Members’ favourites: a curated selection of staircases by The List by House & Garden members
Staircases, like many architectural features in a house, can easily be written off as something that are purely functional. But this seems like a missed opportunity, as they, like hallways, play a crucial role in joining rooms. Regardless of how much space you have, there are plenty of ways to make your staircase eye-catching.
If you're renovating a house, it's worth thinking about investing in a beautiful staircase. First, it's important to decide which material you'd like to use. Would you prefer stone, wood, or a statement metal like brass? Next, consider the balustrade. Matt Livsey Hammond's catalogue of sweeping balustrades is a great place to start as it offers a wide variety of styles. Stuart Interiors is another great option, especially if you are working on a period property, as they specialise in period details in a variety of styles including Tudor, Elizabethan, Georgian and Arts & Crafts. Trying to work with the staircase you have? Something as simple as dressing the stairs with a pretty runner or painting the risers in bold colour can make a huge impact on the space.
From modern open to traditional grand spiral staircases, these designs by members of The List by House & Garden showcase how our talented interior designers have turned an architectural essential into something spectacular.
The List is our essential online directory of design professionals. If you are looking for an interior designer, architect, garden designer, upholsterer or curtain maker local to you, this is the place to find them. Do you provide a service you feel our readers should know about? We'd love to hear from you… If you want to commission any of these designers to do work on your home, follow the link to their profile page for full contact details and additional examples of projects they've worked on.
Lucas Allen1/15Fairfax & Sammons Architecture
The founders of Fairfax & Sammons Architecture transformed the interiors of one of the smallest houses in New York, creating a bijou interior with a sense of spaciousness. The sitting room's staircase leads to a mezzanine gallery that the studio installed.
Mark Anthony Fox2/15Anna Haines
A dilapidated stable on the grounds of a 19th-century former vicarage on the edge of Bath has become a charming guest house thanks to the interior designer Anna Haines. An elegant staircase was added to one side of the space, leaving the ground floor open and airy.
Paul Massey3/15Carlos Garcia
Carlos Garcia has approached the decoration of this early 18th-century house and its Tudor elements with great sensitivity. ‘I treated the house with respect. 'It is very romantic with beautiful proportions, but it’s something of a mélange,’ Carlos explains. ‘The core is Tudor with Queen Anne additions, and both the staircase and the carved front door came from other houses.'
4/15Alexander James Interiors
Alexander James Interiors placed the grand piano below the elegant staircase in this Surrey mansion. Bespoke marble flooring adds opulent detailing, best admired from the first floor.
5/15Simone De Gale Architects
Lots of lateral space allows for stairs to take up more space in a room. Here, Simone de Gale added a wraparound staircase using dark wood to add drama to the scheme.
Christopher Horwood6/15Tamsyn Mason Interior Design Studio
Tamsyn Mason used the shade ‘Sudbury Yellow' from Farrow & Ball throughout the hallway and up the stairs in her handsome Georgian rectory project in Hampshire.
James McDonald7/15Kate Guinness
The staircase from Kate Guinness' project in South Kensington is clad in the ‘Arikara’ runner design from Tim Page. The colours from the rug's patterned design envelope the space, making it feel joyful and cosy.
Mark Anthony Fox8/15Studio Squire
Studio Squire was brought in to help reimagine this handsome Grade II-listed townhouse's tricky layout. The house's original front door now opens to a raised ground floor, where stairs lead to the master suite and up again to the children's bedrooms.
Chris Snook9/15Palmer and Stone
By creating an opening at the bottom of the stairs for a beautiful, reclaimed window, the team at Palmer and Stone were able to able to create a link between the two floors.
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10/15Neubauer Ennis Architects
Hurricane Hall, a turn-of-the-century summer cottage in Cape Cod, has been painstakingly renovated and restored to its former glory by Neubauer Ennis Architects. An elegant and simple runner was chosen for the staircase by Clodagh Design.
Lisa Flood11/15Emily Janak Interiors
Emily Janak has created a home that combines the best of Western design with French sophistication. The wallpaper on the stairs is ‘Espalier’ from Pierre Frey, beautifully contrasting with the wooden backdrop of the cabin.
Christopher Horwood12/15Steph Hill Designs
This Chelsea townhouse, worked on by Steph Hill Designs and Devereux Designs, is proof that a singular vision can be achieved from many minds. Many of the carpets and curtains in the house are bespoke Vanderhurd, including this one on the staircase.
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13/15Blank Slate
The brief for Blank Slate's Wiltshire Farmhouse project was to make the entrance hall grander. To make this a reality, the team added a dramatic staircase surrounded by French limestone tiles in a checkerboard pattern.
14/15Kelling Designs
Kelling Designs collaborated for several years with ADAM Architecture on Spetchley Park, a Grade II* listed Regency house. The interiors were redecorated by Kelling Designs, introducing colour and pattern to the house and adding comfortable touches to the elegant rooms.
Simon Upton15/15VSP Interiors
An 18th-century dairy on the Dorset coast has become an enchanting weekend retreat, thanks to the interior designer Henriette von Stockhausen of VSP Interiors. A minimal approach was taken to the interiors, exemplified perfectly by the neutral colour scheme in the house's hallway.
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