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15 articles tagged with “Chicago stairs”
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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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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April 20, 2022
Sometimes your design calls for an elegant curved stair, but the budget falls short. Here are some variations on a full curved stair. These take up less space and cost less than a full curved stair, while still providing an elegant and unique solution. These designs save on the cost of stringers and rails, as […]
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March 11, 2021
Traditional European stair-building methods were transferred to the US along with immigrant craftsmen in the early years of our country’s history. The Great Depression caused the stair-building arts to almost disappear. The resurgence of the two-story home in the 1950’s and 60’s caused stair-builders to spring up in most major metropolitan areas across the country with a […]
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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 18, 2021
A spiral staircase is the most compact stair design. Spiral stairs have a center support post, a landing deck at the top and usually have a diameter of 48″ to 96″. The small size of a spiral allows it to fit into corners and service lofts, attics and other secluded areas where traffic will be […]
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February 17, 2021
A curved staircase has been an architectural highlight for centuries. While the geometries of curved staircases are all closely related, the fit and finish options are virtually unlimited. Let’s take a look at the use of stone treads overlaying a wooden stair structure. Of all available building materials, nothing presents a timeless feel more than a stone […]
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February 11, 2021
Most staircases are supported, at least partially, by walls built directly below the stair. Designing a staircase to be freestanding, or at least partially open below, is a great way to gain useable floor space in your design. A true freestanding stair will not have a wall on either side, whereas a stair that only […]
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January 20, 2021
The most common confusion - the spiral vs. circular stair
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January 14, 2021
Traditional European stair-building methods were transferred to the US along with immigrant craftsmen in the early years of our country’ history. The Great Depression caused the stair-building arts to almost disappear. The resurgence of the two-story home in the 1950’s and 60’s caused stair-builders to spring up in most major metropolitan areas across the country […]
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March 18, 2020
Create a stress-free process and a happy ending
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February 27, 2020
What's in and what's new in the world of stairs
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November 14, 2019
Part 1 of 4 — Overview Milled stairs may cost from $2,000 for a hardwood stair with wall rails, to $200,000 on the high end. Most of us are shopping in the $5,000–20,000 range. When designing your stair and railing plan, there are three basic factors to keep in mind in order to use your […]
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November 24, 2012
Curved stairs and rails are complex to design and build, but not to install.
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