Interior Obsessions – Stairs

One of the great places to sweat the details in a house is the staircase. When I design a new home, I always pay special attention to the stairs and the railings, because this is an opportunity to make a bit of a statement in an otherwise simple environment. Depending on the layout of your home, the staircase is either part of the visual language you see directly upon entering the foyer, or it is a circulation path used by residents and guests alike.

Stairs can be light and airy, or really ground the house with some weight, and can be made of almost any material. They can be solid underneath, with storage below, or constructed of a steel stringer that carries the rest of the stair and railings, with an open tread design. And railings can be just as varied, from solid panel to glass, steel cable to wrought iron. It is important to remember that many of the beautiful stairs found in magazines and online aren’t possible depending on your local areas building codes, so be sure you are aware of those before making a drastic change.

(above) Wide Wood Open Stair

Solid Wood Blocks + Wood Planks on Steel

Wood Treads with Glass Railing

Steel Stairs and Post

Alternating Wood and Stone + Bent Cor-ten Steel

Which staircase is your favorite?

Leave your response in the comments below.

What does your entry need to step it up a notch?

Amy wrote this post. She is the designer and owner of FormFire Glassworks, where she creates modern lampwork glass beads and jewelry, and by day designs custom homes for a small firm in Southern California. You can follow her twitter @formfireglass.