Want to turn a staircase into a statement? Here’s the inspo you need
Integral to the structure of a house but often overlooked as a design feature, stairwells are the ideal place to experiment with colour, print and texture without committing a whole room to a scheme. We’ve looked to the archives to find homes with statement staircase designs that use colour blocked palettes, jazzy runners, tiles and artwork that marry both form and function.
The Parisian home with a grand central staircase
This central staircase in a 1930s Parisian mansion was the biggest technical challenge when it came to renovating the property. ‘It’s huge,’ says Noa Peer from architecture studio OUI. ‘We conserved the natural tones of some of the wood, but chose a strong statement in the hand-spotted “Matrice” wallcovering from American artist Kelly Porter’s “Porter Teleo” collection.’ The wall lights are the ‘Musa’ design from Vibia and the stair runner and carpet were left by the previous owners.
Stripes and stairs in a London home
In a nod to Victorian decorating traditions, designer Rhonda Drakeford of Studio Rhonda painted the lower walls of this hallway in broad vertical stripes (the colours inspired by the old quarry tiles on the floor), which she playfully continued over the dado rail. The stairs act as a visual thread running through the house, with the various colours used on the bannisters appearing to ‘seep’ onto the steps below. On the wall hangs a ‘Runes’ print by Darkroom, in a frame by FRMD. The ‘Luna’ ceiling light is by Design House Stockholm.
A zingy family home in Copenhagen
The aesthetic of interior designer and colour consultant Nadia Olive Schnack is as far away from Scandi minimalism as you can get and her family home in Copenhagen’s leafy Frederiksberg district is a mood-boosting ode to colour. On the stairs she chose ‘Blue Ground’ paint from Farrow & Ball, with ‘Pavilion Blue’ on the bannister, and a red runner from Roger Oates Design, with a painting by Ib Geertsen.
A geometric dream in Notting Hill
The entrance hall and staircase of this London home sets the tone for the rest of the property. ‘It was an amazing opportunity to combine pattern and colour in a way that many clients wouldn’t embrace,’ says Katie Glaister, co-found of K&H Design. ‘The colours are different, but the way the tones blend is satisfying. It works.’ The design studio created this custom graphic stair runner and paired it with colourful honeycomb tiles from London Mosaic. Rather than vying for attention, the graphic pairing works in harmony thanks to a tonal colour palette.
The restored Bauhaus masterpiece
Haus Auerbach, designed by Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius, is a priceless piece of architectural history. The home, built in 1924, fell to neglect after WWII and was purchased in 1994 by Barbara Happe and Martin Fischer, who were determined to restore the property and honour Gropius’ original design. ‘We see ourselves as custodians of the house, and we love living with the Bauhaus colour palette. It’s sophisticated, but full of joy,’ says Barbara. Abstract colour blocking features heavily throughout the home, including on the stairwell which is a punchy combination of deep red, pale apricot and dusky blue.
Marble and wood combine to create this statement staircase
The owners of this Parisian home were looking for more space for their family when the flat above came on the market. They combined the two properties into a 135-square-metre duplex with the help of interior architecture and design agency Batiik Studio. The curving staircase is both central to connecting the two properties and a design statement; the studio used a single piece of pink marble to create one of the steps, a beautiful detail that is typical of their approach – ‘Our work is quite expressive and, for us, creating a coherent, singular universe is important. We like to emphasise the importance of form and relief in our projects,’ says founder Rebecca Benichou.
A checkerboard staircase in Chelsea
Interior designer Cleme de Grivel Sader has a real penchant for colour and texture, having studied textiles at Central St Martins. When it came to designing her own family home in Chelsea, she took an unapologetic approach with a vivid palette and jaunty prints; the stairwell is a masterclass in maximalism, with the red chequerboard carpet clashing spectacularly with the minty green in the adjoining room.
A verdant stairwell in the Scottish Highlands
This sprawling home on the shores of Loch Rannoch is brimming with sunny colours, the ultimate antidote to the grey skies of the Scottish Highlands. The stairs and wood panelling is painted in ‘Boxington’ from Little Greene and paired with a textured sisal runner from Fibre Flooring.
