Designed Stairs

Designed Stairs has the experience to design structural, open-riser staircases that are also beautiful works of contemporary art.

  • Stair Design, Shaping the Flow and Feel of Your Space

    Stair Design, Shaping the Flow and Feel of Your Space

    A staircase is one of the most powerful architectural elements in a home.

    When most homeowners think about staircases, they think in terms of function — getting from one floor to another. But in a well-designed home, a staircase does far more than connect levels. A staircase shapes how a space feels, how light moves, and how people experience the home from the moment they walk through the front door.

    Stair Shape and Location Flow Makes a Loud Statement

    The shape and the starting point of your stair plays a key role in how the stair affects experience with the stair.

    • A straight stair with the starting tread close to the front door may have you feeling like getting right upstairs
    • A grand curved stair several feet from the front door – may call you to experience walking up the stair
    • A Multi level U shape stair with connecting rails, draws us to experience the dramatic middle space and the rails

    The Staircase as a Visual Anchor

    The staircase is often the first major design element you see. Whether it’s a grand curved stair in a foyer or a modern floating stair in an open-concept layout, the stair naturally becomes a visual anchor to say welcome.

    A thoughtfully designed staircase:

    • Establishes the home’s architectural tone
    • Creates balance between open and enclosed spaces
    • Draws the eye upward, adding a sense of scale and presence

    Light, Openness, and Perception of Space

    One of the most overlooked aspects of stair design is how it impacts light. Stairs can either block natural light or help distribute it throughout the home.

    Elements that enhance spatial perception include:

    • Open risers allow light to pass through
    • Glass rail systems that maintain visibility
    • Curved or freestanding stairs that avoid harsh visual barriers

    An enclosed stair design can be effective to create privacy, contrast, or dramatic reveal as you move upward.

    These design choices can make a home feel larger, brighter, and more welcoming without adding a single square foot.

    Proportion and Comfort Matter

    Stair proportions directly affect how a home feels to live in. The relationship between tread depth, riser height, width, and railing placement determines not only safety, but comfort and elegance.

    Well-proportioned stairs:

    • Feel effortless to walk
    • Railings at comfortable heights, able to safely grip the handrails.
    • Balance the stair width and the styles to the overall room size.
    • Balance the space in front of the stair to the overall room size.

    Designing a Stair to the Home, Not Just the Code

    Building codes ensure safety, but they don’t guarantee good design. A staircase should respond to the home’s architecture, layout, and lifestyle.

    A Staircase Is an Experience.

    At Designed Stairs, we’ve spent decades designing and installing staircases that enhance how homes are experienced — visually, spatially, and emotionally.

    Whether bold or understated, modern or traditional, a well-designed staircase doesn’t just connect floors, it connects the entire home.

    If you’re planning a new build or renovation, the staircase deserves a seat at the design table early on in the process. The difference is something you’ll feel every day.

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  • Curved Stair Budget Tips

    Even in large multi million dollar homes with curved stairs, builders and homeowners are looking for ways to save.

    Staircase layouts often have the main staircase stacked over the basement stair for the most efficient usage of space. It’s likely a larger home will not be as limited by space constraints.

    A substantial cost savings can be found by moving the basement stair to a different location, which allows a shape change from curved to a more affordable Landing or Straight stair.

    In cases of a grand curved staircases, typically the same shape for the curved stair is used for the basement stair under it. Since curved stairs are the most costly shape this “multi stairs in one stair well” design can greatly increase your stair budget.

    You may want your curved stair to be a “floating curved stair”. That can still be achieved with out a stair under it. In this case, you simply do not design for a wall under your stair. This will add some cost, as the stair needs to be more structural, still a significant savings over two curved stairs.

    however it may be boxed between walls in the basement. We seldom is the curved design featured in the basement as a focal point. We often see the basement (curved stair) mostly boxed between walls.

    We often see basement curved stairs mostly boxed between walls, and only a few feet of open curved balustrade. This is a big cost for a stair that is enclosed by walls and a good opportunity to save on cost.

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  • Benefits of Newel Posts Custom Made for Your Stair

    You have probably seen these 4091 newels hundreds of times – we have. They are factory made and available a few lengths and few features. This picture shows the short comings of using an off-the-shelf newel like the 4091 as shown. The installer of this stair likely started with a pile of parts and then proceeded to figure out how to make them work in that situation. When you can’t get a newel in the length you need your choices are limited. The unfortunate result is a stained newel that appears to float in the air.

    The Designed Stairs difference is that all of our newels are made in-house for the specific location on your stair.  Newel posts are designed for specific locations being used.

    The panels on the newels are specifically sized to other connectoins (treads, rails) on the stair.

    Designed Stairs offers endless features and upgrades to your newel style to make them uniquely your own.

    designedstairs.com/stair-component-gallery-newels-wood-boxed.php

    designedstairs.com/components-newels-wood-boxed.php

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  • Plan for Success on Your Curved Stair Project

    Plan for Success on Your Curved Stair Project

    What every custom builder and homeowner should understand before starting a curved staircase project

    Curved stairs bring unmatched beauty, elegance, and architectural impact to any home. But unlike straight or L-shaped staircases, a custom curved stair requires careful planning, precise design, and expert fabrication to ensure it meets code, fits the space, and delivers the smooth, sweeping look people expect from a luxury staircase.

    Here’s what every custom builder and homeowner should understand before starting a curved staircase project.

    1. The Planning: Beautiful Curves Require Experience

    On an architect’s plan, curved stairs look effortless. In the real, 3-D world? They can get complicated fast. Common issues include:

    • Plans that don’t meet code requirements for riser height, tread depth, or headroom
    • Insufficient planning for the stair/stringer layout and curved railing
    • Not enough physical space to achieve a smooth, attractive radius
    • Architectural drawings that don’t match field conditions, especially in new construction

    A curved staircase is not the place for guesswork. Early coordination is everything.

    2. DSI Solutions: Bring Us in Early (Seriously—Before you frame)

    The single biggest cost-saver in the world of curved stair design is early involvement. When Designed Stairs steps in early, we can:

    • Design a code-compliant curved staircase that balances efficiency, comfort, and aesthetics
    • Engineer the most attractive, cost-effective curve that fits your footprint
    • Define/direct your framing of curved walls to assure a geometry balanced stair
    • Prevent costly mistakes that often appear after framing, when changes are far more expensive

    Bringing in a specialist early avoids delays, rework, and budget creep—especially on luxury homes in Chicagoland, Naperville, Hinsdale, Oak Brook, Western Springs, Glenview, and the North Shore, where curved stairs are highly sought after.

    And if your project isn’t local? No problem. We’ve completed curved staircases as far away as Alaska, Hawaii, England, and even Japan, providing remote guidance, templates, and engineering support to ensure the final result is flawless.

    3. The Process: Why Curved Stairs Require More Time

    A custom curved staircase is a handcrafted architectural element, not a mass-produced component. That’s why timelines look different.

    Expect:

    • Extra time during framing to place and build the curved template
    • Longer fabrication in our shop—a straight stair may take hours; a curved stair often requires a full week or more of precision work
    • Longer lead times to get on the schedule, since curved staircases require specialized craftsmen and equipment

    The result is worth it: a grand, sweeping focal point that elevates the entire home. But it’s important to plan far ahead—especially during busy building seasons.

    4. The Cost: What to Expect with a Luxury Curved Staircase

    The grace and elegance of a curved staircase generally come at a premium—often three times the cost of a similar L-shaped option. This is due to:

    • Custom kerfing and lamination
    • Hand-crafted curved railing systems
    • Precision layout and engineering
    • Longer shop and installation time

    If you’re building a luxury home, a curved stair isn’t just a feature—it’s a statement piece that adds real value and architectural impact.

    5. DSI Cost-Saving Tip: Choose Pin-Top Balusters

    For curved railing systems, Pin-Top balusters are both elegant and budget-friendly:

    • They match the formal aesthetic that curved stairs naturally carry
    • They are significantly easier (and faster) to fit into a curved rake rail
    • Square-top and panel-style balusters cost more, as they require precise hand-fitting and complex joinery on a curved rail

    A smart baluster choice can reduce labor costs without compromising style.

    Benefits of a DSI Curved Staircase

    • Installation time. Because we fabricate so much in our shop, time on site is minimized.
    • Our production volume and experience means predictable quality and reliable timelines
    • We’ve built over 5000 curved stairs, and we continually expand capacity to meet growing demand for luxury curved staircases around the world and in our home.

    Your project gets seasoned expertise—not trial and error.

    Ready to Plan Your Next Curved Staircase?

    If you’re a homeowner, builder, or architect planning a curved stair or custom staircase project, bring Designed Stairs in early. You’ll save time, avoid costly framing issues, and get a staircase that becomes the centerpiece of your home.

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  • Can Red Oak look like White Oak?

    red-oak-versus-white-oak

    Red Oak is generally more affordable than White Oak, prompting many to explore finishing techniques to achieve a similar look.

    At first glance, some Red Oak may resemble White Oak, but they have distinct differences. White Oak features a light brown hue, tighter grain, and greater density, while Red Oak has a red tint and a more open grain.

    Some red oak is more or less “red”.   Each piece of wood is unique, so results vary.

     One simple option is to reduce the red tint is using a stain with some gray in it.  This stain can help neutralize the red tones in Red Oak, making it look more like White Oak.  Minwax Weathered Oak is a good option.

    You can also lighten Red Oak using Zinsser Wood Bleach (A-B solutions) and enhance its appearance with various stains. The bleaching process can significantly reduce the red tones, allowing for effective color alteration.   

    If you have existing wood you want to keep, bleaching may be a good option. However, for new projects, starting with White Oak might be more cost-effective. Keep in mind the labor costs. Bleaching Red Oak for an interior project can nearly double your overall expenses.   

    If you’re seeking the look of White Oak, you’ll likely be happier with the final product if you choose White Oak from the start, but that does come at price. 

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  • Chicagoland Stair Trends

    The most popular trend in Chicago stair design is “clean and simple” lines.

    Materials and finish that range from elegant to earthy. Gone are the days of industrial looking stainless.

    Newels are often the key focal point of the stair. The most popular newels are square and have a bit of fine detailing through the use of simple trim, caps or panels.

    The handrail itself is most often the last item selected, as it doesn’t carry the design weight of the other components, however it plays a key role in blending styles together. A medium sized Georgian style handrail does a great job of tying together an elegant and traditional feel with modern elements; while a simple rectangular railing gives the contemporary urban feel that many Chicagoland homeowners are looking for.

    Iron balusters remain very popular. Typically we are using straight, square balusters, but some small detailing may be added for interest. Wood balusters are also used, and the style remains simple — either square or a turned taper.

    American White Oak has been a favorite with Architects and designers due to the subdued grain characteristics and subtle brown hue. It can go from elegant to the earthy look that Chicago is famous for.

    Chicago is known worldwide for its wide-ranging and remarkable architecture. It is a little known fact that Chicago is the stair design capital of the United States. Chicagoland has more developed stair design and stair construction methods, than you will find anyplace else in the U.S.

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  • Will Designed Stairs provide nosing or should the flooring company provide nosing?

    Will Designed Stairs provide nosing or should the flooring company provide nosing?

    Nosing is required anywhere there is balustrade or newels.  Typically, nosing from a flooring company has a shorter overhang and does not have the space for trim under it.  Typical floor nosing overhangs 1-1/4”, whereas Designed Stairs nosing overhangs 1-3/4” to allow for trim under the nosing.  This includes apron and cove.  Designed Stairs provides all of the nosing where there is balustrade or newels so that the nosing and trim will match the stair style.  i.e., If the stair has square-nosed treads and square cove, the nosing, apron, and cove would also be square to match.

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  • Using Curved Features to Get a Curved Feel without the Curved Cost

    Using Curved Features to Get a Curved Feel without the Curved Cost

    Sometimes your design calls for an elegant curved stair, but the budget falls short.  Here are some variations on a full curved stair.  These take up less space and cost less than a full curved stair, while still providing an elegant and unique solution.  These designs save on the cost of stringers and rails, as some are straight and only some are curved.  In general, the less curved pieces you have, the more savings compared to a full curved stair.

     

    Here are four curved design solutions for cost savings:

    • The curve 3-Winder has come to the center with a std winder newel, but the back /wall side is curved.
    • By curving only 3 or 4 treads at the bottom/ wall side, you can a dramatic curved start to your stair – the area people look at the most. 
    • Bowing starting treads and risers give you a very elegant curved look, at a fraction of the cost.
    • A hand carved descending volute is costly, but it pulls in curved elegance at a fraction of the cost of a full curved rail.

     

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  • Red Oak versus White Oak

    red-oak-versus-white-oakRed oak (quercus rubra) is far more plentiful in all hardwood markets than White oak (quercus alba), and therefore, will be less expensive in every aspect. Red oak usually has a pinkish hue and distinct “tiger stripes” in the surface grain, while white oak tends to a light brown coloration with less distinctive grain patterns. While both woods are extremely strong, white oak has a greater density, more strength, and can be used for liquid containing barrels, ship building and exterior products, while red oak is confined to interior use, such as cabinets, staircases, trim and furniture. Historically, white oak has been used in fine woodworking applications that indicate a higher-end product. The dense grain of white oak would have a practical advantage over red oak when used in bathroom and kitchen floors, where moisture would be expected.

     

    The vast majority of stocked stair parts are red oak and white oak is very likely to be a custom order. Since the raw material of white oak is more expensive and White oak parts are generally custom ordered, a white oak staircase will cost more than a red oak staircase.

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  • Luxury Staircases in the Midwest

    Traditional European stair-building methods were transferred to the US along with immigrant craftsmen in the early years of our country’s history. The Great Depression caused the stair-building arts to almost disappear. The resurgence of the two-story home in the 1950’s and 60’s caused stair-builders to spring up in most major metropolitan areas across the country with a concentration from New York to Chicago.

    The highest concentration of traditional full-milled stair shops remains in the Midwest, with Chicago being one of the most concentrated markets.

     

    The popularity of the stair trade in the Midwest is partly due to the strong tradition of the open staircase in single family homes. Farm house style and a strong urban element from historic Chicago architecture have combined to create high standards for open staircases. As with all free-market supply and demand, the importance of the open staircase in the Midwest has fed the strength and development of the stair industry to perhaps the highest level in history. 

    The strong background and tradition of the stair trade has been boosted by CNC technologies, to bring design and quality to new levels. This also means that the average Midwest home is able to have stair and rail designs that may be out of the question in other regions of the country.

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