As a young child one of my favorite places to hang out was on the steps that led to the 2nd floor of the old New England home I grew up in. That was where I’d sit to read a book, or do my homework or just look out of the landing's colored glass window and dream of what life had in store for me. It was also where my older sister would create a make-believe schoolroom where I and many of our neighborhood friends would sit, one behind the other, and practice our additions or subtractions, or take in whatever she was teaching that particular day; we thought "playing school" was loads of fun. I know it probably sounds a bit odd, but a lot of fond childhood memories have their roots in that staircase.
So it’s not surprising that when I became an adult and was looking to purchase my first house, I naturally gravitated towards those with two stories. How could it ever be a home without a set of stairs? How could I deprive my children of a staircase?
It’s also not surprising that as an interior designer I place a great amount of importance on the staircase and all of its components. Often a staircase is the focal point in a house and it shouldn’t be treated as simply the way to get from one floor to the next. I think you’ll see from the following photos that I’m not alone in my way of thinking.
Design by Thomas Pheasant
From The Private House by Rose Tarlow
Source: Unknown
Courtesy of Veranda
Ballustrade by Peter Pennoyer
