Creating a beautiful, thoughtful design typically involves elevating every detail to enhance the experience throughout the entire home. The staircase is an often-overlooked design element, but not in our projects. Our team often uses the staircase as a statement that ties a design throughout the whole house, a vessel for bringing in more natural light, or even an impactful tool to improve our clients' lives at home otherwise. Here are some recent projects that utilized the staircase in different ways to create a more beautiful and functional home for our clients.

Contemporary Climbers

When our clients wanted to transform their traditional home into a modern, contemporary design, their entryway staircase was a critical item to update. It was the first thing any guests would see as they enter, so the traditional banister and spindles were replaced with something that spoke to the new design of the home. Sleek glass panels with white banisters not only brought their vision to life but also made the foyer feel more substantial thanks to the natural light that now pours through the glass paneling.

Bring in the Light

Regardless of the project, it seems that finding ways to incorporate more natural light is at the top of many of our clients' minds. In a few recent projects, we have addressed this challenge by incorporating a large skylight immediately above the staircase. This solution brings abundant natural light and creates an impressive lightwell effect throughout the home. Even on rainy days, the sun shines through the staircases and produces an open and bright environment on every level while adding an interesting and unique design aesthetic.

Location

There have been projects where the original location of the staircase isn't the most practical. Relocating a staircase is complex, but not impossible. However, it can completely transform the function of your home. If a design calls for a more open floorplan, moving a staircase to a more optimal location may be part of the solution.

When viewed as something more than a means of access, a staircase can be an impressive design element that ties together every level of the home. When discussing the design goals of your remodel, don't forget to consider this vital component.

Tim Burch is a Vice President and Owner of BOWA, an award-winning design and construction firm specializing in renovations ranging from master suites and kitchens to whole-house remodels and equestrian facilities. For more information, visit bowa.com or call 540-687-6771. Have topics you'd like covered, email me at AskBOWA@bowa.com.