A staircase is so much more than circulation. It provides a space to create dramatic interior architecture, a place for design to carve into, where a staircase can either embrace or stand as its own design piece. In this custom stair and railing design, completed in January 2020, we wanted a grand statement for the two-story foyer. With walls wrapped in a modern wainscoting, the staircase is a sleek combination of black metal balusters and honey stained millwork. Open stair treads of white oak were custom stained to match the engineered wide plank floors. Each riser painted white, to offset and highlight the ascent to a U-shaped loft and hallway above. The black interior doors and white painted walls enhance the subtle color of the wood, and the oversized black metal chandelier lends a classic and modern feel. The staircase is created with several “zones”: from the second story, a panoramic view is offered from the second story loft and surrounding hallway. The full height of the home is revealed and the detail of our black metal pendant can be admired in close view. At the main level, our staircase lands facing the dining room entrance, and is flanked by wall sconces set within the wainscoting. It is a formal landing spot with views to the front entrance as well as the backyard patio and pool. And in the lower level, the open stair system creates continuity and elegance as the staircase ends at the custom home bar and wine storage. The view back up from the bottom reveals a comprehensive open system to delight its family, both young and old!

Kaplan Architects, AIA Location: Redwood City , CA, USA Stair up to great room from the family room at the lower level. The treads are fabricated from glue laminated beams that match the structural beams in the ceiling. The railing is a custom design cable railing system. The stair is paired with a window wall that lets in abundant natural light into the family room which buried partially underground.

After photo of our modern white oak stair remodel and painted wall wainscot paneling.

Natural Weave Wallcovering

Full gut renovation and facade restoration of an historic 1850s wood-frame townhouse. The current owners found the building as a decaying, vacant SRO (single room occupancy) dwelling with approximately 9 rooming units. The building has been converted to a two-family house with an owner’s triplex over a garden-level rental. Due to the fact that the very little of the existing structure was serviceable and the change of occupancy necessitated major layout changes, nC2 was able to propose an especially creative and unconventional design for the triplex. This design centers around a continuous 2-run stair which connects the main living space on the parlor level to a family room on the second floor and, finally, to a studio space on the third, thus linking all of the public and semi-public spaces with a single architectural element. This scheme is further enhanced through the use of a wood-slat screen wall which functions as a guardrail for the stair as well as a light-filtering element tying all of the floors together, as well its culmination in a 5’ x 25’ skylight.

Custom stainless steel horizontal hand rails, newels and balustrade systems are combined with nose-less white oak treads/risers creating a minimalist, and very modern eye-catching stairway. CSC 1976-2020 © Century Stair Company ® All rights reserved.

Arriving at the home, attention is immediately drawn to the dramatic spiral staircase with glass balustrade which graces the entryway and leads to the floating mezzanine above. The home is designed by Pierre Hoppenot of Studio PHH Architects.

This modern waterfront home was built for today’s contemporary lifestyle with the comfort of a family cottage. Walloon Lake Residence is a stunning three-story waterfront home with beautiful proportions and extreme attention to detail to give both timelessness and character. Horizontal wood siding wraps the perimeter and is broken up by floor-to-ceiling windows and moments of natural stone veneer. The exterior features graceful stone pillars and a glass door entrance that lead into a large living room, dining room, home bar, and kitchen perfect for entertaining. With walls of large windows throughout, the design makes the most of the lakefront views. A large screened porch and expansive platform patio provide space for lounging and grilling. Inside, the wooden slat decorative ceiling in the living room draws your eye upwards. The linear fireplace surround and hearth are the focal point on the main level. The home bar serves as a gathering place between the living room and kitchen. A large island with seating for five anchors the open concept kitchen and dining room. The strikingly modern range hood and custom slab kitchen cabinets elevate the design. The floating staircase in the foyer acts as an accent element. A spacious master suite is situated on the upper level. Featuring large windows, a tray ceiling, double vanity, and a walk-in closet. The large walkout basement hosts another wet bar for entertaining with modern island pendant lighting. Walloon Lake is located within the Little Traverse Bay Watershed and empties into Lake Michigan. It is considered an outstanding ecological, aesthetic, and recreational resource. The lake itself is unique in its shape, with three “arms” and two “shores” as well as a “foot” where the downtown village exists. Walloon Lake is a thriving northern Michigan small town with tons of character and energy, from snowmobiling and ice fishing in the winter to morel hunting and hiking in the spring, boating and golfing in the summer, and wine tasting and color touring in the fall.

Zigzag stair is a popular stair design in New York. Zigzag cut with a modern look.

The entire first floor is oriented toward an expansive row of windows overlooking Lake Champlain. Radiant heated polished concrete floors compliment white oak detailing and painted cabinetry. A scandinavian-style slatted wood stairwell keeps the space airy and helps preserve sight lines to the water from the entry.

This versatile staircase doubles as seating, allowing home owners and guests to congregate by a modern wine cellar and bar. Oak steps with high risers were incorporated by the architect into this beautiful stair to one side of the thoroughfare; a riser-less staircase above allows natural lighting to create a fabulous focal point. CSC © 1976-2020 Century Stair Company. All rights reserved.

This feature stairwell wall is tricked out with individual lights in each custom oak strip. Lights change color.

Two Story Built-in flanking a free standing staircase with glass and metal railing. Modern Staircase Design.