Staircase Design Ideas for Your Hallway

Change the balustrade

The quickest way to transform a staircase is to change what sits on top of it. If the flight is sound, the newel posts, handrail and spindles can be replaced or updated without touching the treads, and the stairs stay usable for most of the job.

• Oak and glass

  Glass panels between an oak handrail and base rail let light through and open up a narrow hall. The existing newels can be clad in oak rather than replaced.

• Oak and white

  An oak handrail and newel caps with white painted spindles: warm, classic and easy to live with.

• Metal spindles

  Slim black or brushed metal spindles under a timber handrail give a modern look for less than glass.

• Square or turned

  Plain square spindles suit modern and 1930s houses; turned spindles suit Victorian and Edwardian homes.

• Painted all over

  Spindles, newels and handrail painted in one colour, or the handrail stained and the rest painted, for a crisp finish.

• Child-safe guarding

  Horizontal rails are easy for small children to climb. Vertical spindles or glass, with no gap a 100 mm sphere can pass through, are the safe choice.

Treads, risers and finishes

Under the carpet, most staircases are softwood or MDF. Worn or scruffy stairs can be clad with new oak treads and risers, giving the look of an oak staircase without replacing the flight. Another popular look is stained or oak treads with white painted risers, which is hard-wearing and makes each step easy to see.

If you prefer carpet, a runner down the middle with painted or stained edges either side softens the stairs and the sound while still showing off the joinery.

Light and storage

• Low-level step lights in the wall beside the stairs make them safer at night and look good in the evening. They need an electrician, which we arrange through the group.
• Glass balustrades and a light-coloured handrail let daylight from the landing reach the hall.
• The space under the stairs can become pull-out storage for shoes and coats, a cupboard, a small desk or even a cloakroom, depending on the room under the flight. See our under-stairs storage for an example.

A new staircase or a new layout

If the stairs are steep, worn or in the wrong place for how you use the house, a new staircase can change more than the look. Turning a straight flight into one with a quarter landing or winders can free up space in the hall or the room below, and moving the stairs is often part of opening up a ground floor.

Before anything is made, we can lay out the new staircase in design software from the measurements we take, so you can see it in 3D and try different arrangements. Any new staircase has to meet the Building Regulations for rise, going, headroom and guarding, which we design to from the start.

Planning your staircase project

1. Decide renovate or replace. If the flight is solid and comfortable, renovating the balustrade and finishes is quicker and costs less.
2. Choose the look. Pick the handrail, spindles or glass, and the finish for treads and risers, together so they work as one.
3. Check the rules. New guarding still has to be at least 900 mm high with no gap a 100 mm sphere can pass through.
4. Get it measured. We measure the staircase and stairwell and send a written quote, with no charge for the visit.

Staircase ideas questions