Stair runners — Barbican EC1
Commercial stair runners for the City's offices & clubs.
A good proportion of our work is commercial — offices, members' clubs, serviced buildings and the communal stairwells of converted City properties. The requirements are different from a family home: heavier traffic, tighter access windows, and usually a building manager who needs the work done outside office hours. We're set up for all three.
No site visit required for a quote · reply within 24hrs, Mon–Fri
Materials
Materials that work in Barbican properties.
Cut Pile & Black Border
A mid grey cut pile with a black border is our most specified commercial runner — neutral enough for any interior scheme, and built to take sustained daily footfall in a communal stairwell.
Herringbone & Pattern
Where a building wants more presence — a members' club, a reception stair, a listed entrance hall — a black-and-white herringbone gives a commercial staircase real definition without looking corporate.
See more
Every runner has a story.
We've fitted hundreds of stair runners across London, and we write up many of the more interesting ones on our blog — the fabric hunts, the tricky winders, the rescues. Have a flick through our stair runner project archive to see the range of what's possible.
If you'd like to see the full range of designs available before you commit to a material, our sister company Fenston Carter stocks a much wider selection than we can show on this page — a few examples shown here, or browse the full stair runner collection for inspiration.
Edge finishes
Cotton borders
& edge finishes.
A contrasting cotton border — navy on neutral, charcoal on pale sisal, black on a lighter bouclé — gives a Barbican staircase a genuinely bespoke finish, while a clean whipped edge suits a more understated look. We stitch every finish in our Wimbledon workshop and check every seam before it leaves for installation.
We also supply and install premium branded runners including Roger Oates, Louis De Poortere and Alternative Flooring for Barbican clients who have specified a particular brand.
Process
The process in Barbican.
Estimate
It's really as simple as sending in a short video of your staircase via WhatsApp, with any dimensions you have and what type of runner you have in mind. We come back with a detailed estimate inside 24 hours on a weekday — no site visit required.
Samples & spec
Once you accept, we can send samples in the post or bring them to your home so you see the carpet in your own light. We confirm material, pile, width and edge finish — or work from your designer's spec.
Templating
For winders, tight curves or unusual staircases, we return to build paper templates of every step. Non-negotiable on complex jobs — it's what guarantees the fit.
Make & install
The runner is cut, shaped and edge-finished in our Wimbledon workshop, every seam inspected before it leaves, then fitted at a time that suits you — including evenings and weekends.
Indicative pricing
What does a bespoke stair runner cost in Barbican?
Polypropylene, whipped
from £800
Supply and fit, standard straight staircase, 13 steps.
Wool or wool bouclé
from £1,000
Same staircase, upgraded to wool or wool bouclé.
Sisal / seagrass, whipped
from £1,200
Same staircase, upgraded to natural sisal or seagrass.
Adding a decorative cotton border increases the cost depending on the tape chosen. Staircases with winders involve additional templating time; two-flight staircases are priced proportionally. Premium materials — Roger Oates flatweave, patterned Wilton, wool bouclé with a herringbone border — carry a higher material cost and reflect the quality of finish most Barbican clients expect. There is no premium for our location — you pay for the runner and the installation, not your postcode.
Service area
Barbican & neighbouring areas.
If your property is in any of these areas or anywhere else in London, WhatsApp us or call 0208 135 9452 and we'll be happy to provide a quote. View our full London stair runner service for the complete list of areas we cover.