Designed Stairs

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

  • 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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  • 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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  • Glass Treads

    An important consideration when designing any space is the presentation and distribution of light.  This is especially true when considering a staircase, since the available light will have a direct effect on safety.

    We recently completed a project where we were presented a design for a contemporary home with a staircase featuring glass treads.  The architect had a very specific design in mind, featuring a welded steel structure that would support structural, textured glass treads wrapped in a wood frame.  Our head design technician ended up working directly with the architect to verify each detail and maximize the efficiency of the fabrication process.

    The glass treads are very effective for the vision the architect had in mind.  Light is able to pass through from above to light the basement stairs during the day, and from above and below at night.  The glass, wood, and steel design is clean and ahead of its time.

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  • Trending Stair Styles

    Are you are looking for a one of a kind look to create that WOW factor as you walk into your home?

    Gold is back — glamorous and bold. Metal suppliers are now offering gold finishes, so we can offer an affordable custom look without the additional cost to custom finish.

    Get creative with a custom milled stair personalized for your client’s specific design.

    Black is here to stay — bold and beautiful paired with white for an elegant finish.

    Minimal lines are huge right now. “Less is more” is definitely what people are looking for.

    Staining an elegant wood rail black or a dark stain can give you a softer elegant look.

    Using iron throughout creates beauty and elegance, bringing a warmth to your home with a contemporary style that will last for years to come.

        

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  • Contemporary Stair Styles — The definition of now

    Contemporary architecture is often thought to mean “modern”. This is a misnomer, but it’s easy to see where people get this idea. Very often contemporary architecture is also modern. Contemporary literally means “of today”, so contemporary style is what people are doing now. Contemporary Architecture is a reflection of our lifestyles of today.

    Contemporary MSI

    Some of the key elements of 2011 contemporary styles [when this article was written] are:

    • Natural light, airy, sunshine
    • Simplicity and calm
    • Comfort and relaxation
    • Nature and balance
    • Green, sustainable

    Translating these elements into a stair, we see contemporary stair designs in Wood, Metal, Stone, and Glass. None of these materials fit into every category of our key elements, but they all fit into at least one category.

    Taking these materials and creating contemporary — new and unique styles is fun and challenging. In stair and balustrade selections, light and air are the most popular trend! Contemporary stairs today are often open-rise which allow for full light flow right through the stair.

    When designing a contemporary stair, customers often expect it to cost less than a more ornate or old world style stair. This is seldom true. Contemporary stairs tend to use costly materials, components are custom made one at a time, the process of designing and building a unique style can be labor intensive, and it may require a higher skill level. If this cost is a key factor in your selection, look first for stock parts to build your design from.

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  • Stair Styles for the Arts and Crafts Style Home

    Prairie

    Craftsman

    Arts and Crafts styles have had resurgence in recent years. The Green movement of today emulates many of the same principles of the Arts and Crafts movement of 1900. The simple and modest style, in form, function and efficiency appeals to many in our modern society. When it comes to stair selections for your Arts and Crafts home, here are some of the basics you should know, and a few extras.

    Historically, an Arts and Crafts style stair was oak, stained, and often stained very dark. Today we want lighter and airier interiors; therefore oak is often being mixed with painted wood. It is not uncommon in Art and Crafts homes today to use cherry and maple. Rails were very simple as were the newels.

    Today decorators are choosing a molded rail and newels with decorative trim applied to add interest and sophistication. Balusters are most often square. Adding interest to your balustrade can be done through one of these designs:

    • Use small balusters and tighten up the spacing so they are very close together
    • Put the balusters in groups of 2 or 3 leaving a larger space between each group
    • Put a horizontal cross bar connecting two balusters

    Whether you are leaning toward the country charm of Craftsman style, or toward the sophistication of the nearly modern appeal of its later sister — Mission style, it is no wonder why this flexible and comfortable style is popular today. Find More Arts and Crafts Styles ….

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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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  • 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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