Maureen Whitemore
Your entrance hall is usually the first impression of your home and one of its main features is often a staircase.
More and more of my clients are transforming their hallways by replacing or altering the staircase. It might sound daunting but it’s actually surprisingly feasible.
If you decide to redesign your staircase, it may well come with an anxious moment when you remove the plywood panelling from the boxed-in bannisters. Unfortunately, that’s often with good reason because it can reveal twiddly-turned balustrades, damaged woodwork and dark, heavy varnish. If you’re lucky, you’ll find simple, classic spindles and stained wood balustrades.
Modern staircases are light and open, with pale wood, clean lines and, occasionally, panels of glass.
But be cautious – something too modern might be out of character with the rest of your home and look out of place.
As well as using Cumbrian craftspeople, one of my favourite suppliers for all styles of
Light oak, toughened glass and Herdwick wool carpet create a modern staircase with a traditional touch
One going up, one going down – our expert recommends design steps for staircases
Problem solved
Runners are great for stairs but for some reason the edge of the treads are usually painted to match the nearby woodwork – ignoring the colour of the carpet completely.
Using colour on the treads will create the illusion that your stairs are wider, and give the impression that your runner meets the edges of your staircase. Whether you’re introducing a contrasting shade or a strong wall colour to the floor, it’s a trend which I’d highly recommend.
Dramatic lighting creates a stunning look. Below, modern runners and carpet work with every bend and turn
staircases at sensible prices is Richard Burbidge. The website www.richardburbidge.com has lots of inspiring images, as well as a great tool called the StairplannerTM which lets you work out options before approaching a builder or joiner.
Most people want to keep noise to a minimum and, even with hard floors elsewhere in a house, carpeted stairs remain as popular as ever. Stripes are a big trend because they create all the right optical illusions on your staircase. One of my favourite suppliers is Roger Oates Design, a company best known for its Venetian Flatweave wool floor covering, which is available in different widths and is ideal for stair runners (rogeroates.com).
Kendal Quality Carpets stock the Venetian Flatweave range and also offer a specialist fitting service. I found inspiration for this month’s Problem Solved
from the Roger Oates website, along with combinations which work with your staircase’s turns, angles and bends.
It’s also worth thinking about fitting and fixtures for your staircase such as stair rods. Modern and traditional designs are available so choose whatever suits your home.
Lighting is my final consider- ation and I’d make two recom- mendations. The first is to consider placing a mirror on your stairs to make it brighter and lighter, and the second is to
look at overhead lighting options, rather than wall lights, which will narrow your space. Chandeliers aren’t your only option but if you’re aiming to create a stunning staircase, it’s worth considering the dramatic possibilities.
Maureen Whitemore runs Whitemore & Thwaytes interiors in Penrith. She has been in the interiors design trade for nearly 50 years and is on the Board of the Association of Master Upholsterers and Soft Furnishers. Maureen’s
new website is at www. whitemoreandthwaytes.co.uk.
CUMBRIA LIFE / JUNE 2018 / 79
WHITEMORE & THWAYTES
ROGER OATES DESIGN CURIOUSA & CURIOUSA
ROGER OATES DESIGN