Creative staircase designs are more than just steps
Designers view a staircase as a form of elevated hallway, giving as much thought as to their creation as they would a bedroom. Yet so many home owners view them only as functional structures, a way of moving from one level to another, rather than the architectural features that they are.
Stairs that get stares
Owners of both new-build homes and those undergoing renovations have plenty of choice nowadays when it comes to stairs. Gone are the days when tight spiral staircases or rectangle box shaped steps were the only choices. Throughout the country, our building teams have been busy installing a wide variety of staircases including:
Stairs that just seem to float
Floating staircases give the illusion of ‘floating’ without having any supporting structures. However, each individual glass, timber or concrete step is attached to a wall on one side. They quite often have a glass or wire balustrade upon the unfixed side, which adds to the floating illusion.
Keeping us in suspence
Like floating stairs, a set of suspended stairs seems to float effortlessly in the air. The slight difference between them is that a suspended staircase will have supports ‘holding up’ both sides of each step, rather than the one side like a floating step.
Space savers
Small homes and offices don’t have a lot of room for large stairways. A space saving staircase is then used to still provide the functionality, as well as a focal feature point. A spiral staircase is a common example, but many designers are thinking outside the box with alternating size stair treads, box cube stairs (with storage) and stair cases which cover another area, such as a sink or study nook.
Stairs for storage
Our builders often get asked for ways to incorporate extra storage options into their client’s homes. Building new staircases or renovating existing ones gives you the opportunity to introduce new storage options. How about a book lined stairway, both on the walls and as part of the tread? Or staircase drawers, where each step pulls out to provide draw size storage.
Tips on renovating your stairs
When it comes to renovating an existing set of stairs, it can be more challenging than designing a new set. Not only do you need to ‘fit’ within the style of the property, but also within the available space. An L-shaped or straight staircase suit smaller sized areas, where a large curved or double stairway looks great in a large entrance way.
You also have a choice of balustrade and barrier options. These need however need to meet the Building Code which states that residential balustrade or barriers must be at least 900mm for stairs and their landings. Safety glass, timber and wire are all popular choices for these.
