MODERN RAILING PROJECT

Materials: Blackened Steel, Brazilian Cherry

We recently completed another beautiful project. It is a series of wall rails for the stairs of a downtown Seattle townhouse that has been remodeled with unique and modern features. The final touch is these lovely metal and wood handrails, with powder coat blackened steel and Brazilian cherry wood. They are supported by steel brackets with the same blackened finish, and capped at one end with a steel piece designed to match the handrail profile. The other end of the handrail returns into the wall at the top of each flight.

We enjoy jobs of this scale that invite original design as an accent to the existing home’s interior design. Many of our clients are surprised to find that Seattle Stair & Design welcomes projects that consist of only handrails or small rail systems. In actuality, our greatest joy is to add beauty to any home or commercial space – no matter the scale. This client gave us the opportunity to offer creative design and quality craftsmanship, and we’re loving it. 

A SUCCESSFUL RAIL REMODEL

Seattle Stair & Design thrives on the opportunity to transform a space through design. We look forward to opportunities to help people re-design their homes to match their aesthetic values. In this Mercer Island home, the intent was to bring a lighter, more modern feel to the family room. The entertainment center had previously been rebuilt and painted, and now it was time to complete the effect with an upgrade to the stair and balcony railing. We came up with a design that allowed us to use the structure that was already in place. The home owner did the demolition of the old railing himself – leaving the original newel posts intact – and painted all of the fascia, stringer and newels before we installed the new balustrade. The new design is inspired by our Context Design Line series. This railing consists of stock 5/8” round stainless steel balusters and a custom red oak handrail in our Arc handrail profile. The handrail will be stained by the home owner to match the red oak treads on the stair.  

What a remarkable change!

When one of my dearest friends told me she was getting married this past fall, I knew I wanted to give her something special – not just a typical registry gift. Working with the awesome craftsmen at Seattle Stair inspired me to design a gift that could be made at our shop. The final product was a set of unique candlesticks that were turned on the lathe by our wood turner Nic Bitting. They are a combination of 4 different woods in a light-to-dark pattern (maple, cherry, sapele and black walnut). The design was inspired by my friend’s own prolific artisanship.  
She was so pleased with this gift and I had so much fun in the process, that when another dear friend was married this past week, I decided to design another set of candlesticks. These have a very different feel – inspired by Art Deco and classical detailing. They are meant to be pulled out for holiday occasions when a long table is set with many people. The materials used for the second set are black walnut with maple in the center, creating a striking detail that emphasizes the lines at the top and base.

Stepping “Lightly” on Steel

Working at Seattle Stair and Design has forever changed the way I see stairs.  I love the concept of using light as a design element. Geoffrey Holton, an architect and friend of mine from Berkeley, CA did just this in his latest remodel. It is a commercial building in southwest Berkeley that has been divided into various office, art and retail spaces. As I walked up the stairs to the 2^nd level offices, I was taken by the awesome patterns of light coming through the treads from the upper flight of stairs. He chose to use a painted grate material on the treads to contrast with the naturally rusting steel risers. Walking up and down under this metal stair is an experience of light, shape and creativity.  

Downtown Condominium Remodel

Today we completed this contemporary railing installation with specialty brackets at a downtown condominium. Key technical aspects were numerous perfectly mitered joints, the unique brackets and their tricky hardware, plus the need for a complete new support system inside the walls to hold up the rails properly. We communicated with the PM and coordinated with the site super as a team on these issues and many more. While we always strive try to be as efficient and clean as possible on the job site, the final goal is an awesome stair or railing system. I continually feel a sense of pride in the team at Seattle Stair & Design.

Phoebe Schraer
Executive Coordinator/Sales & Design Specialist

Custom Wood Turning... in 10 Seconds or Less

Our woodturner is often fed eclectic turning projects. After all, Seattle Stair is the only shop in the area with the capability to turn large scale custom items.  In the past, we have turned everything from tugboat masts to 10-foot "knowledge whorls." This week, our woodturner has had the task of turning nearly a dozen domed cylinders for an art installation.

I caught him in action and created a short video that illustrates the turning project in less than ten seconds.

Check it out here:  http://instagram.com/p/cNKusDh6CG/?igref=ogexp

Mary Anne Carter
Assistant Director of Marketing

From Campy to Classy: The Modern Hotel in Boise

 A recent road trip from Albuquerque to Seattle offered an unrivaled array of eye candy: plunging canyons, wind carved rock formations, star crusted skies, and the occasional modern marvel.  Topping the list of manmade spectacles was The Modern Hotel in Boise, a rehabbed Travel Lodge better suited for craft cocktails than a continental breakfast. 

Fresh white paint and contemporary furnishings lend purity to the traditionally seedy space, while innovative design details give character. The courtyard is dotted with fire pits salvaged from a defunct swimming pool, the balcony is emblazoned with sculptural steel cutouts, and the exterior staircase flaunts an angular wood and metal enclosure. 

The juxtaposition of linear and campy; refined and tired; clean and novel is not inherently good. Yet with proper balance of whitespace and design details, The Modern Hotel manages to defy expectation. This success is more than a visual spectacle- it is a lesson for any home renovation process.  

Any space (even a Travel Lodge) bears the potential to be transformed without a total overhaul. By simply toning down less favorable design elements and investing your resources in a few strong details, you can reconcile and redefine your space. 

Mary Anne Carter

Assistant Director of Marketing