What can I do to this landing?

[xylene122]

Howdy,

My wonderfully 1980s house has this interesting choice of a landing at the bottom of our internal stairs. The middle and right side steps are a hideous brown tile, the left step is brick.

Just looking for suggestions on what the heck I can do to spruce/modernise this?

 

 

[Akanksha]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, @xylene122! We're so delighted to have you join us and we look forward to assisting you with your home improvement and garden projects.

Thank you for your question. I'm sure our resident Bunnings D.I.Y. expert @EricL will be able to provide some suggestions for your landing when he's back online on the site later today.

Let me also tag our ever-helpful members in @Dave-1, @Tyro, @diy_hausdesigns and @TedBear to see if they have any thoughts. 

 Akanksha

[Dave-1]

Morning @xylene122 

hahahaha love your response to the steps... I always think "Why? Just WHY?"  when I see the old styles. They were all the rage I know (I painted a wall with a sponge back in the mid 2000's lol) Id also like to say Welcome to the Bunnings community page Its a fun place to just search through as there are so many options for any question!

Two options come to mind, Just because we were looking at a project yesterday for using a self leveling concrete slurry on a toilet floor. You Could frame the steps up and use the slurry to "level" the area, only problem is the height that you add will change that topmost step height and the bottom step height.

Second opttion Was Floating floor boards with an edge. You could put down underlay then the boards. But same issue as in raising the height.

There has been a vast improvement in tile paint over the last 3 years (yeah I have been following it ) You could potentially paint the steps a grey but still keep the small tiles showing? For ease of modernising the steps this would be the easiest

Dave

[TedBear]

Hi @xylene122 , that's an amazing scene! It looks like someone couldn't make a decision when arriving at a T junction.

The tiled steps also appear to be different step heights which adds a trip hazard to it all.

If it were mine, I'd get out (or hire) a jack hammer and remove the top of the landing and all the steps below it.

I'd then make a new landing out of diagonally laid floor boards, framed at each of step edges. (Or all edges of you prefer.)

You can then shape & smooth the step-down edges to match existing steps. 

Then make one step the same height on each side & same width as upper steps, out of the same type of timber.

All stained & lacquered I think it would look great.

[EricL]

Hello @xylene122 

It's great that you've received excellent advice from @Dave-1 and @TedBear. Just to add to the suggestions made, I recommend updating the landing with new tiles. The dark shade of the tiles makes the landing look quite dark. Perhaps some bright new tile patterns will give it a fresh look. 

I've done a quick image manipulation to give you an idea of what it might look like with new tiles. Please let me know what you think.

Let me call on our experienced members @Peggers, @redbournreno, @craftyhopper and @lifestylebymari for their recommendations.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.  

Eric

[Tyro]

Hi @xylene122 

I'm with you in the stunned mullet reaction!  However all is not lost ... ! The area has alot of  potential and I'm sure more creative & talented people than I will join in and offer their ideas. 

It looks to me like that tiled platform might be hiding something much worse and create a massive headache for you if it's pulled apart. Unless you have the funds to rip the whole thing out and put in a spiral staircase.  But until you win the lottery,  I would simply cover over those yucky brown tiles!  I had a tiler here to fix another 'oopsie' reno -  (obviously done by a colour blind dyslexic person with cataracts!).  Rather than getting rid of the existing ones, it was so-so much more affordable to tile over the existing ones!  Alot of residences in those days suffered similar 'quick fix'  extensions simply to get more money, and quickly!  Many of these combined a range of different hideous clashing styles all put in the one area! 😫  Bunnings have a good range of tasteful tiles in plain, textured and funky designs.  I'd cover the platform and 3 stairs  with tiles similar in size and colour to those in what I guess is your kitchen.  There is also a non-slip tile finish which I would be inclined to get for such a high traffic area.  A blended colourway between the rooms ought to help smooth out the visual 'hiccup' at the junction of the three living spaces.  If it helps to cheer you a little, I simply adore the bricks used on that step on the kitchen side! 🥰

Good luck! 

Cheers 🤗

[Tyro]

That's a really clever skill you have there @EricL !  It looks terrific! 👍

👏👏👏 to you!

Cheers 🤗

[Tyro]

You've got far too much energy @TedBear !  But it's a fantastic idea  ...! 👏

[Tyro]

My mind just boggles with your vasr store of 'oomph' power @Dave-1!  Made me tired reading it!  Your huge databank of great ideas must come from skilled knowledge ... you are so very, very lucky! 👍👏👏👏

[TedBear]

In my experience it often takes far less energy to just do that  which gets the result than use more energy trying to find ways around it.