Remodeling? Step Up Your Staircase

A custom rail transforms the space while making use of their existing stair.

Although remodeling your home is rarely described as "predictable," the initial decision making process is fairly standard. There are three key interests that drive homeowners to remodel: increased practicality, increased aesthetic quality, and increased value. Consciously or otherwise, it is generally the projects that meet at least two of these interests that drive the budget.

Granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and walk in showers are frequent sellers, as they facilitate day-to-day activities while lending a sense of luxury and quality. As a result, many begin and end their remodel with the kitchen and bath.

For the most part, this trend is rational. These spaces are visible, used daily by the homeowner, and occasionally by guests. Your revamped powder room could be the centerpiece of your next dinner party, and your new refrigerator will be able to hold twice the leftovers the next day.

The problem with this approach is its polarity. While investing in the kitchen and bath lends value to your home, its value is contained within those individual rooms and only reaches its full potential on special occasions—the aforementioned dinner party scenario, for example.

Consider instead remodeling a space that lends both immediate and lasting value to your home—a space that fulfills all three interests of aesthetics, function and value with the added gift of cohesion.

Consider a space that does not lie in wait for a dinner party to cast its debut, but rather interacts with both the guest and dweller on a daily basis.

Consider the entryway.

The entryway takes charge of the first impression. It is there that every guest is greeted, whether or not they have an invitation to view the rest of the home. With the proper components, it has the potential to convey more than a style, but a sensation. After all, it serves as a literal transition from the chaos of the exterior world to the controlled, safe, interior world.

In many homes, the chief component of the entryway is the staircase. Equal parts form and function, the staircase uniquely reconciles the realms of art, architecture and physics. Its visual splendor is complemented by its practicality, ranking high on the list of wise remodeling investments.

Why, then, isn’t a custom staircase the most common remodeling request?

Most often, it comes down to a stereotype that staircases are both expensive and inconvenient.

But like any other accessory, appliance, or home furnishing, there are options.

Cost, material, and style should be dependent on the needs of the clients rather than those of the stair builder. At Seattle Stair & Design, we strive to facilitate not only your vision but your budget as well. Our passion for staircases overrides our interest in any particular style or product—resulting in a diverse portfolio of staircases and stair parts, equal only in quality.

In the past year, we have had the privilege of transforming the homes of dozens of clients. Our work has ranged from paneled soffits that challenge geometry and hand-forged iron balusters inlayed with stained glass to simple remodels that transform a staircase with just a few new stair parts.

Each of these projects—regardless of scale—is valuable to us. Have you discovered the value of your stairway?

Mary Anne Carter
Assistant Director of Marketing

2012: An Illustrated Review

As the New Year takes hold, we pause to reflect on our many experiences and accomplishments in 2012.  Once again, we thank our incredible community of clients, associates, friends and family for all of your support and wish you the best in 2013. 

For more information on the events depicted in our timeline, we invite you to review the following press and articles:

• March The Second Annual Irish Coffee Party Video 
• March The New York Times features The Gates Foundation
• April MSN Features Seattle Stair 
• May Barkitecture in Stop Motion 
• June Seattle Stair and The Last Frontier  
• June Seattle Stair and The Last Frontier II
• September In Memory of Marilyn Christman 

Mary Anne Carter

Assistant Director of Marketing 

Break the Silence of Your Staircase

At Seattle Stair & Design, we are firm believers that the best staircases tell a story. My recent journey to New Mexico exposed me to several narratives: the first took place in the famed Loretto Chapel; the second in a sprawling adobe home resting at the base of the Organ Mountains.

While both stairs were spectacular, the latter conjured a story of universal significance. Taking cues from both the natural environment and local culture, each element told a tale of art, history, or geography. The materials—salvaged wood and iron—provided both a rustic aesthetic and spoke to the barren landscape where resources are few and must be conserved. The hand carved risers added elegance and demonstrate an appreciation for indigenous art. The whimsically curved handrail called to mind native jewelry sold in the plaza of the nearby town of Las Cruces.

The strength of this stair is in the sum and cohesion of its elements. Consider your own stair and your own story. Does it so vividly depict your heritage, passions and style? Or does it misstep?

Mary Anne Carter
Assistant Director of Marketing

The Loretto Chapel: Land of Enchantment

Piercing blue skies and a sprawling desert landscape awarded the state of New Mexico with the moniker "The Land of Enchantment."  And justly so—with every visit, I find countless opportunities for enchantment.

A recent visit in December brought a flood of familiar pleasures:  luminarias lined every path and wall; adobe homes glistened with fresh snow; the fragrance of pinion firewood was piped from every horno and chiminea.   

The distinctiveness of New Mexican culture is unmistakable—bred from Native American, Mexican, and Spanish founding fathers, the state’s lineage is all but traditional. The traditions of each culture have permeated those of the next, birthing an original language of beliefs, rituals and celebrations. Perhaps the richest—and undoubtedly the most fascinating—is the legacy of faith and superstition.  

In effort to engage such superstition, I trekked to the heart of Santa Fe (The City of “Holy Faith”) to the famed Loretto Chapel.  The gothic structure was built in the late 1800’s to mirror King Louis IX’s Sainte-Chapelle in Paris but lacked one crucial feature: a staircase.  Legend has it that Sisters of Loretto, desperate to access their choir loft, prayed relentlessly to St. Joseph, Patron Saint of Carpentry. 

After nine consecutive days of prayer, a craftsman arrived and agreed to build them a staircase.  His craft remains unrivaled—the stair makes over two complete 360-degree turns, stands 20' tall, has no center support, and was built without nails. Immediately following the completion of the stair, the craftsman disappeared and was never again seen.

The complexity of the stair, coupled with the disappearance of its builder was fertile ground for native superstition.  Many continue to believe that St. Joseph himself constructed the stair.

Having spent the last year observing our skilled craftsmen challenge gravity and physics without divine intercession, my impression of the stair was not without bias.  I did, however, garner two profound truths from my visit:

1) A truly magnificent staircase has the power to transcend function and inspire the realms of art, myth and religion

2)  Hiring a master stair builder at the start of your new construction or remodeling project prevents costly design flaws (or in this case, nine consecutive days of prayer)

Mary Anne Carter

Assistant Director of Marketing

Ancient Stairway to The Masada

Last fall I had the pleasure of traveling to Israel for the first time. I was deeply moved by the Dead Sea Region, and most importantly The Masada, a compound on the top of a plateau surrounded by canyons and river runs with steep drop offs. The Masada is thousands of years old and ripe with history. In order to reach the entrance you have the option of ascending 700 stairs that are cut into the mountainside at sunrise, or wait until 8am and catch the trolley. I of course chose the 5am hike – and was so moved that I did it a second time the next day!

This is an experience I would recommend to anyone. Highlights are the visual beauty, the stillness of the desert as she fills with light, the many layers of history, and of course the contemplative walk up.  As I climbed those stairs I couldn’t help but think of my place of work—Seattle Stair—and the amazing stairs we create for our customers. The richness in the history of building stairs is also full of layers that incorporate tradition and artisanship. I couldn’t help but think of how much my associates would appreciate the climb (and the view!) as I stood there on the top step looking out at the Dead Sea. The journey up these 700 stairs is most definitely the most impactful climb I have yet to take. 

Phoebe Schraer 

In Memory of Marilyn Christman

Marilyn Christman

March 8, 1954 - September 6, 2012

As the New Year commences, we are called to reflect on the previous year. Paramount in our memory is the passing of Marilyn Christman, beloved wife of Shawn and central member of the Seattle Stair team. For thirty-four years, Marilyn's abundant compassion and fortitude propelled Seattle Stair to reach its fullest potential. In her passing, she left us with the final words, “We can do it.” It is in these words and her beloved memory that we embrace the opportunities and challenges of the New Year.

We thank our friends, family and colleagues for their support this past year, and wish you the best in 2013. We can do it.