Designed Stairs

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

  • 5 Common Pitfalls of Stair Buying & How to Avoid Them

    Chicago staircase

    1. Stairs are built per the Architects’ plans.

      A reality of the construction process is that homes do not get built exactly as the architect has designed. A wall that is built just a few inches from where it was drawn, may no longer allow the stair to be built as drawn, or meet code.

      To avoid this: Prior to construction get a stair quote from print. Upon acceptance of the quote ask your Stair Builder for a “stair well framing detail”. This way your stair layout will have priority in the framing process and you can achieve the ideal layout.

    2. A good trim carpenter can build a good stair.

      Stair building starts with skill to design the stair and rail. Due to the many calculations and intersections that stair and rails have, Architects typically rely on the Stair Builder to design the fine details of the stair and rail. To expect that design skill from a good trim carpenter is not realistic.

      To avoid this: Hire a stair professional early, for both the design and installation of your stair.

    3. As long as you hire a stair builder, all stairs are the same.

      When shopping for a custom (stair) product it can difficult to compare. The differences start with the (custom) design itself, then the joinery, then the parts, and finally the skill of the installer.

      To avoid this: Investigate the experience and skills of the Stair Professional before you hire.

    4. Every company can deliver on time.

      On time delivery is a direct outcome of a current schedule. Schedules change. Someone who can deliver on time today may not be able to deliver on time in a month or two when you need your product. Keep in mind the size of the company. A one-person shop can get backed up quickly when a few orders come in.

      To avoid this: Use a larger company with more resources to work with, and more flexibility.

    5. The longer it takes to build the stair, the better quality it is.

      Expertise can greatly shorten the time it takes to build a stair. Shop fabrication, technology and simple efficiency will increase end quality, while lessening the actual time on site.

      To avoid this: Ask about processes and the length of time it will take to install your stair.

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  • Amazing Staircases: Gone With the Wind

    Gone With the Wind - Aunt Pittypat's stair

    The 1939 film Gone With The Wind features four beautiful staircases that have come to define the elegance, grace and grandeur of interior stair design. The staircase in the foyer of Aunt Pittypat’s home in Atlanta would probably be closer in design and layout to authentic homes of that time than the other stairs featured in the movie.

    Aunt Pittypat’s stair is a U-shaped stair that has painted stringers, risers, balusters and newels and hardwood rail, and treads. The stringers feature ornate stringer brackets that highlight the area below each tread.

    At the first floor, the rail begins the ascent with a fantastic cap and 90 degree rail fitting that sits atop a twisted starting newel. The stair ascends 13 risers to a double landing that has about 2 ft. of horizontal rail across it. From the landing, another 9 risers bring you to the second floor, which actually did exist in part on this set. The rail is a 5″ x 4″ box rail that is very similar to the rail used on the Tara stair, and the balusters are an alternating twist pattern similar to the Twelve Oaks staircase.

    Like the other stairs in the movie, it was only built as part of a temporary set and torn apart as soon as filming was over. Little is know about the actual stair builders that built these amazing staircases, but it was designed by Lyle Wheeler who won an Academy Award for his design work on the 90 sets and 50 full size buildings used in the movie.

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  • Amazing Stairs: Gone with the Wind — Mr. Bulter’s Residence

    Gone With the Wind - Mr. Butler's Mansion

    The 1939 film Gone With The Wind features four beautiful staircases that have come to define the elegance, grace and grandeur of interior stair design. One of the most popular staircases in movie history is the red carpeted stair within the opulent Butler Mansion, on which Scarlett O’Hara sits in the final scene.

    The staircase is a straight stair with 23 treads and 24 risers. It is approx.12 ft. wide and features an ornate balustrade of William and Mary architecture. The ornate panels inset below the handrail are hand-carved wood with a pattern that is similar to the carving on the newel posts.

    The massive handrails were made from several pieces and have height of nearly 12 inches. Each of the four newels are approx. 12″ wide and the top caps form a pedestal for a light fixture at each location.

    At the top of the stair, there are horizontal rail sections that form an overlook to the foyer on the left and the right.

    This elaborate staircase was designed by Lyle Wheeler who won an Academy Award for his design work on the 90 sets and 50 full size buildings used in the movie. The stair was built on a Hollywood sound stage and torn down as soon as filming was completed. Little is known about the craftsmen that built one of America’s most amazing staircases.

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  • Keys To Designing An Elegant Curved Stair

    Curved stairs by a curved red wall

    No one designs a curved staircase for the simple purpose of getting from one floor to another; there are other, much more practical ways of getting that done if you don’t care what it looks like.

    A curved staircase is an enduring statement of elegance and one of the most functional pieces of art in the realm of human design. If elegance is what you are after, there are a few keys that will get you there.

    First will be the proper placement of the staircase into the structure, which should be addressed at the earliest stages of design work. How will the staircase affect spaces immediately surrounding it? How will the stair be viewed from the entry to the home or from the side through adjoining rooms? Does the staircase offer a welcoming angle at the base and have a stunning angle of ascent to the second floor above?

    Second is the allowance of space. If the proper amount of room is not considered to allow a stair to be built with geometric consistency and adherence to proper safety codes, even the most knowledgeable stair designer will not be able to deliver the elegance you had envisioned.

    The third key to a “knock-out” curved stair design will the “Design Details” that you choose to add to the solid geometry of the staircase. The styling of your handrail, newels and balusters will be critical to the finish feel that the stair portrays, and the inclusion of over-sized starting treads, descending volutes, bowed tread noses and other design details will help push it over the top.

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  • Elements of a Well Designed Curved Staircase

    Curved stair with marble treads

    When you see a curved staircase that appears to have an elegant flow and breathtaking presence, I can guarantee you that didn’t happen by chance. The elements of a well designed curved staircase are contained in a number of mathematical principles that a good stair designer must adhere to.

    Unlike a standard staircase where all the tread noses are parallel within each stair section, a curved staircase is at least partially designed with a number of “pie shaped” treads, with the tread noses running toward a common center point. The combination of “pie shaped” treads and standard treads within the same staircase will change the angle at which the stair ascends, and these angle changes can destroy the flow and overall appearance of the curved staircase. The design and attitude of the stair treads will dictate the final appearance of the stair’s handrail system positively or negatively. Just because a curved stair appears to “flow” on a plan-view drawing does NOT mean it will look good in the third dimension.

    The true keys to curved stair design are allowing for enough room for a proper design, then developing a design with geometrical consistency which will result in those fantastic 3D lines that become the soul of the home’s interior.

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  • The Simple Beauty of Modern Stair Styles

    Modern design is simple, which is why it amazes me how many forms of modern styles have developed over the past 100 years. Modern stairs come in forms for all tastes and preferences. It can be the simplicity of a shaker style stair, or the stylistic design of a metal and glass stair. Modern styles can be organic or reflect modern technology.

    Modern

    Traditional modern

    Common themes of modern styling include:

    • Form Follows Function — the design should fill the need of the purpose
    • Simplicity and elimination of unnecessary details and ornamentation
    • Exposed Structure (as opposed to hiding the structural elements)
    • Truth to Materials — the material appears as it is naturally

    When planning your modern stair, consider the shapes your stair and rail create naturally. In the stair shown above, we merely accentuated the basic stair shape by adding visual weight to the rise and run of each step. The function of the stair itself creates its interesting lines.

    If you are starting with a traditional stair design, and want to make it modern, there are many modern style balusters and stair components that are readily available and will give you a great modern style. Nearly every material thought of can be used in used in modern styling — from wood to metal to glass. The options you have with modern design go as far as your imagination will carry you. See more custom stairs.

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  • Setting Design Goals Helps to Select Your Stair Styles

    Buying a stair

    With the endless choices we have today, making the many decisions required for a building project can be overwhelming. It’s easy to make decisions based on “I like it”, but if that is your only criteria for selection, it is unlikely that you will end up with consistent design. Establishing design goals can help keep your selections on track for a fabulous end result.

    To establish design goals look through many magazines and find a dozen or more images of rooms you like. These are not rooms to copy, rather they are rooms that have a feel and look that you relate to; rooms you can see yourself living in. Select images of different rooms and even the exterior of homes you like. After you have a nice collection of photos, analyze them and understand what you like about them. Determine which images have a common thread of design elements that you like and discard any that are not in alignment.

    As you go through this process you will see your design evolve. It will change from a pile of beautiful pictures, to a clearer visual of the style you want to create. As you make each selection for your project, use your concept photos to guide you. You are not trying to copy them, but use them as a visual design compass. As you shop for trim, doors, cabinetry and stairs, ask yourself, does this selection fit into one of my concept rooms? Do they look like they all belong in the same house? Do the elements align?

    By keeping your concept photos close by and using them with each selection, you will end up with a much more unified design and an end result that aligns with your intentional goals for your project.

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  • Historic Restoration of a Curved Stair & Curved Stair Railing

    Curved rail restoration

    Designed Stairs was called in to assess and restore a 1874 black walnut curved stair and curved stair rail. Abraham J. Hoffman built the stately River Forest Young Ladies Seminary in River Forest, IL in 1874. The building had many uses before it fell into disrepair prior to the eventual restoration in 1994. Many parts of the 180 degree curved staircase had deteriorated beyond repair and we determined that a combination of reconstruction and restoration would be the best course of action.

    The existing staircase and hand rail system were carefully measured, drawn and photographed before being disassembled and transported to Designed Stairs shop. The stair stringers, treads and risers had to be completely rebuilt due to water and animal damage, while the large walnut starting newel was able to be repaired. The handrail had been carved from solid black walnut stock and consisted of four sections bolted together end to end. The horizontal rail from the second floor was missing, along with many of the balusters. We carefully disassembled the four sections of rail. Each section was then scraped and sanded to remove the old varnish and prep the wood for a new finish.

    Curved rail restoration horizontal

    It was noted that the original craftsman had written the job name as “Abraham Hoffman” on the rail ends that had been bolted together. The inscription was documented and noted to the Museum staff.

    New bolts were placed and the rail reassembled and finish sanded. Several new black walnut balusters were made to match the existing originals and the horizontal 2nd floor rail and fitting were hand made to match the original stair rail. The new staircase was installed at the site and the rail system replaced in the exact position that it was originally set in 1874.

    The Trail Side Museum in Forest Park is open to the public — stop in and take a look. [Map]

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  • Amazing Staircases: Gone with the Wind — The Bridal Curved Staircase

    Gone With the Wind - Bridal Staircase

    The 1939 film Gone With The Wind features four beautiful staircases that have come to define the elegance, grace and grandeur of interior stair design.

    The most amazing staircase in the film is without question the massive central staircase within the Twelve Oaks Plantation. This is the stair that most people refer to as the Gone With The Wind “Bridal Curved Stair”.

    The staircase begins at the first floor with a bowed starting tread approximately 20 ft. wide featuring circle ends with descending volute rail terminations directly above. The lower section of the stair is a “flared” design with curves on both sides that allow the stair to narrow as you ascend the first 12 treads to the intermediate landing. At the landing, the stair divides into two 90 degree curved sections that ascend another 20 treads to the second floor. The handrail is a Victorian design approx. 7″ wide, possibly made from Walnut, and the balusters are square top and bottom, approx. 2 1/2″ wide with alternating spiral cut turnings.

    The overall stair design is essentially three different staircases all perfectly joined at the central landing. The handrail winds uninterrupted from the top to the bottom an estimated 50 ft. in length on either side. Most of the staircase is open underneath with fantastic panel work attached to the stair backs, and the exposed stringers are detailed with brackets featuring floral rosettes and carved appliqués in a painted finish.

    The entire staircase was built on a sound stage in Hollywood and torn down as soon as filming was completed. The staircase was designed by Lyle Wheeler who won an Academy Award for his design work on the 90 sets and 50 full size buildings used in the movie.

    See some examples of well designed curved staircases.

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  • The Entry Experience — Incorporate Top Stair Trends

    Stair trends

    Open the door and …. WOW!!

    Whether you are listing your home for sale, remodeling, or building a new home, you want to make choices that increase the value of your investment. How important is your Entry Experience to the value of your home?

    Research indicates that a home-buyer makes their buying decision during the first two to three minutes upon entering a home. The entryway sets the expectation for what your visitor will experience in the rest of your home. It is the first and last impression you make to your guests.

    Entryways can be over looked in this day of designer kitchens and baths. This gives us an easy opportunity to make a knock-em-dead impression, with far less effort and cost than other rooms.

    Your stair is likely the natural focal point in your entry. It sets the tone for the room. Update your stair style, just like you update furniture or cabinetry. Make sure both the color/finish of your stair and the style of your balustrade is up to date. The two most popular balustrade styles today are: metal balusters and boxed/trimmed (square) newels.

    Increasing the WOW of your entry will not only create a more inviting welcome for your guests, it will enhance the marketability of your home.

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