Beauty is in the Details: Staircase Accents that Make Stunning Stairways

floating stairs

For something that takes up a significant amount of space, the staircase is an often overlooked design aspect. As such, its aesthetic and functional potential are, often, not maximised. As an area that gets a lot of foot traffic, it is one of the ideal spaces for adding a touch of personality or solidifying your interior design.
Unravel your staircase’s potential with these staircase design ideas.

Open risers

Sometimes, the best risers are made of air and light – introducing, the open riser. You can do away with any wood, concrete or steel vertical enclosure to support the treads and give your steps a floating effect, instead. You can achieve this with solitary stringers or two steel stringers underneath the treads. Use different colours and materials for the tread and stringer and you’ll create this tasteful accent for your staircase.
You can also have serrated stringers that follow the shape of the steps. When you’re facing the staircase it looks like the treads are simply floating but when you look at the stairs from the side, you’ll see this edgy zigzag pattern that is perfect for modern homes.
For the ultimate floating effect, you can hide the stringers in the wall. To secure the treads and enable these to carry heavy weights, employ a cantilevered system in your stairway.

Stainless steel strips

There are homeowners who think of having beautifully designed staircases installed in their homes. With minimal experience designing stairs, however, they sometimes end up with a stunning, but accident-prone area. They then resort to adding anti-slip strips or mats that either don’t match the stairs’ aesthetics or cover up the treads’ beauty.
But it doesn’t have to be like that. Anti-slip strips can be your friend or your foe. Decide on the strips to use at the last minute, and you’ll likely be left with an eyesore. Take safety and compliance into consideration starting from the planning phase and you’ll end up with a staircase that’s 10s across the board.
No-slip mats, tapes and rubbers strips do a good job of preventing slips, trips and falls but none offer the elegance of stainless steel strips. Depending on the look you’re going for, you can have thick anti-slip strips for edgy interiors or double thin strips for a daintier effect.

Unconventional bannisters

As one of those most noticeable parts of the staircase, you can use architectural hardware to make the bannister an eye-catching feature or downplay it to accentuate the treads. You can use natural timber balustrades and handrails, for example, to create a stunning rustic look. Or, you may combine a glass balustrade with a wooden handrail that matches the treads to accentuate the colour and quality of wood.
You can further mix it up by using wooden treads matched with a stainless steel handrail attached to the wall and a whole glass balustrade for the side of the stair opposite the wall.
If you are into intricate patterns, you can have a laser cut steel balustrade with geometric designs or nature-inspired patterns. You can have the balustrade stand from floor to ceiling to creating an elegant encasement for your stairs.
If you want to bring more focus to your carefully-selected treads, you can also use a full glass balustrade without handrails, supported by stringers with a different colour to create stunning contrast.
These are just some of the subtle details you can use to add drama to your stairs. For more ideas, explore our project gallery.