Steps To Creating Beautiful Interiors - With Staircases

They take you from here to there. They're efficient. They function well and they are oftentimes a home's major focal point.

So I am baffled and disappointed when staircases are treated mundanely. Please don't ignore your staircases.

They should be allowed to show off,
to be focal points. Staircases are some of the
world's most beautiful architectural pieces.

There are unique and fun situations when a staircase that is just barely visible, not situated directly in the open view, can actually add interest to a room. The revealing of only a slight glimpse can cause intrigue, the thought of: 'up those steps may be another world, only accessible via that passageway.'

Above Photo From the Book: "The Heart of France"

If your staircase currently is just a means to an end......
if it exists now just to take you from one floor level to another.....
take a fresh look at it. What can be done to make it
a beautiful feature of your home.

* Make them a real destination.
* Treat them like sculptures.
* Highlight their features.

This article includes some beautiful pictures of stairs. Some with railings of wrought iron that are super ornamental. Some have been decorated with paint and mosaic tile patterns that just draw you to the stairs. Many of these stairs are simply just beautiful architectural details themselves, but look beyond that. Consider how the steps, the stair landings, the surrounding walls and floorings have been designed, what treatments have been used. Look at each composition as a whole.

Above From Book:
Breaking the Rules: Home Style for the Way We Live Today

Stairs and stair landings are naturals for display. This is where you might mount your favorite art pieces, hang an unusual quilt or set of masks. Add a vase, use a large mirror at just the right spot. Build your stair composition with whatever things you have, play with it, until it is its own art work or art sculpture. Don't limit yourself. Try different looks and your stairs will be the focal point that they deserve to be.

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