I finally grasped my courage with both hands and, bored of lifting boxes,  fitted the stair carpet down to the new cellar.

Taking things seriously, I invested £40 in a heavy duty staple and nail gun (I’m hoping there will be options for more uses…like the main stairs).  It worked really well – you have to use two hands which just means reduced chance of accidents.  The only downside was I initially bought the wrong staples – even if the packaging/name looks the same, read the small numbers on the staple box carefully, otherwise it’s a return journey to the DIY shop to buy the right ones. I used 12 mm staples.

I also ordered some carpet grip from Ebay (the sort of stuff you lay under rugs to stop them from slipping).  The thought process was that I wasn’t worried about slippage from laying the pile in the wrong way, as there was no pile, but I was aware that kilim is a thinner type of rug and wanted to give it some support regarding pulling from the staples and feet.

Then it was the simple matter of laying a piece of underlay with carpet grip and stapling it into place.

For the carpet, I pencilled off on each stair where the carpet should run centrally (7 cm on each side for me).  Then the lines in the design were a big bonus, helping to keep everything straight and on track.

Finally it was the simple matter of stapling under the nose of the riser, in the middle and at either end.  And again where the step meets the riser and working down. The last bit of kilim was folded up, tucked under and stapled away. Job done.

The cellar itself has changed considerably as boxes have been unpacked.

It’s now probably one of the most relaxing places in the house..time takes on a new dimension here..if only I could hide it away from the kids…

 

Laters, Kate x