My client in Carmel knew it was time to replace her old oak floors in her entryway, but she also wanted to make sure the new ones matched the wood staircase. If she was going to redo one, she’d have to redo the other at the same time to keep the look consistent. I was called onto the project to tackle the staircase. Though it may appear to be straightforward, remodeling a staircase comes with many design options. My client wanted a more modern look, which we created through our selections and my custom woodworking designs.
Risers: We decided to paint the risers white and leave the tread a natural wood finish, a current design trend for modern staircases. My client’s skirting boards (trim pieces along the side of the staircase) are also white, so the risers tie into them beautifully. Paying attention to where the paint ends and wood starts in a design greatly affects the overall look. Here the white and wood are paired for sharp contrast, which immediately draws the eye.
Balusters: It is becoming more popular to mix materials, and adding metal balusters to a wood staircase creates contrast as well as interest. My client loved the dark color and square accents of these balusters, a balance of modern straight-line design with just the right amount of detail.
Treads: When laying tread, is it vital that the wood grain flow with the direction of the staircase. When I build a staircase, I do this instinctively—otherwise, the steps will look weird! Usually people don’t even notice the direction of wood grain until they come upon a staircase where one tread is off. Whenever you strive for consistency, you want to avoid creating distractions that will draw the eye towards them and away from the big picture. Strict attention to detail is how I bring all parts of a project together so there are no goofy mistakes to take away from a beautiful custom piece.
Newel Posts: My client’s original newel posts looked too small, so she asked me to create a wider, bigger post that better matched the scale of the large room and tall staircase. I added a diamond-shaped inlay in the top to give the clean design more punch.
Rails and Ends: There is more than one way to end a railing into a wall or a post, and the design that best suits your home will all depend on the situation. Some staircases have half a post added between the railing and the wall, which my client had before in the landing area. The half-post creates more interest and is the best option when you have more room to fill. My client chose the smaller decorative wall piece since I made the new posts wider, and the larger size would have made that space look crowded.
My client loves her remodeled staircase—it not only matches her floors, but is a modern design centerpiece of her home. I have had the pleasure of rebuilding many different staircases, and afford my clients with updated styles and custom touches they can’t find in stores. Questions about this project? Send me an email or call 317.679.5890.
