Stairs and their surroundings (the Staircase) throughout history have been extremely important for expressing the dignity, taste and relevance of the owner of the house.
This is why they were designed with such passion and attention to detail, choosing the best materials and the most dramatic effects for making a statement, a declaration of pride and distinction.
Nowadays aspects like cultural changes, life style, dimensions of the house, building regulations (specially fire related ones) , cost, change of priorities (now kitchen and bathroom are at the top) have caused certain lack of interest in giving to the staircase the attention it deserves.
There are many reasons why it should be taken care of, below some of them
_Usually it is the first space you see when you arrive at home, should not it make you feel great and happy?
_It is a connector, a “bridge”, from it you can go anywhere in the house. This fact means that its relation with the different rooms is constant; somehow it prepares you for what you are about to experience.
_They have the ability to make you “feel”. Depending on what you are experiencing stairs can be catalysers of emotions. The act of going up or down has strong associations with our sense of achievement, confidence, assurance, ownership, etc. so if performing this act in a not very pretty environment how do you feel it would affect or benefit you?
For allowing the staircase to be the “respectable presenter” of your home you just need taste and understanding of how to exploit the beauty and the layout of what you already have.
The main aspects to consider are
_Aesthetic relation with the other rooms: style, details, feel
_Lighting: direct and indirect light
_Materials: carpet, wood, fabrics, wallpaper, etc
_Colours: do you want them related to the rooms or have their own rhythm?
_Accessories: mirrors, door stops, vases, flowers
_Art: Paintings, prints, photograph, wall art?
_Furnishing: Cover radiators, consoles, shelve units, etc.
_Soft furnishing: curtains, blinds.
_Heating: radiators, UFH, etc
_Others: Smoke detectors, alarms, keypad, heat sensors, electric fittings, etc.
How you connect all these elements will determine the functionality, character, feel and look of your staircase; all of which will influence your perception when getting into the bedroom, bathroom, study, etc.
The other element that is important to consider is that in contrast with other spaces of the house that can claim a style for each of them, if wanted, with the staircase this is not advisable or easy to achieve.
From top to bottom its features need to be consistent and related so you have that sense of continuity, assurance and visual comfort.
As you can see your staircase is not just a necessity in your home, it is a room of huge importance and will tell more about you than you think.
