals. Hortense is a lovely pink-lilac hue for those who like the idea of a subtle uplift.
Available in 1L, 2.5L and 5L tins.
Buy now £39.00, Little Greene
Little Greene Paints Mister David
A sunshine yellow won't fail to cheer up woodwork, be it your front door or the garden fence. Made for exterior wood, this bold hue is highly pigmented with virtually zero VOCs and gives a professional-looking finish. It's available in a swathe of finishes for different surfaces so you can do your interior walls in the same shade too. Prepare for a serious dopamine injection.
Buy now £43.50, Little Greene Paints
Rust-Oleum Green Kitchen Cupboard Paint in Matt Finish - Pickled Olive 750ml
Rust-Oleum's versatile formula can be used across the home, from melamine and gloss cupboards in the kitchen to wooden spindles on stair bannisters. This warm green hue brings to mind our favourite bar snack, instantly winning it brownie points. Simply apply to clean and dust-free surfaces and allow to dry - neither a primer nor a topcoat is needed.
Buy now £25.00, Amazon
Lick Green 18 Eggshell
As well as bringing your walls to life, you can give last-chance furniture and homewares new life with Lick’s eggshell paint, as long as it's wood. Simply apply a thin coat of paint and let dry before sanding off bumpy sections in preparation for a second coat.
Lick’s paints only come in 2.5L tins, so it’s a good purchase if you’re planning to refresh large pieces or want to paint sections of your home in the same colour.
Buy now £45.00, Lick
Dulux Quick Dry Gloss Paint - Mineral Mist - 750ml
Bring woodwork to life with Dulux’s sky-blue water-based paint, named Mineral Mist. The soothing shade is just one of many in this collection, offering a high-sheen finish after a six-hour drying time.
The low-odour formula can be used on door frames, skirting boards, bannisters and even radiators that need livening up. It comes in a range of colours and finishes including Satinwood and Eggshell, in addition to Gloss.
Want pure brilliant white? Find it here.
Buy now £15.84, Amazon
THE ONE Paint & Primer Blue Satin
If you live in a busy household, you need DIY results fast. The One offers quick-drying paint that can be used across wood surfaces including the front door. It can cover tiles and concrete too.
The chalk paint offers excellent coverage and includes a primer across a dozen hues. For stairs and bannisters, we like the look of Blue Satin best.
Buy now £12.95, Amazon
Frenchic Blackjack Al Fresco
Prefer the clean aesthetics of a monochrome palette? Bring white bannisters over to the dark side with a coat or two of Frenchic's Blackjack hue. The self-priming, self-sealing chalk and mineral-based formula make a quick makeover a doddle and it's ideal for high-traffic areas like the bathroom, kitchen cupboards and front door. Available in 750ml and 250ml sizes.
Buy now £10.95, Frenchic
