Has anyone seen white paneling used as stair risers with dark walnut treads before, and what are your thoughts on this unique design?
Asked by Olivier Slawa 
8 months ago
Last Updated: May 5, 2024
I’m in the middle of a basement renovation and the contractor working on my stairs wants to paint the paneling white and use them as risers with dark walnut treads. It’s a new idea to me and I’m not totally convinced. Has anyone else seen this before? What do you all think about it? If you have any pictures, I’d love to see them! 😊
It will appear good.
I really like that idea. The color and texture combination is great.
The treads are made of red oak and stained with walnut. I would prefer a color that is two shades darker, similar to the red oak table I constructed.
Make sure there is a backer behind the paneling. There is a lot of prep work required before painting the paneling. Consider buying white or using MDF instead.
I wouldn’t recommend that. Personally, I wouldn’t like it. If you plan on painting the riser, go for oak or poplar 1/4″ plywood instead.
My stairs are made of oak. I stained the steps and painted the oak riser.
Oh yeah, I’ve witnessed that before. He’s actually using painted bead board for the stair risers.