Posted 9 September 2016 by
Ben SalisburyTechnology giant Apple recently spent $1m on staircases at its flagship new store in San Francisco, including spending $50,000 on just one important step, ‘stair number six’, which acts as a guard rail.
Lovely as the undoubtedly are, for most people staircases are a functional part of the home, separating one floor from another and providing a link to different parts of the home.
However, staircases, like all other design features of a home, come in all shapes and sizes and can be a spectacular addition to a home.
From intricate hand-carved wooden designs to wrought-iron balusters, staircases don’t have to follow one design or format. They can be as individual as you want them to be and are often designed to complement the style of the property.
Twinned with high ceilings and framed by impressive entrance halls, staircases can become a feature that sets a property apart from even the most superb designs.
WhatHouse? presents some of the latest and best home designs that incorporate staircases in fantastic ways. Each of the homes featured have been nominated for the WhatHouse? Awards 2016.
Walpole House, London (Richstone Properties)
This new home aims to blend luxury, sophistication and classic design with a contemporary twist created by Richstone’s in-house design team.
Beyond the extensive portico, the lofty entrance hallway has Richstone’s trademark feature staircase, a striking solid oak design connecting all four floors, complemented by the oak smoked engineered flooring underfoot.
The staircase is highlighted by a remotely operated roof lantern which floods the space with natural light.
Price: sold
Find out more: www.richstone.co.uk/
May Tree House, Reading (Havisham Homes)
May Tree House provides living accommodation over two floors with every aspect of the home carefully designed with attention to details and high specifications.
The bespoke staircase is hand finished in American white oak. It was deliberately designed to be regarded as a prominent furniture statement with the aim of complementing the personality of its setting.
Specified with oversized newel posts, balusters and handrails to ensure it is not lost in the scale of the light flooded area where it takes centre stage.
Prices: Sold for £1.5m
Find out more at www.havishamhomes.com
Glenmead, Ascot (Bewley Homes)
To complement the high ceilings of this luxury bespoke home and to frame the majestic entrance hall, Glenmead features a dramatic staircase with a wrought-iron baluster that sweeps upwards to the galleried landing.
Light from the bold, modern chandelier is reflected in the polished stone steps of the staircase and low-voltage recessed downlights add an extra sparkle. Each step of the staircase is illuminated by specialist lighting
Price: £3,495,000
Find out more at www.bewley.co.uk
Woodberry Down, Ascot (Havisham Homes)
This luxury home features bespoke kitchen and utility furniture designed to maximise storage space. The whole house is finished to a high specification and features almost every conceivable aspect needed for modern living.
The helical, floating staircase has been deliberately designed and is regarded as a prominent furniture statement in keeping with the personality of the setting, ensuring it is not lost in the vast scale of the light flooded area in which it takes centre stage.
Each stone tread and riser was skilfully clad, then adorned by a magnificent hand crafted balustrade and handrail.
Prices: From
Find out more: www.havishamhomes.com
The Blenheim, Hartford Grange, Cheshire (Redrow Homes)
The Blenheim is a high-quality five bedroom detached family home from Redrow’s Premium Heritage Collection.
Central to the home is a large open-plan kitchen and family area that spans the full 40ft width of the ground floor.
Linking the floors is a beautiful oak staircase. The sweeping staircase leads to an open galleried landing, with a cream chaise lounge in the window enclave, perfect for use as a bright reading corner. This area is completed with a striped Roman blind and two side tables adorned with treasured family photographs. Off the landing are five double bedrooms, two with en-suite, and the family bathroom.
The hallway is a wide, bright open space that draws your eyes immediately to the solid oak wooden staircase. It includes a Cormar Sensations stair runner in Monterey sands and brass stair rods complementing the oak.
Prices: From £739,995
Find out more about The Blenheim from Redrow Homes
The Beaufort, Teignmouth, Devon (Bovis Homes)
This stunning five-bedroom home features a striking glass frontage, chrome fittings, modern colours, wooden cladding and multi-level balconies.
The home is connected by a solid oak staircase with iron spindles from renowned staircase designers Jeld-Wen
The Casa staircase provides a new take on the traditional hacienda Spanish style. The beautiful hardwearing black iron spindles perfectly complement the designs oak handrails and accessories.
Prices:
Find out more about the Beaufort from Bovis Homes