Staircase makeover on a budget

When we moved into our (resale) home, we inherited the existing carpeting that stretched from the bottom of the staircase all the way up and throughout the entire second floor.  Blah.  I love area rugs for softness and warmth... but wall to wall carpeting... no.  Obviously redoing the flooring in your home can be very expensive, so we decided to start with the staircase and did it in a pretty cost effective way.  Yay!

The carpeting even went on the raised landing (it's already ripped up in this picture), and stretched into the closet.  Silly place for carpeting if you ask me!  It was the first spot to go... and.... boo... PLYWOOD :(

However, the treads on the steps (which were existing from the build of the house) were in pretty decent shape and were NOT made of plywood, which meant, totally stain-able!  The spindles and railing came off and the steps got a good sanding

The spindles, risers and the side of the stringer all got a few coats of fresh white paint.  The stairs were stained (which included varathane) and the handrail and newel post got a coat of stain so they would match the treads a little better.

Besides paint, stain and some sandpaper, the only big purchase we had to make was one package of bamboo flooring for the landing (the plywood part) and a little trim to finish the edge.  The whole staircase was done for under $120.00!  That's including all the supplies.  Kind of makes you rethink what's under that carpet doesn't it!