More than just a way to get from floor to floor, a staircase has the potential to be your home’s crowning glory.
More than just a way to get from floor to floor, a staircase has the potential to be your home’s crowning glory.
A well-designed staircase can completely change the look of a space. Cantilevered from the walls, this staircase wraps around the room, keeping the double-volume atrium free of structures. The slim but sharp silhouette creates an open and airy atmosphere, while projecting a sharp, minimalist vibe. The subtle contrast, seen in the treads and risers of the reinforced concrete stairs finished with timber, adds a sense of sophistication to the look.
Space optimisation is key when you’re designing a staircase for a small space. In this home, the empty space underneath the stairs and landing has been converted into a display shelving unit, providing additional storage space for the family. At the same time, the dark-tone wood on the flooring, treads and risers help join the various spaces together, creating a cohesive and seamless look. The thin black railing also allows the dining and living areas to be visually connected.
Conforming to the narrow floor plan, this staircase has a width that accommodates no more than one person comfortably, and has taller risers. Its unusual proportions and blocky design makes for an eye-catching feature, and wall lights illuminate the treads to enhance this. The designer has also cleverly integrated an understairs cupboard and vanity.
1 RISE
This is the total height of the stairs, determined by the sum of the risers’ height and number of steps .
2 RUN
The total dimension of the treads. The run and gradient of the stairs are related – for a gentler ascent (deeper treads and lower risers), you will need a longer run.
3 TREAD
The stair treads are where you step on while climbing the stairs. The ideal depth of each tread should be at least 25cm.
4 RISER
All risers should be the same height. Varying heights break the rhythm as calculated by the brain, which can lead to tripping. The ideal height should be no more than 18cm.
5 STRINGER
The housing on the sides of a flight of stairs. A staircase can have two stringers (on either side), or just one (in the middle as a supporting beam, or on the outside).
6 RAILING
This is a practical feature, necessary for heights from 1m, as it prevents falling off an open side. It can be designed in numerous ways. For example, it can be composed of balusters and a handrail made of wood, or glass panels. The ideal handrail height is between 75cm and 95cm. For comfortable gripping, the ideal width of a handrail is between 3cm and 6.5cm.
7 NOSING
The nosing is the edge finishing of the treads that makes the stairs more comfortable to climb. However, it mustn’t overhang too much, lest it becomes a tripping hazard. The ideal range is 0.6cm to 2cm.
8 LANDING
A flight of stairs should not have a rise with a height of over 3.6m between landings or floor levels. (That equates to around a maximum of 20 risers.) Landings provide a transition between flights of stairs, and should have a minimum depth of 90cm.
In this loft-style space with an exposed roof and soaring ceilings, the spiral staircase follows the same design language with open-riser steps and pared-down aesthetics. The stark vertical lines of the central post and balusters are softened by the sinuous curve of the handrail.
Positioned centrally, this staircase helps zone the open-concept living area. Making full use of its prime spot in front of the windows, it’s designed to be bright and airy. A creative use of the vertical space within is the built-in bookshelf, accessed from the intermediate landing.
SPIRAL STAIRCASE
If you have a high ceiling, this staircase’s volume overlaps over the same footprint to make the most of the vertical space. However, as the treads radiate around a central pole, they will be tapered and can get quite narrow, which may not be easy to use, especially for the elderly. Note that the larger the diameter, the deeper the treads become. Typically, only one person can use the stairs at a time.
WINDER STAIRCASE
If there is enough depth, a winder staircase is ideal for odd corners. Requiring less space than other types, this is a variation of the quarterturn staircase – the steps change direction without the use of landings (which takes up more surface area), using tapered steps at the transition instead.
STRAIGHT FLIGHT STAIRCASE
For long, narrow spaces, go for a straight flight staircase (with an intermediate landing, if needed). But this type of stairs is best used when the ceiling is not too high, or the overall staircase run will end up very long.
Text LOUISA CLARE LIM Illustrations LIM YI LING
