Dreaming of the Right Kind of Stairs & Avoiding Bad Weather and Work

  So it has been a return winter this week and I've been hiding inside waiting and hoping for spring to return. Feeling guilty about not working directly on the house or property I have been distracting myself with stair ideas. Here is what we have and then our considerations after the jump where you can see some of the options and thoughts that we have for the new stairs.

 Here is a small picture of our current stairs. They are nice and help us get to the second floor. That is about all. Otherwise they are in the wrong place in the house, as seen to the right. The stairs are on the right of that picture. They will be moved to the left foreground of the picture as the space behind the chimney will   become two bedrooms.

 Here is the first idea-

And of course the I saved the best for last.....

The steel and wood combination is a common preference that you will see in the next few pictures. This one is great because the box steel construction is a solid option that will not twist as you run up it.
  This is an often overlooked detail when architects design a stair case and specify a centered "I" beam. Even with extra stabilization of the had rail, while totally safe, the shake and jiggle like jello.

  Another great stair that blends steel and wood. This one having a closed face instead of being open is really a favorite. The closed face is great for stabilizing the stair and is better for the fung shui of the stairs. The turn is great and saves space as well. The detail of the rail is great too.

  Please ignore the right side of the picture but one can see the detail of the handrail on the left. A nice simple structurally sound assembly.









Here is another type of construction that would be fairly easy. The look is nice and when cleaned up could have a very modern aesthetic. Boxing in the stair would be easy enough. My only uncertainty is how the stress loading at each corner of the construction would be amplified. I always look at stairs as though two big guys were trying to move a piano up them and drop it..... will the stairs hold up the lot?? Maybe not these... Besides, I have seen some stairs with storage, yeah what about storage?

Ahhhh! Some storage! A great idea!












And another stair with nice drawers for storage.

Although the wight of the solid stair treads is ideal.
Now if only I can combine the wood, steel, storage
and weight of the above stair

Perfect now all it needs is steel, exposed wood, drawers and a different configuration.....

A little something to keep the kiddies, sleepy guests, and drunk pets from falling off the treads of the stairs or there is glass as in the above pictures....

A detail that will have to be fit in to the design somehow.....hmmmmm.

And of course the best for last! Just add the above details and we should have it. Simple right? Stay tuned to see the progress.

What is your favorite??

photos from Hemnet, Remodelista, and Henery Thaler