A First Impression that Lasts
The most memorable staircases are beautiful because of their graceful, flowing handrails – that’s what draws the eye and defines the curves. But conventional staircase construction often fails to achieve this ideal aesthetic – or even to aim for it.
Architectural plans are vague when it comes to your staircase. To get a building permit, the law requires very little of architects in this area – and yet the stair is often the most complex piece of workmanship in the project.
If your architect hasn’t designed the staircase, e.g., 2-3 full blueprint pages with plans, elevations, sections and details - your framing contractor will. His primary design tools are a Skilsaw and a hammer. These rough stair jacks will form the substrate for the most expensive pieces of hardwood to be placed in your home. No one builds a fine dinning table by starting with a picnic table as a foundation. Your staircase may be the most expensive piece of furniture in your home.
Without an intelligent process your staircase may be functional but it will lack refinement, elegance, and structural integrity.
CASE STUDY 1
A 1970's stair and entryway- reinvented
CASE STUDY 2
A 1970's home and entryway - reinvented - Railing and Stair design inspired from Jewelry Design.
Top-Down Stair Design
Our approach to designing staircases is completely different. We begin with your vision and an empty stairwell. When we meet you and visit your home, we’re thinking about the beautiful, sensuous line of the handrail. We make sketches, calculations and 3-D renderings, trying to capture the spirit of the space, to match the rhythm of your stride, to help you make a statement.
A design-driven construction process requires us to be proactive. Design decisions are made early. Exotic materials are selected and ordered months in advance. We take great pride in getting things right the first time. Aesthetics and physics work in synergy to create the perfect geometry. Instead of a structure of convenience, we help you create a work of elegance, a statement on a grand scale.
Whether you’re enamored of the classic elegance of a grand staircase, the contemporary grace of a glass and steel spiral, or the dashing bravado of something bold and new and yet-unknown, design drives the outcome.
Begin your Stair Design Early
Don’t delay staircase design until financial or logistical constraints make it impossible to build the staircase you want.
We work with your team from the very beginning and guide you through our intelligent process.
 Seattle Stair & Design Blog
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“You have added to my beloved home tremendously. Not only with this fine piece of art, but with a memory that will flood my home always of true care, camaraderie and affection.
"I’ll never forget our time together, for I travel your creation many times a day, and from the palm of my hand to the soles of my feet I connect with a fond, heartfelt memory of all of you and our wonderful experience together.”
Jessie Gottschall