How to choose a staircase for your home?
Your staircase is likely the first feature you notice when walking through your front door. Ensure it demands attention with a hand-crafted, bespoke staircase design.
When it comes to installing a new staircase or renovating the one you already have, you’ll need to think about size, layout, style, materials and building regulations to make sure your finished staircase is not only stunning, but also functional.
Below, we take a look at the different styles and materials available, as well as a few other considerations you’ll need to make before commissioning a new hand-made bespoke staircase.
Budget
Like everything in life, budget will be one of the biggest considerations when choosing a staircase design. It will help you determine the kind of materials to use, the style and even whether you need a redesign at all. If your staircase is structurally sound, then you may choose to refurbish your staircase instead. You can transform your hallway or landing by simply replacing the old banister on your staircase with traditional timber balustrade or contemporary glass panelling.
Space
Look closely at the space you have available for your new staircase. Consider the room where your staircase will sit, but also the space upstairs, for example a straight staircase requires a long rectangular opening upstairs, whilst a spiral staircase requires a smaller square or circular opening in the ceiling above.
If you’re lacking storage space in your home, a new staircase is also a perfect opportunity to introduce some
under stair shelves and cupboards into what is usually dead space under the stairs. Add drawers to store your shoes, a pull out rail for your coats and even a wine rack for your favourite tipple.
Materials
Wood is the perfect material for constructing staircases as it’s versatile in terms of the different styles you can create. It is also strong, great to work with and has a timeless look.
The best value option is engineered pine, which is ideal for a carpeted staircase and painted balustrading, but for a show stopping finish there is no alternative for hardwoods such as beech, ash and oak.
Glass panelling is a very popular alternative to traditional banisters and balustrade, especially if you’re looking for a modern look. If you’ve got kids or animals though we’d steer clear from glass as it can look smeared and grubby very quickly.
Building Regulations
When thinking about your staircase design, there are several UK building regulations you’ll need to abide to so that your staircase is safe. The team at Spires Interiors are experienced in designing staircases that are in line with UK planning regulations, and below are some of the basic fundamentals.
- The rise (height) of each step should be no more than 220mm.
- The going (length) of each step should be no less than 220mm.
- The pitch of the stairs, or the angle at which the stairs rise from top to bottom, must be no more than 42º.
- There must be at least 2,000mm of clear headroom above the stairs.
- Staircases must have a handrail on at each one side if they are less than 1m wide and both sides if they are wider than this.
If you’d like to make a real feature of your staircase, please get in touch to book a complimentary consultation.