If you have a stairway in your home, there are many things you can do that can turn it into an eye-catching focal point. Stairways often get ignored when decorating a home, but with a little attention, they can really shine.

Runners
One easy method for adding some color to your stairway is to add a carpet runner. This is not only visually attractive, but practical as well, because it helps prevent your stairs from excessive wear. You do need to make sure that the carpet is installed properly for safety’s sake.

Accents
You can create a special focal point area in a room by accenting the walls going up the stairway in a different color. Many great decorating effects can be achieved by using a bold accent color on the wall that leads up the stairs. Using a bold accent color in this fashion works well, because it allows the use of a color that might be overwhelming if it were used for the entire room, but by using it in this one smaller area, it simply adds a color accent. You could also consider wallpapering just this one wall, to provide an accent. You can also add some dramatic color to a stairway by painting the stairs themselves, if you are open the idea of painting the stairs.

Art and Accessories
A stairway shouldn't be overlooked when choosing art and accessories for the living area. You can hang a small gallery of artwork on the wall that leads up the stairs, or place a plant or other piece of art on the bottom step as an accent piece. You can also add a decorative box or special basket that is designed to be placed on the stairs, which can conveniently hold items that you often need to take up and down the stairs. Just make sure that you leave enough space on the stairs so that people can walk safely without tripping. If you don't want to place items directly on the stairs, you could place a small accent table either at the foot or top of the stairway, and use that for a few decorative accent items instead.

Lighting
You can also use lighting techniques effectively to highlight a stairway. Most stairways have a light nearby, often overhead, for the sake of safety. If your lighting fixture is fairly plain, you could change it for one that has a more decorative or dramatic look, or consider using a bulb that has a subtle color to visually enhance the stairway area. Adding a mirror at the top or the bottom of the stairway can also add an illusion of extra light, and can make the area seem more spacious.

Holiday Decor
Don't forget that during the holidays, you can add some real visual appeal to a stairway by festooning the banister and railing with pine boughs, paper chains, or other types of holiday decorations. Some people enjoy this technique so much that they decorate the stairway banister for every holiday that comes up. This can add a really fun touch to an often overlooked area of your home.