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So earlier this week, I got chatting with Lynn Fenwick of Fenwick & Company Interior Design about staircases and the difference their style and design can make to your home.
Hold it.
Is it staircase or stairway?
They don’t sing “climbing the staircase to Heaven.”
That takes the magic right out of it.
Dictionary time.
“Staircase: a flight of stairs with its framework, balusters, etc., or a series of such flights.”
“Stairway: A way up and down by a series of stairs; a staircase.”
Sure.
Sounds like there was some imbibing going on when creating these words.
I called Lynn after coming across a posting by the Fenwick team featuring some great pics of current staircase designs, also discussing the importance of choosing the right style to enhance the beauty of your home.
Says Lynn: “Stairs (best yet) in our opinion are one of the most important parts of a home. Staircases also take up a lot of square footage. They are a major architectural feature that can make or break the design of the house.”
Her point easily proven by picturing that grand staircase in Gone With The Wind. Picture Rhett flamboyantly carrying Scarlett up a three foot wide unpainted wooden staircase.
Now that would be pathetic. Stairs matter.
So if perhaps you’re just creating plans for your new dream home, or maybe going to reno the one you’re in, you might want to have a good long think about how you want those stairs to look, and especially where you want them.
Lynn says it best: “Stairs are used as a focal point and a way of travel. They are the transition between levels in your house. When designing stairs it is important for them to relate to the style and functionality of your house, literally taking it to the next level!”
For some reason Lynn’s point reminds me of the stairway in the big old two story home in Killarney, Manitoba where I spent the first nine years of my life.
My buddy Garth Freeman and I, ever in search of a new adventure, were playing upstairs in my room when we decided it would be brilliant for one of us to get into my older sister’s large doll carriage, and the other push it down the stairs.
I can’t remember which one of us chose to ride, but I do remember it did not turn out well. Good thing there was a small landing after a few steps where the stairs turned right for the majority of the trip down. Sometimes “hitting the wall” can be a very good thing. Probably saved a hospital visit in this case.
Some of the things you may want to consider when choosing or re-doing a staircase design: do you want the exposed type or hidden, most common these days being exposed. Do you want open or closed risers - open riser stairs allow light to penetrate a space more easily, and create a lighter presence than closed risers, closed offering a more solid, traditional feel.
There are also endless options for railing design (I prefer the kind you can slide down), materials used, same with the look and feel of your risers.
For help in choosing, Lynn suggests, “The internet is the best way to see what is being done. Select a few styles you think fit the character of your home and show them to a professional who’ll help you decide what best fits the house and your style.”
Ideas for re-doing your current stairs include painting them, adding lighting, or replacing the railing. Creative wall detail can make a dramatic difference as well.
Just so many options. Bottom line, do whatever it takes to “go up the old wooden hill” in the style that makes you happiest. Carry on as if you were normal. Happy weekend.
Comments and column ideas welcome!
lmustard1948@gmail.com
