Seattle Stair & Design in The New York Times

Last week, Seattle Stair & Design's work graced the pages of The New York Times- in conjunction with the article “In New Office Designs, Room to Roam and to Think.”

The article and corresponding multimedia slideshow provide a glimpse inside The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Headquarters, which is outfitted with thousands of feet of striking curved wooden handrails and paneling custom crafted by Seattle Stair & Design, as well as a reclaimed solid ash stool designed by Meyer Wells and turned on the lathe by Seattle Stair & Design.

Photo: Joshua Trujillo for Seattle PI

Photo: Stuart Isett for the New York Times

The spacious mezzanine of The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation features a suspended staircase outfitted with 2,000 feet of curved wooden handrails and 1,000 feet of curved paneling custom built by Seattle Stair & Design.

Photo: Stuart Isett for the New York Times

The “diving board” style hall leads to a panoramic corridor sparsely furnished with two chairs and a reclaimed solid ash stool designed by Meyer Wells and turned on the lathe by Seattle Stair & Design.

The tandem of utility and radiance captured in the staircases and stool permeates the essence of the entire space, which is defined in the article as a forerunner in the staggering trend of businesses abandoning the traditional work environment.

Indulging their employees in boundless ceilings, sweeping panes of glass, and the freedom to migrate, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has recognized the different “modes” of their employees and created a variety of spaces that cultivate creativity and respect personal preference.

For more coverage of our involvement with the construction of the staircases in the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation headquarters, please see the additional blogposts and articles.

http://seattlestair.blogspot.com/2011/06/staircase-railing-of-new-seattle.html

http://www.seattlebusinessmag.com/article/stair-master

Mary Anne Carter
Assistant Director of Marketing

BEAUTIFUL TAHOE

BEAUTIFUL TAHOE

I have a lot of connections to Lake Tahoe.
• Framing houses there—Summer of ‘74
• Skiing with my dad—Winter of ‘76 (Squaw Valley, Heavenly Valley, Kirkwood)
• Honeymoon with Marilyn—Summer of ‘79 (still married)
• Last place I saw my dad—Late 90’s
• Buried my dad—1999

So it was with some emotion that I returned there for the first time in many years. I flew into Tahoe Valley Airport with my flight instructor on a beautiful fall day in early October. I was there to share our great story about custom stairs with area architects.

As we flew out the next morning and passed over the town of Truckee, CA it reminded me of rafting the Truckee River with my buddies at the unenlightened age of 20. Unenlightened indeed….and untrained, unguided, unhelmeted and unsafe. Only two guys overboard and we all lived to tell the story. It’s amazing we didn’t get swept out to the Pacific Ocean in the heavy spring runoff.

I will always look back fondly on the summer I spent there framing custom homes. It was a foundational building block for what I do now in custom stair design. Check out the aerial photo…….the houses I built were all in Tahoe Keys, visible on the left side of the image. Thank you Ron Triano, wherever you are.

My peak experience this trip? Dinner at Nephele’s on Ski Run Boulevard. www.nepheles.com/   I WILL be going back there again!  As soon as I land my first stair project in Tahoe.

Shawn F. Christman
President
Seattle Stair and Design

Farewell to Arnaud

On Arnauds last day we held a Hawaiian BBQ. Because of the Visa restrictions we can only keep an intern from the Compangnons for 12 to 18 months. While we were so fortunate to have been able to have Arnaud for 18 months - the time passed so quickly. He is such a talented young man full of grace and personality.
He will be missed by all of us. We wish him well and hope to hear of his adventures whether in France or ?

Arnaud is pictured in the red shirt closest to the camera.

Stairs That Strike Us: Paris "shop stair"

While on my honeymoon in Paris I saw so many stairs that made me just go WOW. But somehow this stair just stole my heart. Dating back to the early 1600's this stair has been doing its duty with such simple style. From time to time you may find this on my computers desktop as it brings me a smile whenever I view it.

- David Shuler, Seattle Stair

Winners of Another National Award !!!

We have just received another National Award from a stair builders conference held in Florida.
We are especially honored by this award as it was judged by our peers and other fellow craftsmen.
This years winner is from a project we completed in Maui.
The stair is made of a figured Gum and Wenge and is highlighted with bead-blasted stainless steel elements.
The entire stair was made in our Seattle shop and then shipped to location where it was finish installed by us.

Check out the pictures ...