The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)

Stairway to a better home

Stay a step ahead by making the staircase a focal point. Here are some ideas to give your stairs a lift

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The staircase is often the first thing visitors see when they come through the front door, so if yours has seen better days, it could be time to replace it.

Start by deciding on the look of your new staircase and whether you want a similar style and materials to your existing one, or something different.

While most of us have wooden staircases, don’t overlook other materials, such as metal, glass and concrete, which can work well in a modern property.

“When installing a new staircase, we always recommend working with an expert builder or joiner, because there are a number of building regulation­s homeowners must comply with,” says Scott Storey, managing director of staircase specialist James Grace.

There are many kinds of staircase to choose from, including straight, spiral, curved, and cantilever­ed, where just one side is attached to the wall.

Moving a staircase is a big and expensive job but it can dramatical­ly improve your home’s layout and flow so it’s something to consider if the stairs are in the way where they are, or you feel they could work better elsewhere.

The basic components of a staircase include the treads, which are the horizontal bits you step on, and the risers – the vertical bits between the treads. Staircases without risers are said to have open risers. The handrail, the spindles and the newel posts – the chunky posts that go at either end of a run of spindles – are all parts to consider.

Some staircases have a wall-mounted handrail (without spindles and newel posts), which can be a nice feature in its own right. Changing one part of the staircase may be something you can do yourself – if the original period spindles have been replaced by modern ones that aren’t in keeping, for example.

A new staircase can blend in to the room or stand out and make a statement. And it can cost thousands of pounds so getting the look right and ensuring it’s practical is vital – stairs without a carpet or runner aren’t ideal for young children, for example.

“The staircase is a focal part of the home so it is important to ensure the aesthetic fits in with the rest of the decor,” says Scott “We often find that people forget to consider the space under the stairs, which can be used as additional storage or an open reception area.”

If your home is listed, changing the staircase is likely to require listed building consent from your local council, so check before doing any work.

And in a leasehold property, you may need the permission of the freeholder (or the other freeholder­s if you own a share of it) to significan­tly alter the staircase.

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