Dreamy entries with a dramatic curved staircase ooze elegance. But how do designers make that happen? Let’s take a look at five curved staircases and the ways the designers used the walls, furniture and light fixture to give the room grand appeal.
Elegant Concept Interiors
This photo and next by Yale Gurney Photography
1. Statement-Making Wallcovering in Florida
In this home in Parkland, Florida, front doors open to a grand entryway, complete with a 22-foot-high ceiling and a curved staircase. “This space was an opportunity for drama,” says Renee Miller, residential designer and owner of Elegant Concept Interiors.
Walls: Before the redesign, the space lacked the impact Miller knew it could have. It had white walls, and everything else was gray. She started the redesign by focusing on the large expanse of wall by the staircase, and worked with the client to pick a paper with the right color and elegance. They decided on a metallic grasscloth wallcovering that fit the home’s color scheme and offered a hint of luxury — shimmering gold with the light on, and silver with it off. “We had to pull out scaffolding for the paperhanger,” Miller says. “The final result was worth all the work.”
Furniture: Miller opted for simple furnishings to keep the focus on the walls. “I didn’t want to clutter up the entry with tchotchkes, extra furniture and rugs,” she says. “We invested in that wall and wanted to show it off.”
Light fixture: After the wallcovering, she wanted the light to be the next eye-catching thing in the room. The entry already had a light, but it was small, Miller says. A large light — at 4 feet tall and 3½ feet wide— balances the space and emphasizes its circular shape.
Elegant Concept Interiors
With its organic shape and metallic parts, the fixture brings a mix of natural and elegant style to the space.
Wall paint: Comfort Gray, Sherwin-Williams; custom molding: Ouro Custom Woodwork; wallcovering: Studebaker, Deco collection, Cotton & Quill; light: Beautiful Things; floral decor: Emilio Robba; vintage jars and mirror: Uttermost; buffet: refinished in gray by Touch of Linda antiques restoration in Boca Raton, Florida
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Westlake Development Group, LLC
Photo by Justin Krug Photography
2. Centered Around Craftsmanship in Oregon
The goal was to make this staircase the architectural centerpiece of the room. The design team decided to use the handcrafted railing to solidify the staircase as the focal point, says Gerald Rowlett, owner of Westlake Development Group. Skilled metalworkers forged the sweeping rail and each baluster by hand.
Walls: Warm gray walls serve as a backdrop to the dark, dramatic rail, balusters and treads. The color sweeps up to the top of the high ceiling and curves around underneath the staircase.
Furniture: The table, pot and rug help draw the eye to the middle of the room. From there, the railing leads up, up, up, making it feel as if the staircase could go up more than one floor. The design team chose the table and pot for the way they mimic the curved staircase and a turret on the home’s exterior.
Light fixture: The overall design of the home in Portland, Oregon, is after a “midcentury French country castle,” Rowlett says. “We chose a light fixture that would add a simple, yet luxurious modern element.”
Wall paint: Shoreline, Benjamin Moore; light: Regis, Hinkley Lighting
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Stonehedge Developments
Photo by Shelly Harrison
3. Luxe Welcome in Boston
Boston lifestyle meets luxurious elegance in this discerning client’s foyer. “I personally believe that the entry door and foyer creates a statement or feeling that should be carried on throughout the whole house,” says Emory Patterson, owner and president of Stonehedge Developments. Patterson consulted with Jonathan Michael of Stairworks of Boston to design the staircase to ensure that the final look would be breathtaking. Then the focus turned to the other details in the room.
Walls: The walls and trim paint color create a silky, soft look around the curved staircase and the elegant elements in the room, such as the Calacatta marble flooring. Partway up the wall on the second floor, the wallcovering changes to a custom shade of Venetian plaster.
Furniture: A round table tucks right into the curve of the stair. “The theme for this home featured rounded elements,” Patterson says. This is also evident in the arched doorways that lead to other rooms of the home.
Light fixture: The light required careful selection. The designers wanted it to finish off the room with a touch of bling. “It was like picking the perfect diamond for an engagement ring,” Patterson says. Today, the chandelier hovers over the grand entrance and serves as the finishing spot for the eyes as they travel up the staircase.
Wall paint: Richmond Bisque, Benjamin Moore; trim paint: Maritime White, Benjamin Moore; Venetian plaster installation: Watkins Decorative Finishes; light: La Scala, Schonbek via Swarovski Lighting
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Morgante Wilson Architects
Photo by IC360 Images/Jim Tschetter
4. Round Ideas in a Grand Chicago Entrance
A spiral staircase presents an exciting opportunity in your home, says Elissa Morgante, principal and founder of Morgante Wilson Architects. You get the opportunity to create a dramatic entry for guests and use lots of other curved shapes in the room.
Walls: The textured wallcovering creates a buttery warmth in the open space, inviting guests in and adding drama. The wallcovering continues throughout the home and creates a continuity from start to finish.
Furniture: The design team took cues from the staircase when picking furniture. “As 99 percent of the furniture and rooms in your house are likely rectangular or square, your spiral stair allows you the rare moment to use sinuous shapes and forms in a context that will be amazingly inviting and dynamic,” she says. The custom onyx-topped table on the round rug provides a convenient surface near the front door to put guests’ items.
Light fixture: The opening into the second floor provided the ideal place for a statement light, setting the tone for the home the moment you walk in the door, Morgante says. “This fixture was the perfect balance of light, sculpture and art,” she says. The windows on the second floor also bring a dose of ambient dappled light into the space.
Wallcovering: Birch, Venetian Parchment collection, Jacobsen & Balla; light: Brindelle, David Iatesta; sconces: Blossom, Porta Romana; rug: Oscar Isberian Rugs
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J Richard Watson Construction Company, Inc.
This photo and next by Taylor Architectural Photography
5. Fun Alternative in Florida
Why walk down the stairs when you can take the slide? That’s what these fun-loving homeowners in Orlando, Florida, thought. So they made their childhood dreams come true and had a slide built alongside the curved staircase in their new home. “It would have been much easier to just buy a slide and incorporate it into the design of the house,” says Rick Watson, president of J. Richard Watson Construction. “But we wanted the entire stairwell to have a wow factor — almost as if you have a mini amusem*nt park in the home.”
A lot of planning went into the project to ensure that it was safe and fit into the design of the home. The designers took into consideration the speed that someone would come down the slide to provide a nice landing at the bottom. They also considered the height of the slide so that someone could not reach out and grab the stair railing. Aesthetically, the design team didn’t want the slide to be the main focus as people approach the stairs. “We want people to admire the stairs and then get excited by the idea of a slide inside the house,” Watson says.
Walls: The windows along the ceiling line add color to the otherwise brown-and-black space. These windows were formed with the bottoms of glass bottles and jars in different colors and sizes. Thanks to a stained-glass technique, they come together to create a whimsical, textured window.
Furniture: The furniture at the bottom stays completely out of the way of the slide. The design team tucked the table and plant into the curve and along the straight edge of the wall. The table gives the homeowners a spot to display a few items at the bottom of the stairs.
J Richard Watson Construction Company, Inc.
Light fixture: The homeowners found the light, but on its own, it wasn’t adequate for the size of the space, Watson says. The design team ended up purchasing three and hung them at different heights to follow the rise of the curved staircase. The sphere of the lights also mimics the dome space they hang from and gives the space an astronomical look. “They also contribute to the fun feel of the space,” Watson says. “It is definitely not a formal space, so these lights helped the stairwell to feel fun and inviting.”
Lights: E.F. Chapman Zodiac collection, Visual Comfort & Co.
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