Things to Consider With a Staircase Remodel

Stairs are one of the most functional aspects of the home, but what many people might not understand is that they can have more of an impact when it comes to how you want your home to look and feel. There are different layouts and designs for the stairs that can create a more open-concept feel to your home, or make it feel grander with a grand staircase.
Use these tips and tricks when designing a staircase for your home.

Determine your budget.

First, it is important to figure out what your overall budget is. Because you can easily spend anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000 depending on the overall design and also if you are DIY’ing or hiring it out.

Once you figure this out, you'll be able to narrow down design ideas, what type of wood to use, and what you can hire out versus DIY.

Assess the space you are working with.

It's important to look at the current space the stairs are in to see how much or how little room you have. You might want a large double staircase in your front entrance, but the reality is you will only have a small hallway to walk through. Instead of a grand entrance, you can get creative with the space you have and create storage or a small reading nook within the staircase.

Consider your family's needs and lifestyle.

This is an important part to look at when deciding on how to design the new staircase. Think of the kids in the house, if there are any. You might want a staircase that is safe for a child, so having carpet on the stairs would be the safest option, and easy to clean stairs would be helpful.

If you have the house to yourself, you might go with a more modern set of stairs that becomes the focal point of the home. Whatever the case may be, it's important to look at your lifestyle and then determine what would work best for you.

Think about the materials.

While the placement of your staircase is important, the materials used to build your staircase are just as important to how you portray your home and your overall design style. Timber steps and rails that match your home’s interior can offer a more cohesive feeling for your home that’s comforting. On the other hand, using different materials and maybe out-of-the-box materials helps to draw attention to a home’s individual characteristics.

There are a ton of materials to choose from, so this is something to keep in mind when it comes to your budget, the space, and your needs/lifestyle. Understanding the theme of your space and the decor can help narrow down the staircase design as well. If you have a modern house, then a modern staircase with open sightlines and metal stair spindles would be your vibe.

Here are the pros and cons of the types of materials you can use for your staircase.

Timber
Wood is the perfect option for those on a budget or those wanting to go all out with a grand staircase. The magnitude of the variety of timber materials that can be used in construction means there’s something to suit every project – and budget. It's super versatile and easy to work with, so this is a great material to consider.

Metal

Metal staircases are great for those who value a more modern type of home and also like function and low maintenance. It is easy for metal to take on an industrial feel if you don't consider the other elements for your staircase, so make sure you think of the width and height of your staircase and how you want the spindles to look as well.

Stone & Concrete
Stone or concrete stairs can give a home a more contemporary style that is simple. It's versatile and is a statement piece in your home while still keeping the simplicity intact. They are generally more expensive, so it's important to keep in mind. For a cheaper alternative, stone panels can be adhered to existing stairs for a similar look to keep the cost down.

Consider building regulations.

There is a standard code of practice within building regulations relating to staircases which will apply to all new staircases. It's important to do the research to see if your dreamy staircase design is in line with these regulations.

How to build your staircase.

Our sample homeowners remodelled their staircase by themselves. The staircase railing cost around $1K for the DIY project. Once you decide on the scale of the staircase and the design, you can then decide what you can DIY or hire out. Maybe, it's hiring someone to design it and demo and then rough it out, but you do the other work. Or it's hiring someone for the full time.

Figure out what pieces from your current staircase that can be kept in place and what design elements you can use to keep it intact. If it can be preassembled, do it. Cutting and measuring perfectly takes time and time is money.

Designing out a staircase can be a lot of work, but seeing the final product is SO worth it!

Jamie & Morgan Molitor of construction2style, are a husband and wife, design + build, content creating team. For over 10 years, they've been tearing houses apart and creating new dream spaces not only for their clients but for themselves; starting off as a DIY home improvement blog and have since moved into a full-service interior residential design & remodeling company. MN-based but nationwide, c2s started from the ground up and now also teach their readers how they can do it too through different marketing strategies. Whether you want to DIY with their home improvement or marketing tutorials online or hire them to completely do it for you, they're an open book and here to help!