Decorating your home can be a disaster in the end, if you forget the staircase. This normally gloomy area, especially if it's visible, needs attention just like every other room of your home.

We all wish that we had the large, gorgeous staircase from "Gone with the Wind" and other movies with Clark Gable and other classic movie hunks. But they way things are these days, we're lucky to get a staircase we can move up and down without fear of death or tiny spaces, let alone be swept into a completely torrid romance on. Still, dreaming is one of the few things modern homes leave their owners and there are things you can do to make your staircase seem a little less horror movie-esque and more like a part of your loving, friendly home.

Since most of our staircases are in areas of the home where there isn't much light-and what light there is tends to cast ominous shadows that can make even a grown man a little nervous to ascend or descend the steps in the middle of the night-it's important to choose colors that make the area seem less frightening and more forgiving. Dark woods and dark carpets should be mostly avoided unless you intend to purchase an area rug that runs the entire length of your staircase. Choosing lighter colors also helps to brighten the area, making it less likely to become a hazard zone for tripping over items in the dark or shaded and shadowy areas.

You know that it's important to keep light colored carpet on your staircase to keep it friendly and safe. But in order for light colored carpet to do its job in reflecting light and making the staircase seem brighter, you have to provide adequate lighting. But why bother with light colored carpet as well as adequate lighting you ask? Why not just choose one or the other? If you decide to have a fully lit staircase, there's no reason you can't choose a dark colored wood with a dark area rug or a dark colored carpet.

Area rugs have long been used to add class to certain areas of your home, but a well made area rug in warm inviting, or deep sultry tones can do more than just add class to your Plain Jane staircase. An area rug-whether it's one solid color, like a green area rug or a blue area rug, or is decorated, like an oriental area rug or modern area rug-can add light and life to the base of your staircase, making it seem more like Clark Gable's favorite place to stand and kiss and less like just another set of stairs you have to climb up and down every time you want and need something.

Remember, every part of your home is just as important as the next. Too often, we skip over the little areas, like the staircase and then we can never quite figure out what's off balance in the house. The staircase, especially if it's immediately visible upon entering your home, should receive just as much attention as every room you decorate.