Although stairs serve as a passage from one room to another, our staircase designs often end up being an afterthought when it comes to designing our home. You go up and down your stairs at least a dozen of times a day, but we bet you rarely pay attention to the stair design as you do to other parts of your home, right? You'll be amazed at what an impact this detail can have on your interior!

Stairway design is an opportunity to showcase your style, complement your home’s overall theme, or even let your staircase tell the story of your place. While there are numerous ways to amp-up the look of this forgotten space, tiled staircase ideas help you bring function and beauty to boring stairways in easy and creative ways! Get ready to be inspired and see how easily tiles can make ordinary stairs come to life!

Tile stair risers Inject a dose of style to this staircase design that reflects the modern coastal style of a Southern California home while bringing the whole theme together!

It doesn’t matter whether you live in a traditional house, a contemporary style condo, or a coastal style bungalow...you can infuse your home aesthetic into your staircase design to complete your interior in the most stunning way!

This amazing mosaic tile staircase in San Francisco is just the beginning when it comes to how you can dress up your stairs!

Whether your entryway has a grand staircase, a compact stairwell or something in between, we have our favorite tiled staircase designs gathered in this post to help you visualize your own staircase refresh. Let’s get started!

Mediterranean Paradise

Borrowing color inspiration from the sea and sky, a gentle combination of blue and green tiles can fill your dwelling with the sunny romance of the ocean! Transforming your staircase with tiled riser accents is also an easy way to bring a Mediterranean design element to your home if you’re not looking for a total renovation. These stair tile details have long been a part of classic Mediterranean and Spanish interiors!

Adding tile staircase risers is an easy way to spruce up your foyer without changing the flooring for stairs, like in this gorgeous blue and white Grecian-inspired staircase project by Weglarz Design. Coastal-inspired colors echo the sea and sky – look for tile inspiration in blue and turquoise such as our Moroccan Star & Cross Blue Etched Marble Mosaic Tile that features an old-world inspired style in a unique interlocking star pattern, and try mixing this blue tile with its white and beige color versions for a more varied look! 

 

Herringbone Charm

If you love the look of shiny hardwood stairs but want to add a little personality and style, tiles have you covered! Opt for a pattern, such as herringbone tile staircase risers to add detail without changing out your stair treads– this is a subtle yet stylish look that fits a variety of designs from industrial design to contemporary interiors or even farmhouse home decor!

If you like the mesmerizing effect of this patterned staircase makeover, you can create a similar geometric design by using chevron or herringbone mosaic tile sheets on your stair risers – it’s an easy way to showcase the same graphic style without having to place each tile to create a herringbone pattern!

To combine your brown hardwood stairs with white tile stair risers and create a clean and modern look, our White Deco Herringbone Glass Mosaic Tile is a great choice. Pull focus to stair risers with Ionic Herringbone Steel Porcelain Mosaic Tile in a deep gray color by combining with crisp white stair treads for more modern to contemporary home design. For more tiled staircase ideas in a zigzag pattern, check out our herringbone mosaic tile collection and choose the one that fits your overall style! 

Rustic Farmhouse Entryway 

Love the welcoming feeling of a rustic farmhouse foyer or entryway? You can easily recreate the look by using some of our favorite wood look porcelain floor tiles to continue this hardwood alternative look from the hallway floor up to the staircase treads! 

Not only can you choose your ideal wood finish for your floors and stair treads, like white oak, maple, pine, or dark walnut, but you’ll also reduce the chance of slips and spills thanks to the coefficient of friction of porcelain tile. 

It’s a great choice for an entryway floor and staircase treads thanks to natural grip - and you can capture the reclaimed flooring look without the need to refinish or stain your wood after use, or worry about scuffs or water!

Bonus? Give your staircase walls the shiplap treatment with white wood look tile planks to complete this Magnolia Farms-inspired interior!

Coastal Glamour for your Foyer

If your stairs are at the entrance to your home, shouldn’t they be a gorgeous sight to greet your guests? This amazing foyer gets a coastal glam upgrade thanks to maple stair treads paired with our Mother of Pearl Hexagon Mosaic tiles on the risers! The beauty of shell tiles adds natural shine and luminescence to even a dark entryway, bouncing light around the room with the luxurious shimmer of pearl! 

Even though they look delicate and romantic, Mother of Pearl tiles are incredibly durable! They can stand the test of time even on a residential staircase, although we recommend routinely sealing your shell tiles to make sure they keep their shine.

The beauty of mosaic tiles is how easy they make it to install a pattern - even for a first time tiler! 

Classy and Welcoming Stairs

For a simpler and classical approach, marble tiled staircases exude an air of elegance unlike any other. An elegant finishing touch to a classic-style home, marble staircases are not only durable enough to withstand heavy foot traffic, but also elevate the look of your entryway in a way that sweeps guests off their feet!

Complete the look of a natural stone tiled staircase with a mosaic floor medallion or tile rug in the foyer - use the same material on your tiled stairs like in this Houzz Pro home to create a seamless transition into your stair design. 

If you don’t want to commit to a full staircase makeover by removing your staircase treads, add tile staircase risers only - Desert Sand 12x24 Honed Marble Tile in warm beige tones will perfectly combine with the brown tones in hardwood stair treads. Opt for a marble mosaic tile, if a bit of pattern on the risers is your style!

A Warm Color Palette with Spanish-Style

When it comes to tiling a staircase, following a Mexican-Spanish theme can be a fun way of giving your house an artisan touch and feeling of antiquity! Even if you don’t have your entire home decorated in Spanish style, a Spanish tile staircase is simple to incorporate into an entryway design – the lively multi-colored tiles are so easy to pair with other colors and textures throughout your house! 

If you like the idea of warm Spanish style colors in your house but don’t want to grab a paintbrush and splash them over your walls, spruce up your entryway with a Spanish tile staircase design instead! Don’t settle for boring hardwood stairs - use Spanish Siesta Mosaic Tile on the risers! It resembles traditional sun-dried clay Mexican tiles in a durable stone material with a fun finish. 

 

If you’re looking to match a more modern or contemporary décor theme, opt for Spanish Beige Siesta Mosaic Tile in muted gray tones instead – these tiles will add a patterned design to any interior theme or color scheme!

Simply Modern 

Thanks to their performance and changeable style, tiles can be used to cover the stair treads and risers in the same style for a clean and unified look. Vamping up your whole staircase with tiles will bring a simple elegance, and matching the grout color will result in a design with seamless definition - perfect for modern to contemporary homes!

This modern home with a tiled staircase wanted to go big and bold with large tiles when designing the treads and flooring for stairs. If you’re looking for modern tiled staircase ideas  that are simply elegant and easy to maintain like this one, consider Ionic Copper 12x24 Porcelain Tile all over the stairs and create a unique industrial-style for a one-of-a-kind staircase décor. These porcelain tiles are rated for residential or commercial flooring, so they can accommodate even high-traffic wear and tear.

You can even throw in a bit of pattern with herringbone tile stair risers in the same material!

For a sleek all-white interior design, adding a natural stone texture in a porcelain tile can maximize the staircase area and create a spacious feeling even in narrow stairwells.

Peel-and Stick Tiles on a Budget

Looking for a budget-friendly solution? Our aluminum and vinyl peel and stick tiles offer less expensive solutions to transform your staircase risers, not to mention a quick and easy application process you can complete by yourself in no time! Whether you like the modern metallic details of Silver Grey Picket Peel and Stick Tile to spruce up a mid-century home, or love the marble and gold look of White and Gold Hexagon Peel and Stick Tile for a glam touch in your entryway, get ready to transform your tile stairs in no time! 

Our luxury vinyl peel and stick tiles combine metallics and natural stone patterns on durable PVC material that offers a long-lasting design that staircase riser decals are not able to offer. If you want longer-wearing staircase design that showcases a high-end look, look no further than our peel and stick tile collection for updating staircase risers on a modest budget! 

To create your stairway to heaven, don’t let your stairs serve as only a connection between the top and bottom floor! Keep in mind that a staircase is also a visual connection as much as it’s a physical one, so why not use this opportunity to emphasize the feel of your home? 

Tiles can be placed all over on stair treads and risers, one or the other, in mixed colors, patterns, and in a variety of styles. You can even complete a DIY project with a mosaic tile detail or go with easy peel-and-stick tiles to complete an entryway refresh on a budget! With an amazing number of design and budget options, there’s no reason to wait!

Photo by We Love Home Blog

We hope that our tiled staircase ideas inspired you to go an extra step for a tiled staircase makeover. If yes, let us know which designs are your favorite in the comments below!