Designed Stairs

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

  • 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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  • Custom Wood Stairs to Match Your Imported Wood Flooring

    Sapele

    There are many choices in hardwood flooring today. A recent search revealed over 25 species of readily available hardwood flooring from which to select. Over half of these species are imported from other countries.

    Most imported hardwoods are grown in a tropical climate, which results in a much different growth cycle for the tree when compared to hardwoods grown in the U.S. As a result, the wood is much heavier than our native species. This presents a challenge when drying the wood that it will not crack when it continues to dry out in your house after installation.

    When these species are used in flooring, the drying issue is resolved by installing it without glue, and the narrow strips of flooring allow for movement after installation. This can create a problem when using the same species for stairs however. Stair parts are thicker than flooring, and must be glued together. Once the wood is glued together, its movement is now restricted as the wood continues to dry out. The end result could be a crack in your stair.

    When choosing a stair company, make sure their experience goes beyond stairs, and they have experience working in the species you are looking at. Consult with them for guidance on appropriate species for your stair. They may recommend alternative species that are a close match in color to your flooring. Hiring a knowledgeable expert will help ensure a problem free stair for years to come. At Designed Stairs we routinely use over 25 species. See our Materials page for many species that we have built stairs in.

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  • What You Need to Know: Using Bamboo for Your Stairs

    Bamboo

    Bamboo has become popular in the past few years. It is desirable due to its sustainability and unique appearance. Bamboo is a unique material, and has some limitations compared to wood species you may be considering.

    First, bamboo is a grass and not a tree. It is hollow and does not grow as tall or as big in circumference as a tree. The processing of bamboo requires cutting the grasses into ¼” x 1″ strips and gluing together.

    Bamboo is only available in shorter lengths. The small size works well for strips of flooring, however not as well for longer or larger items. Stairs typically require long lengths for handrails and stringers or skirt-boards. When using bamboo, this would require splicing or bolting shorter lengths together, leaving a visible and undesirable joint line.

    A typical stair requires about 30 unique parts, such as treads, risers, stringers, cove, rails, rail fittings, newels, balusters and a variety of trim pieces. Most of these parts are not available in bamboo. Treads and risers are readily available in bamboo, while rails, newels and balusters are available on a very limited basis.

    Due to both the nature of bamboo and availably of stair parts, a stair with bamboo would often utilize bamboo treads to match the flooring. Risers and stringers would be painted (using a paintable material). Rail, newel and baluster materials are typically chosen to match other trim in the home.

    Hint: Be sure to use a carpet runner when using bamboo for treads. It is very slippery and can be dangerous to walk on.

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  • Stair Styles: What parts of my stair should I paint vs. stain?

    Painted newels

    All stained

    We often get asked the question: “What parts of my stair should I paint and what should I stain?” When determining what to stain and what to paint, think about the overall feel you want in your space. The more parts you paint, it will be a lighter and airier feel. The more parts you stain, it will be a warmer and richer feel.

    Here is a listing of the most popular groupings of what components to stain vs. paint:

    • All Stained: All Stained except balusters painted
    • Stained: treads, railing, newels. Painted: stringers, risers, balusters
    • Stained: treads and railing, all else painted

    Keep in mind that whether painting or staining, the colors you choose will make a profound design statement. A dark stain color complimented with a light (white) paint, will give a very elegant and formal look. While a colored paint, can give a very country or casual feel. Consider how elegant or casual the color and finish makes each stair. Scroll through stair photos and identify the overall feel you want in the color and visual weight of your stair. Darker colors (whether stained or painted) will make the space look more full and warm. Lighter colors, especially white, will give you a spacious and bright feel.

    You will likely be living with the your material and color selections on your stair for many years. Stairs and balustrades are not an easy item to strip or re-finish. If you are in doubt about your selections, call in a professional decorator. Your stair likely cost you thousands of dollars. For a few hundred dollars you can get professional decorating advise and proceed with confidence on your investment!

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  • Stair Remodeling: 3 Reminders to help it run smoothly

    When remodeling your stairs you should know that it IS a full-fledged remodeling project, not a Saturday afternoon DIY project. Your stair has been installed into the structure of your home. Removing and replacing your stair can be as involved as remodeling your kitchen or bath. The process may involve drywall work, some additional framing. The process can be messy and inconvenient.

    Stair installation

    Here are three reminders to make your stair remodel project run more smoothly:

    1. Plan ahead. Prior to removing anything, have your entire stair plan figured out in detail. How will you get upstairs? Will your headroom change? Will you need to change framing? Is the new design fully calculated and every design detail finalized? Are materials and labor fully planned and available? It may be best to have materials precut to some extent to limit the time of construction.

    2. Protect what you’re not changing. Cover up the floor nearby. Remove pictures on both sides of the walls. Cutting can create a lot of dust. Treat the area like a construction zone!

    3. Be ready for the unexpected. When the stair is pulled out, who knows what you’ll find. There may be plumbing, heating, or electric under the stair that needs to be moved. Plan ahead as to how you will handle moving those items if required.

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  • 3 Items to Consider When Replacing Balusters

    Baluster replacemen

    1. Bottom of Baluster

      Will there be a stain line on the bottom where the old baluster sat? This could cause the need to finish the entire stair. Consider selecting a replacement style with the same size or larger baluster.

    2. Top of Baluster

      How were the balusters installed into the rail? Can I reuse the rail to install the new balusters in?

    3. Code

      Will this be inspected? Will the baluster spacing pass code, or will they “grandfather” me into the old code?

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