For Singaporean homes that are lucky enough to be double-story – be it a flat, a landed property, loft, or more – the staircase usually turns out to be the most ignored part. This is because people tend to focus more on the main interior design, and the stairwell is just left for the end. However, it’s time to spend some time on this part of your home, so here are 5 staircase design tips to inspire you:
1. POWDER ROOM OR UNDER-STAIR CUPBOARD
The area under the stairs is usually very confusing. How you use it totally depends on how much height you actually have underneath the tallest part of the stairs. If it’s greater than 6.5-7’ than you can design a small powder room in there. But anything less would be totally redundant functionally, so it’s better to go with an aesthetic-oriented design such as under-stair cupboards etc.
2. CONTRASTING TREAD & RISER
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The flat surface of your staircase that you step on is called the tread. The vertical part is called the rise. A good staircase design features adequate contrast between these two parts. Usually, the tread is darker in colour and the riser is lighter. Some staircases have backlit risers. Some have a floating design. some have a beam design, which means that there’s no riser at all. You’d need to decide which one suits your overall home interior theme the best!
3. STAIRWELL LIGHTING
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A dark stairwell is totally uninviting, which means that you need to invest in proper lighting for this part of your home. Some homeowners actually go for statement chandeliers that hang in the center of the stairwell. They’re very grand and have a beautiful impact. But if you want to remain minimal, then you can go for an adequate wall-light or ceiling fixture instead.
4. RAILING DESIGN
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The railing is the most important parts of the overall staircase aesthetic. Modern ones feature metal (especially aluminum) and glass combinations. Classical or traditional ones are all about the wrought iron and stylistic designing. Contemporary ones can be a mixture of both.
5. DECORATIVE SHELVES
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You can also add some decorative shelves or other accessories (such as statement planters, etc.) at the bottom of your staircase to make them seem customized and theme-appropriate!
Visit renopedia.sg/enquiry.html and get free interior design plans from various interior designers and save your trouble from visiting dozen of interior firms.