Rather than an access rail to the upper areas of your home, the staircase should be an architectural feature that gives your house character. You should feel thrilled each time you go to the sun deck or the attic bedroom.
Are you about to build a new home, or refresh the existing one with a memorable and functional staircase, maybe even one purchased from the Fontanot shop? In both cases, make sure you check our tips and tricks for some outstanding stairs.
The perfect staircase for your home may be easier to achieve than you think.
Place the staircase in the western or southern area of the house
Staircases are usually built in the western or southern area of any house. According to many popular beliefs, this is a way to ensure prosperity and health for the family. Ideally, they start from the northern area and move south, or from the east towards the west. Make the best of the space you have available but try to follow these general directions.
Keep the color palette light
In the best case, your staircase should be light and refreshing. There are many off-whites, pastel yellows, or blues that bring in positive energy. At the same time, they look pleasant and inviting. Whatever you choose, try to stay away from black and red colors.
Use space smartly
Do you have enough space for the staircase you’ve planned? What is the optimal width you need?
Make your calculations upfront. This way, you can eliminate all designs that don’t work with your home or are simply not functional enough. If it is a small house, for instance, you should be looking into L-shaped staircases or their stylish spiral alternatives.
Those among you with large hall areas can consider more decorative options, such as curved or U-shaped staircases. You need to measure the height between the floor and the ceiling, as well as the ceiling opening. This will provide you with all information you need.
Remember: you can always get creative and combine styles. If the ceiling opening is not that wide, for instance, try combining spiral and straight treads.
Materials & styles
Now that you know how big the staircase should be, look up the materials to build it. The choice of material will be decisive to the final looks of your staircase, as also its quality and sturdiness.
What do experts recommend? The self-explanatory choice is wood, but you can also opt for stone, granite, marble, or even iron. It all comes down to whether you prefer a modern or a traditional setting.
With technology being as improved as it is, no material is off the table. You can find contemporary homes with stainless steel staircases, or even glass or acrylic. If you want a timeless staircase that never fails to impress, we recommend you combine two different materials.
The research for new solutions and materials continues as we speak. Stay up to date and follow the trends. Keep in mind, however, that the staircase needs to be safe and practical, more than anything else. So, make sure you have staircase railings installed. If you play your cards right, it will easily become the centerpiece of your home, be that a villa or a small, private house.
The perfect staircase type for your home
The natural, open staircase
This is the most popular staircase type. We are talking about simple design with a straight flight, accompanied by half-turns or quarter-turns. It can be adjusted to any space configuration, but it requires a more spacious area.
There are many practical benefits to it. It is easy to walk on and comes with comfortable 90-degree quarter-turn landings on the entry, top, or midway. It can also be achieved by installing two 45-degree winders or three 30-degree winders. The choice is all yours.
The elegant U-shaped staircase
The U-shaped staircase, also called the half-turn staircase, certainly has its merits. It looks very elegant, as it has two straight flights placed parallel to each other and connected by a 180-degree turn. The same effect can be achieved by installing a rectangular landing or multiple winders instead. The downside, however, is the amount of space required.
The classy spiral staircase
The first thing that comes to our minds here is a helical or a curved staircase, but let’s not get confused. The arc may be similar, but a spiral staircase is much more complex, and its threads twist around a central pole that provides stability.
The biggest advantage of a spiral staircase is that you can come up with creative designs and build something unique and exclusive. It also doesn’t matter how high your home is – you will still save an enormous amount of space usually required by traditional staircases. Designers keep on suggesting unique styles and material choices, so anything from iron to glass could work.
As expected, a spiral staircase also requires less floor space, so keep it among the favorites for your tiny apartment or the office.
The intricate curvy or helical staircase
If you want your staircase to stand out, this is your winner. You can own a spiral staircase without a supporting central column, and still save spacer. Helical staircases are supported by lateral or central spines and stringers, which means they are just as safe. At the same time, they let you experiment with styles from fully traditional to futuristic and can be built from any material you want.
It is also up to you to decide on the layout – it can be S-shaped, circular, or anything that comes to your mind.
Mixed and combined staircases
More often than rare, the availability of space has the final say on what staircase we are getting. This doesn’t mean, however, that we can’t come up with something extraordinary and memorable.
This is where the ‘combined staircase’ come into play. You can opt for a straight departure and exit, but still join these with a spiral staircase, for instance. The result will not only be beautiful but also comfortable and secure.