Time to Step It Up

For a stairway that's more than a mere path from A to B, don't default to blank walls and treads. Here, wow-worthy designer tips.

- BY CHRISTINA POLETTO

THEY'RE the backbone of many American homes. So why do so many of us leave our stairways boringly bare or adorn them with nothing but framed family portraits? “Stairways are a chance to build narrative and tension as you move from one space to the