When my husband and I purchased our "new" home, it was important that I created a priority list of the most important items to upgrade so that the project would stay on budget. This is the same logic as investing in quality shoes and a complimentary handbag as anchors of one's wardrobe. In the case of our home, one of the most expensive and important elements was the staircase because it is a visual balance point for the entire home. It is located central to the common areas of both floors and ties together multiple transition rooms.
After much research, I found an image of a staircase that I liked on HOUZZ.com because it represented the American country home look and feel the we were creating. I then provided the concept to our contractor and reviewed plans as to how we could replicate it. This HOUZZ image was placed in our "master" design book and referred to often by the subcontractors working on the residence.
Ultimately, it was a wise decision that we chose to invest in the quality of the craftsmanship and materials of the staircase. Not only is it a central focal element of our home, but it also plays an integral role in seamlessly coordinating our decor.
STAIR CASE INSPIRATION: FROM HOUZZ.com TO HOUSE TO HOME
PHOTOS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:
L: The image from HOUZZ.com that was used as our reference.
MIDDLE: This was the preview I first saw of the staircase of our eventual residence, as viewed on Realtor.com.
R: Our staircase, upon completion.
INVESTING IN ARTISAN HAND WORK
The project included removing the existing carpet facade, round spindles and handrail of the existing staircase. Each stair had to be built by hand. Since we were refinishing and adding additional hardwood floors throughout the residence, we had the ability to hire the same artisan to complete this phase. The spindles were then replaced with a cleaner rectangular style, similar to what we were changing out on our front porch. A new bannister was installed and it was painted a complimentary rich brown that tied together the grey and dark blue color palette of the main floor with the warmer beige and brown tones of our top floor.
Staircase Before & Afters
UNDERSTATED EQUESTRIAN DECOR
A few key elements make for a succinct statement
To replicate a similar look to the HOUZZ.com staircase image, I placed a beautiful wine cabinet that I had owned for years on the side wall. This piece became the home to a few key elements of equestrian inspired decor including horse racing motif barware glasses that I had found at an antique store and an inexpensive large hurricane style votive finished with a leather handle from TJ Maxx Home. As I mentioned before in my original post describing "the renovation", there was a conscious delicate balance between my preference for an equestrian themed home and my husband's taste, so we compromised with a blend of antique French art. Above the wine cabinet and at the bottom of the staircase are a set of French horse prints that tie in with the color palette of the ground floor. The top of the staircase has a very FUN and unique early 20th Century French advertisement canvas that was originally part of my father-in-law's collection.
Next installment: My Office