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July 2, 2026
A staircase is one of the most powerful architectural elements in a home. When most homeowners think about staircases, they think in terms of function — getting from one floor to another. But in a well-designed home, a staircase does far more than connect levels. A staircase shapes how a space feels, how light moves, […]
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July 2, 2026
What every builder and homeowner should understand before starting a curved staircase project
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July 2, 2026
Even in large multi million dollar homes with curved stairs, builders and homeowners are looking for ways to save. Staircase layouts often have the main staircase stacked over the basement stair for the most efficient usage of space. It’s likely a larger home will not be as limited by space constraints. A substantial cost savings […]
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November 1, 2023
The most popular trend in Chicago stair design is “clean and simple” lines. Materials and finish that range from elegant to earthy. Gone are the days of industrial looking stainless. Newels are often the key focal point of the stair. The most popular newels are square and have a bit of fine detailing through the […]
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February 24, 2021
An important consideration when designing any space is the presentation and distribution of light. This is especially true when considering a staircase, since the available light will have a direct effect on safety. We recently completed a project where we were presented a design for a contemporary home with a staircase featuring glass treads. The […]
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February 27, 2020
What's in and what's new in the world of stairs
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April 10, 2015
We often talk curb appeal the first thing a prospective home buyer sees. Real Estate professionals say a buyer makes up their mind if they will buy a home in the first 3 minutes of walking through your front door. So how important are the stairs just inside your front door? The entry sets expectations […]
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November 6, 2012
There are a number of stairs that will get you from one level to the next while using very little floor space. Here are the options along with the space needs, cost and ease of use. A spiral stair is a stair that typically rotates off a center post. These stairs are available in diameters […]
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October 22, 2012
Stairs are built per the Architects’ plans. A reality of the construction process is that homes do not get built exactly as the architect has designed. A wall that is built just a few inches from where it was drawn, may no longer allow the stair to be built as drawn, or meet code. To […]
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December 30, 2011
Open the door and …. WOW!! Whether you are listing your home for sale, remodeling, or building a new home, you want to make choices that increase the value of your investment. How important is your Entry Experience to the value of your home? Research indicates that a home-buyer makes their buying decision during the […]
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December 30, 2011
With the endless choices we have today, making the many decisions required for a building project can be overwhelming. It’s easy to make decisions based on “I like it”, but if that is your only criteria for selection, it is unlikely that you will end up with consistent design. Establishing design goals can help keep […]
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December 30, 2011
Modern design is simple, which is why it amazes me how many forms of modern styles have developed over the past 100 years. Modern stairs come in forms for all tastes and preferences. It can be the simplicity of a shaker style stair, or the stylistic design of a metal and glass stair. Modern styles […]
Read Article →December 30, 2011
Seek a Full Time Experienced Stair Builder. Experience can’t be overrated. You don’t want an excellent handyman trying to build your stair. How many years experience does their designer have? How many years install experience does the installer have? Request References. When asking for references, ask for one in your town. Do they know the […]
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December 30, 2011
Arts and Crafts styles have had resurgence in recent years. The Green movement of today emulates many of the same principles of the Arts and Crafts movement of 1900. The simple and modest style, in form, function and efficiency appeals to many in our modern society. When it comes to stair selections for your Arts […]
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December 30, 2011
Contemporary architecture is often thought to mean “modern”. This is a misnomer, but it’s easy to see where people get this idea. Very often contemporary architecture is also modern. Contemporary literally means “of today”, so contemporary style is what people are doing now. Contemporary Architecture is a reflection of our lifestyles of today. Some of […]
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