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Decor & Renovating Interior Design // Internal Stair Designs and Tips
Staircases to second levels of your home are no longer seen as strictly a means of getting from one floor to another. They have become a source of interior design and decorating possibilities. What you can do with your internal stairs depends on what kind of stairs you have.
For some who are adding an entire new second floor in a major home renovation, there is no existing staircase. As a space saving alternative to the construction of a traditional staircase design, many homeowners select pre-fabricated spiral staircases. Generally speaking, these will be less expensive than building a traditional staircase and are available in a wide variety of styles and construction materials. However, most of them have a modern, contemporary look, so if your tastes run towards the traditional, they might not be right for you.
The Internet and the pages of finer Home Decorating magazines are good places to start searching for ideas on what kind of spiral staircases are available. However, nothing beats a visual inspection at a retail outlet. If you have an existing staircase you can alter its look to match a change in design theme. If you are renovating a home with an existing modern look towards the more traditional, you can replace the existing newel post, banister, and staircase railings with more traditional carved and detailed hardwoods. To further enhance the look of the runner, consider adding staircase rods. These are typically made of polished brass and are installed at the point where the stair tread meets the riser and secures the runner in place. They add a touch of elegance to any staircase. Many originally single story homes with expandable attics have been renovated with the addition of bedrooms and a bathroom in the attic space. Sometimes this involves adding dormers and is a major construction project. Typically these homes had enclosed staircases leading to the attic space. Opening the staircase is a highly desirable option for everyone who has gone through this kind of renovation, or is considering it. Most of these enclosed staircases have a wall that fronts an open room in the home, like a dining room or a lounge room. Removing the wall exposes the staircase and creates a world of decorating possibilities. Once framed, the new opening can be decorated with newel posts, banister, and stair railings in whatever decorating style you have chosen for your home. A final point to consider with this tip is the condition of the stair treads and risers in this kind of enclosed staircase. Since they were not visible, cheaper construction materials were almost always used. Once you’ve added a sophisticated railing system, you’ll still be faced with unattractive treads and risers. The most economical solution is to cover them completely with a rug runner. The most expensive is to replace them with better hardwoods. Any style of staircase can be enhanced with a carpet runner. Although available in solid colors, oriental style runners or runners with pattern afford more decorating interest. If the stairs are constructed of high quality hardwood like oak, a runner narrower than the width of the stair tread allows the attractive wood to still be visible.
