It is probably safe to say that the only time most people consider doing anything with their stairs is when it is time to decorate the hall and landing - and that even then it is usually a question of continuing the hall carpet up the stairs and giving the woodwork a lick of paint. The reason why even the most ardent DIY enthusiast doesn't launch into replacing or drastically changing what is usually the hall's one and only feature is that staircases are rightly perceived as having structural implications and therefore more complicated to radically rework than just about any other feature in the house.

Ripping out a staircase and starting over is rarely a viable option for two reasons. The more obvious one is that a stairs has a fixed starting and a fixed end point, so any new staircase will have be constrained by those geographical details. So in addition to any economic consideration there's the "why bother?" factor. The less obvious reason is that replacing a staircase involves disturbing so many other aspects of the house's interior, from the plaster on the walls to the under stairs cloakroom.

Interior designer and decorator Colette Ward agrees that stairs are much neglected when it comes to decoration but advises that even the simplest decorative detail can make a big difference. "One of the smartest looks for stairs is possibly the easiest to achieve," says Ward. "Just sand and varnish the treads and then paint the risers white." This very crisp, fresh look works in most style houses from period houses to newly-built semid's. If you're going for a more cottage-style look you could also consider painting the risers in a stronger colour or even putting on a stencil or a paint treatment. Ward says that the trend away from floors that are sanded and polished towards carpeting is spilling over onto the stairs and possibly for the same noise reduction and comfort reasons. "Stair runners are coming back into fashion," she says, "particularly bold strong colours with interesting borders that are designed as runners and not simply carpeting that has been cut to fit the stairs." A more dramatic staircase make-over involves changing the handrail and taking out the spindles and replacing them so that the staircase is more in tune decoratively with the rest of the house. Wrought iron treatments have become popular, and fans of a more modern style can consider materials such as steel, perspex and glass. Architect Ross Cahill O'Brien, who has won awards for his contemporary designs, frequently covers hand rails with leather for a highly textured, rich looking finish. But before you merrily saw away at that those mock Victorian spindles that came as standard in your brand new house - just as they did in every single house in the estate - you should remember that staircases are a highly regulated domestic feature. For safety reasons they must comply with building regulations which dictate the pitch of the stairs, the handrail and the gaps between the spindles.

If you are selling your house, lending institutions demand that the buyer must get an architect's report stating that all aspects of the house comply with building regulations and that includes the staircase. If it doesn't comply you will most likely be asked to redo the staircase. So before you do anything structural with your stairs, it is worth getting an architect to look over your plans. Even if you have no intention of ever selling your house and feel that you can do whatever you wish with it, there could also be insurance implications in structurally changing such a key element in your home. Removing the handrail, for example, might be a contributory factor if someone falls down the stairs and then claims on your home insurance policy. The potential to do something different with the stairs really comes in to play when a house is being built from scratch or an old one is being gutted. Then you've several options, not just in terms of the style of staircase you chose but where to put it. "I live in a townhouse," says Colette Ward, "and the hall was simply too small to have any real use so I knocked the hall into the livingroom and put the stair there and it means that as well as there being more space in general there is a nice cosy space under the stairs for a sofa." She cautions that anyone who owns a small house who considers doing the same should be aware of the heat loss implication of such a move. Heat rises and especially in an open tread staircase it rises out of the living area and up to the second level. The only time most semi-d or bungalow owners have to come to grips with choosing a staircase is during an attic conversion. This is where family houses built in the 1920s and 1930s come into their own because they frequently have enough landing space for the best possible option - a staircase that mimics in terms of pitch and style the house's own stairs. In houses with more modest landing space, spiral staircases are usually the favoured option. Again building regulations have a say in your choice. If the attic is being made into a single room, then a tall narrow spiral can be used. However, if the attic is effectively going to become another floor with, for example two rooms and a shower room, then a wider more elaborate spiral is required. Getting an architect's advice is a good move for safety and regulations compliance reasons.

While spiral staircases are made of steel they don't always have to look that way and there are creative ways to comply with the relevant regulations without having an ugly spiral staircase that dominates the hall or landing.

Architect Philip Oakes created a dramatic spiral staircase to give access to his large, newly converted attic in his Dublin home. The frame of the stairs is steel although this has been completely disguised for decorative purposes. The threads have been covered in maple wood while the rest has been plastered and painted white to blend in with the house's decoration. A "handrail" made of rope is an attractive detail. He recommends consulting a spiral staircase specialist, such as Spireco Engineering on Sheriff Street, who have a showroom where you can see a range of staircases.