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Before and After: A Modern Floating Stairway You Install Yourself
Follow the Albretsens on their journey from stair selection to installation and discover the magic they found on the way
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A stairway can be so much more than a means of moving between floors. If you’re considering an interior remodel, think of your staircase as an opportunity to make a visual statement everyone can see. When DIY expert Elisha Albretsen and her engineer husband, Bryce, decided to design and build their Arizona home from the ground up, they knew they wanted their stairs to be not only functional, but an eye-catching focal point. Read on to discover how the design-it-yourself process and step-by-step installation of their modern floating staircase made an impact on the home and homeowners alike.
Photo courtesy of Pneumatic Addict
Stair Style Takes Center Stage
The Albretsens designed their home with keen attention to every detail. To realize their cohesive vision, they focused on a few key elements: a contemporary aesthetic, rooms flooded with natural light and, last but not least, a set of stylish stairs.
“I always wanted a house with stairs,” Elisha says. “That was one of the things we were looking for in our building plans.” The Albretsens decided from the outset that their stairs would be an architectural feature that not only complemented but highlighted their design aesthetic. To maximize the home’s natural light, Elisha was set on mono-stringer stairs with an open tread. She also knew that a blonder shade of wood and silver metal accents would boost the brightness factor. To make her vision a reality, she sought out a company with a wide array of choices. “As a designer, I was really impressed with all the options” at Viewrail, Elisha says. “I could get the exact look that I wanted and pick each element of it.”
Stair Style Takes Center Stage
The Albretsens designed their home with keen attention to every detail. To realize their cohesive vision, they focused on a few key elements: a contemporary aesthetic, rooms flooded with natural light and, last but not least, a set of stylish stairs.
“I always wanted a house with stairs,” Elisha says. “That was one of the things we were looking for in our building plans.” The Albretsens decided from the outset that their stairs would be an architectural feature that not only complemented but highlighted their design aesthetic. To maximize the home’s natural light, Elisha was set on mono-stringer stairs with an open tread. She also knew that a blonder shade of wood and silver metal accents would boost the brightness factor. To make her vision a reality, she sought out a company with a wide array of choices. “As a designer, I was really impressed with all the options” at Viewrail, Elisha says. “I could get the exact look that I wanted and pick each element of it.”
Material Selections to Match Design
Options are key when it comes to designing a dream set of stairs. Elisha knew she wanted both walnut and poplar wood throughout the home and she ultimately decided on poplar stair treads. Poplar features several hints of color, feels soft underfoot and complements a light, bright space. “When we first unpacked the stair treads and they had those greens and purples and yellows that poplar has, I fell in love right then,” says Bryce. “The color and quality of the wood that was used was just incredible. We love all the patterns and the colors and the tones. There’s just so much to see.”
Showpiece stairs require high-quality materials, from the handcrafted wood finish to the bolts. After selecting the wood species for their treads, the Albretsens chose a custom powder-coated silver mono-stringer, stainless steel standoff glass pins and a silver glass top cap to complete the sunny, open look.
Options are key when it comes to designing a dream set of stairs. Elisha knew she wanted both walnut and poplar wood throughout the home and she ultimately decided on poplar stair treads. Poplar features several hints of color, feels soft underfoot and complements a light, bright space. “When we first unpacked the stair treads and they had those greens and purples and yellows that poplar has, I fell in love right then,” says Bryce. “The color and quality of the wood that was used was just incredible. We love all the patterns and the colors and the tones. There’s just so much to see.”
Showpiece stairs require high-quality materials, from the handcrafted wood finish to the bolts. After selecting the wood species for their treads, the Albretsens chose a custom powder-coated silver mono-stringer, stainless steel standoff glass pins and a silver glass top cap to complete the sunny, open look.
Take Ownership With Easy Installation
If you’re an ardent DIYer, there’s joy to be found in installing a set of stairs yourself. Elisha, an experienced woodworker, and Bryce, a builder and structural engineer by training, opted to do just that — though not without some trepidation. But they actually found the process not only straightforward but fun. “It goes together like a Lego set,” Bryce says. “It’s very clear how the pieces go together, everything fits so well.” Installing such a major architectural feature in their home also carried significant emotional meaning for the couple. “It’s my favorite feature in the house and we installed it,” Elisha says.
Tackling your own stair installation can be intimidating. To ease your mind and make the process more enjoyable, work with a company that offers approachable, step-by-step guidance, makes every tool and required material available to you and can provide assistance in person or over the phone.
If you’re an ardent DIYer, there’s joy to be found in installing a set of stairs yourself. Elisha, an experienced woodworker, and Bryce, a builder and structural engineer by training, opted to do just that — though not without some trepidation. But they actually found the process not only straightforward but fun. “It goes together like a Lego set,” Bryce says. “It’s very clear how the pieces go together, everything fits so well.” Installing such a major architectural feature in their home also carried significant emotional meaning for the couple. “It’s my favorite feature in the house and we installed it,” Elisha says.
Tackling your own stair installation can be intimidating. To ease your mind and make the process more enjoyable, work with a company that offers approachable, step-by-step guidance, makes every tool and required material available to you and can provide assistance in person or over the phone.
Photo courtesy of Pneumatic Addict
Finding In-Home Harmony
Building your forever home from scratch is nothing if not an opportunity for wish fulfillment. After scouring several building plans searching for the perfect fit, the Albretsens fell in love with a design that situated the stairs front and center. That meant a set of simply functional stairs was never on the table, which set the stage for their striking floating stairway.
Very few residential home designs, however, pair windows with stairwells — likely because there’s not usually much to see. The Albretsens turned this idea on its head and added windows to the building layout to better showcase the staircase from the outside. With natural light cascading down each step, who wouldn’t want to show them off? “These are the stairs of my dreams,” Elisha says. “I never thought I could have something that pretty in my house.”
Finding In-Home Harmony
Building your forever home from scratch is nothing if not an opportunity for wish fulfillment. After scouring several building plans searching for the perfect fit, the Albretsens fell in love with a design that situated the stairs front and center. That meant a set of simply functional stairs was never on the table, which set the stage for their striking floating stairway.
Very few residential home designs, however, pair windows with stairwells — likely because there’s not usually much to see. The Albretsens turned this idea on its head and added windows to the building layout to better showcase the staircase from the outside. With natural light cascading down each step, who wouldn’t want to show them off? “These are the stairs of my dreams,” Elisha says. “I never thought I could have something that pretty in my house.”
Letting the Light In
The Albretsens designed their home to be incredibly open and light, with nearly 50 windows brightening its spaces. Because of that, glass railing was the obvious choice for their stairs. “Conventional stairs would have been wrong for the design of the house. We needed something more open,” Bryce says. “Otherwise, what was the point of all the windows if we ended up creating a dark corner of the house?”
Their ultra-clear glass railings provide undisrupted views throughout the house and bring in, rather than block, the daylight. The glass standoff pins that hold the glass panels in place are sleek and subtle so as not to get in the way of the view. The Albretsens found the glass railing easy to install and even discovered an unexpected bit of magic. “We’ll get rainbows off the handrails every now and then,” Bryce says. Now that the Albretsens can sit back and enjoy the views in their new home, designing and installing their stunning staircase is an experience they’ll never forget.
Learn more: To learn more about how to install your own modern floating stairs, visit Viewrail’s website.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
The Albretsens designed their home to be incredibly open and light, with nearly 50 windows brightening its spaces. Because of that, glass railing was the obvious choice for their stairs. “Conventional stairs would have been wrong for the design of the house. We needed something more open,” Bryce says. “Otherwise, what was the point of all the windows if we ended up creating a dark corner of the house?”
Their ultra-clear glass railings provide undisrupted views throughout the house and bring in, rather than block, the daylight. The glass standoff pins that hold the glass panels in place are sleek and subtle so as not to get in the way of the view. The Albretsens found the glass railing easy to install and even discovered an unexpected bit of magic. “We’ll get rainbows off the handrails every now and then,” Bryce says. Now that the Albretsens can sit back and enjoy the views in their new home, designing and installing their stunning staircase is an experience they’ll never forget.
Learn more: To learn more about how to install your own modern floating stairs, visit Viewrail’s website.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
Combining the highest quality materials with innovative design, Viewrail is a stand-out manufacturer of simple... Leer más
Combining the highest quality materials with innovative design, Viewrail is a stand-out manufacturer of simple... Leer más
Gorgeous, and congrats on the elegant installation! These are sleek until you bang your head on it. Then you slide a chest or potted plant under it, or hang a plant or Christmas ornament from the offending riser, and the sleek effect is diminished. I've never seen an example of a floating stair (outside a magazine) where the owner hasn't resorted to this solution to head banging. Not against them; they are beautiful. Just calculate that into your planning. :-)
Congrats-beautiful stairway-we are all envious…now with that out of the way let’s get beyond the ad for Viewrail.”easy” install? Right, if you are a builder and structural engineer, no problema ! LOL…cost please /30,000, 50,000, 75,000/ ? Why leave us hanging ? Weight? How many people did it take to elevate and secure thsi to landing? Where do you find if you live in a state that does not have right to work laws? Do you let undocumented and uninsured people to work in your house ? Did you pay them with cash? 50 windows? What is your electrical bill in the summer? Just askin’……