Staircase Design: How to Make your Stairs a Feature

I always dreamed of living in a home with stairs as a kid. As an adult, it’s not nearly as exciting as I thought it would be, but I’m still pleased to have a set to call my own. The eternal dilemma, of course, is what to do with this oft-neglected area. Kylie Sinclair-O’Keeffe from KSID interiors has the answer for us – and she’s giving us a peek into one of her client’s homes, too!

As you can see from the snaps of this gorgeous Balmain home, the stairs are in clear view as you walk in the door. Rather than attempt to hide or camouflage them, Kylie has brought them to life through smart and stylish design.

“The existing staircase was in its original, heavy timber form – not uncommon for a Terrace home,” Kylie explains. “By re-instating the staircase in a solid black, we intended to purposely separate the stair from the surrounding white walls and create a bit of a design statement”.

And what a statement it makes; leading your eye right up the steps and making the staircase a very intentional link between the ground and first floor of the home.

“The stair runner was custom-made and works graphically to connect the use of ‘black and white’ – while also promoting a sense of movement through the floor levels by the use of lines,” Kylie tells me. 

This staircase design also brings a nice feeling of warmth and texture to the space. Older terraces, especially as you head up a staircase, can feel cold and sterile. This design solution completely removes that possibility. I’m sold! What do you think? Would you do this in your own home? I’d love to hear your thoughts on staircase design in the comments below.

Fancy seeing more of Kylie’s divine design solutions?
CLICK HERE and hit the KSID website – it’s a pretty dreamy hub!

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