We are having Brazilian cherry hardwood installed up to a staircase. There are two stairs, then a landing, a 90 degree turn, and stairs all the way up. The landing we plan on doing in the cherry, and the stairs were going to be carpeted fully (no runners). The main body of stairs are in pretty bad shape so they couldn't be stained, and removal would have been very difficult, thus the carpet. My thoughts on the banister would be oak for the newels and banister, stained, and the balusters would be white.

I was able to replace the two bottom stairs with red oak treads, I'd really like to try and stain them, but not sure how well they will match the cherry. The grain pattern will be different, plus the colors won't vary like the floor does. The wife says forget about it, but I think it'll look better than the carpet for the first two stairs. But will it look off with the cherry on the floor and the landing and then the two stairs?

Option:
1) Carpet all stairs but leave the landing cherry.
2) Stain the first two stairs, leave the landing cherry, and carpet all the way up to the top.
3) Stain the first two stairs, use a runner that matches the stairs up to the top, and leave the landing cherry?

Thoughts?

I would stain the stair as close as you can get. Darker is better than lighter, because the flooring will darken over time.

#1) I think this would look o.k.
#2) No good IMO. If you stain the 1st two stairs it will allways look like oak trying to be Braz.Cherry.
#3) You may be able to get away with this. The amount of wanna be Braz. Cherry wont jump out at you, plus your tying those 2 steps into the other carpeted steps, with the runner.

#4) Install Braz. Cherry Treds & Risers. The Best