The boring ol’ stairwell needs some serious theming.
Note: This image is not altered. That’s how pitch black the arcade really is. So dramatic! 

When I bought reed fencing from Forever Bamboo to use as wall covering, my only option was to buy (2) 6′ x 16′ rolls, leaving me with plenty of extra after only having used a 4′ x 8′ piece thus far. Our stairwell measures about 14′ long, so this was a quick, easy solution for using up the rest!  I still had a gallon of black eggshell paint as well, so I used that as a backing color on the ceiling and non-railed wall.

I also became semi-obsessed with putting foliage on the ceiling, and the best looking foliage at the best price were these UltraHedge tiles on Amazon. (12) 20″ x 20″ tiles for just over $100. These babies snap together super easy and are even easier to attach with a staple gun. It worked almost too well.

I have enough room for two more tiles at the top though, so I will likely buy a few more and use any remaining tiles elsewhere.
Not sure what to do with the railing wall yet, but it certainly will need to be handprint-proof or easy to clean.