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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  • 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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  • 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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  • Curved Stairs with Stone Treads

    Curved Stairs with Stone Treads

    A curved staircase has been an architectural highlight for centuries. While the geometries of curved staircases are all closely related, the fit and finish options are virtually unlimited. Let’s take a look at the use of stone treads overlaying a wooden stair structure. Of all available building materials, nothing presents a timeless feel more than a stone surface.

    The first difference in using stone treads versus wood treads is that the stone is set onto the stair from above versus being built into the stair.

    The second difference is that wood treads are still needed to support the stone, and they must be set lower than the finish surface calculated for the stair. Once the stone is set, you then have the correct surface heights for each tread.

    Since woodwork and stone work are not done by the same craftsmen, coordinating the design with each company can be the most difficult part of the project. Using a professional stair company or experienced stair builder to build the staircase is very important with stone elements. Special structural considerations may need to be made, taking into account the added weight of the stone. Strict tolerances help ensure a quality outcome. Trying to rough frame the stair almost always produces inaccuracies and variances in the structure that will come back to haunt you in the final fit of the finish material. The stair builder would build the curved stair, taking into account the thickness of the stone you have selected. Once the stair is installed, your stone contractor would come to the site to take their own measurements. Once the stone is precisely cut at their shop, they will return to install it and drill any holes that may be required. Then the stair contractor would return after the stone is set to install the railing system over the top. The added cost and labor on this project will warrant careful considerations and attention to detail. This is one case where your choices will be set in stone.

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  • Is This a Spiral Stair or a Circular Stair?

    The most common confusion within the stair building world is, without a doubt, the spiral versus the circular stair.  It will not take long to clear this up. 

    The most common confusion within the stair building world is, without a doubt, the spiral versus the circular stair.  It will not take long to clear this up. 

    A spiral stair has treads that are supported by a central support post.  They usually have a very tight diameter of 48 to 72 inches, and are not recommended as main stairs in any inhabited structure.

    A circular stair has two stringers supporting treads and (typically) risers, and will take up a much larger floor space than a spiral.

     

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  • Helping Your Customer Be at the Right Price Point

    Helping Your Customer Be at the Right Price Point

    One of the first conversations we have with our clients is to establish a budget. It can be a delicate conversation that must start on the foundation of trust. Without some direction, we are often headed into a long and painful process.

    If our client does not have a budget in mind, we help them by making budgeting suggestions. These suggestions are based on their home value and the portion typically spent on a stair project. Once we give them a range and get some feedback, we can start working toward a budget range. Homeowners are generally more comfortable at this point, knowing that they can end up where they want to be budget-wise.

    Once we have a range, we can start looking at concepts of stair styles and discuss features and costs to help steer them into the range they are comfortable spending. If the concepts tend to be well beyond their budget, then we can find designs that work within the budget.

    There is so much that we can offer, as long as there is a willingness to be flexible. We can find a fabulous solution that works great in the space and fits the budget.

    Although we offer full-service design assistance, working with a professional Designer gives clients the reassurance that you have the experience and knowledge needed to make wise decisions on their behalf.

    Clean lines are very popular right now. Below is a broad example of projects that represent many different price points, but all achieve an overall clean look.

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  • Site-built vs Shop-built Stairs

    The main distinction in the world of stair building and design is shop-built vs site-built staircases.

    Site-built stairs

    Carpenter building stairs onsite

    Site-built stairs are the result of parts and material being brought to the site uncut, then a tradesman using those parts to build a stair according to his design and skill level.

    One drawback to this procedure is that most site-built stairs place finished materials (kiln dried hardwoods) over standard framing material using screws and nails. Because the framing materials are pine and have a higher moisture content, this type of stair almost always loosens over the years, resulting in a squeaky staircase.

    Perhaps a more obvious drawback to the site-built method is that the quality and overall finish is dependent upon the skill and interpretation of the tradesman you hire at the site. The skills you need are not only the woodworking skills, but also the design skills to consider each intersection and connection. If you get a talented tradesman with extensive stair experience, you will probably get a good stair. If you don’t hire the best tradesman, your results will usually be disappointing. There are few experienced stair experts available to build a site-built project. The best, honest assessment, is that there is risk involved.

    The cost factor

    In most cases, we find a perception or assumption that building on site will cost less. The labor and material costs are mixed in with other labor and material, so a true cost is never known. Even if the labor rate is less, the lack of expertise and slower install along with paying for any rework or problems along the way will likely exceed the cost of hiring an experienced stair company.

    Shop-built stairs

    Shop-built stairs in process

    • Are usually well-thought-out projects supported by accurate framing dimensions taken at the site, detailed shop drawings, and professional woodworkers.
    • Start with a more intentional design process. The components fabricated in the shop are produced to exacting tolerances on woodworking machinery run by professional woodworkers.
    • Use milled techniques for stringer, tread, and riser assembly that will maximize strength and ensure decades of squeak-free use.
    • Should provide you great budget control by locking in the price up front and knowing your end costs.

    Pro tips

    Visit the shop to see their quality and shop environment, and to verify the experience and skill-level of their craftsmen. An experienced stair company will always provide you with a superior product compared to site-built stairs.

    No matter who you hire to build your stairs, you should scrutinize their history, integrity, and abilities, as there will always be good and poor performers out there.

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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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  • Luxury Staircases Across America — What might surprise you

    Having had the opportunity to work on Luxury stair projects from coast to coast, we have been intrigued by the vast differences in design and construction from one region to another.

    The greatest distinction is shop-built versus site-built. Shop-built stairs are typically milled staircases made by companies that specialize in stairs. They design and build custom hardwood staircases in a shop environment, then transport to the jobsite for installation. The term “milled” staircase refers to the fact that the stringers are milled, or routed. The treads and risers are wedged and glue blocked into the stringers. Most milled staircase builders have their roots in the tradition of European joinery and staircase techniques.

    The East Coast through Pennsylvania, Ohio, and on to Chicago have the highest concentration of milled staircases. Atlanta, Denver, Seattle, and South Florida have some noted stair specialists as well.

    The West Coast and Southwest frequently use masonry stairs over-laid with tile. Since most of this work is done at the job-site, the quality varies greatly from site to site and craftsman to craftsman. Although many of these site-built jobs turn out well, there’s always risk.

    There are vast areas of the country where stair companies are not located, and therefore milled staircases are not available. Throughout much of the country, staircases are framed at the site with standard framing material, and trim carpenters overlay hardwoods and stair parts to finish the job. This can present any number of problems, from squeaks to joint quality issues. It’s never easy to cover up framing with hardwood.

    As in most things in life, if quality is what you are after, it’s best to find a highly skilled professional who has specific experience with the task at hand.

    If you are interested in the finest milled staircase, please contact us with your print or job site information. We are happy to help you — throughout the USA.

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