6 Projects Evoking a Yearning for Spiral Designs in Architecture, Suggesting a Minimalistic Lifestyle Emphasis
Interior designers worldwide are advocating for the use of innovative staircase designs to enhance the aesthetic appeal of homes. From compact apartments to larger open-plan entrance halls, architects are veering away from traditional construction methods to inject flair and grandeur through avant-garde creativity.
While staircases traditionally pose a challenge for designers, especially due to the difficult-to-use spaces behind or underneath them, utilizing sweeping, curved staircase ideas often leads to a more effective and dramatic use of space.
Charu Gandhi, director of London-based interior design studio Elicyon, emphasizes that a stairwell is more than just an architectural feature. It connects key areas of the home and should be elevated with exquisite finishes, refined materials, and thoughtful detailing to create cohesive, striking environments. Through bespoke balustrades, artisanal textures, or integrated lighting, these carefully considered elements turn a standard stairwell into a statement feature, enriching the home's atmosphere while ensuring practicality meets artistry.
If you're considering incorporating this creative staircase concept into your home, it's advisable to think outside the box and draw inspiration from an array of international projects that use color, materiality, and styling to transform a necessary integrated feature into a spectacular and sculptural showpiece.
Color Pop
A recent Clerkenwell project by architectural firm Mosley Thorold exemplifies the use of color in a staircase design. The clever application of mustard on the inner wall surface contrasts beautifully with the minimal white painted structure, creating a seamless transition into the next space. Suitable for split-level apartment living, this configuration showcases how style needn't be compromised even in constricted spaces.
Light and Shade
In another project, London-based interiors studio Elicyon implemented dark wood wall paneling that follows the curve and wraps around the central pillar of a Westminster penthouse. This highlights the existing architectural features while attracting attention throughout the space, ensuring the stairwell doesn't feel isolated from the room. The addition of bespoke seating by George Spencer Designs optimizes the space in front of the pillar.
Contrast Material
Set against a white painted background, a statement curved staircase stands out thanks to its combination of dark wooden handrails, metal clad facades, and vegetable-tanned leather-lined treads. By juxtaposing materials with different colors, textures, and finishes, it elevates the space while providing a unique, sensorial experience as users transition from floor to floor.
Center Stage
London-based architectural studio Khan Bonshek has installed an eye-catching solid timber spiral staircase in a recent residential project in Milton Keynes. Contrasting the natural timber against a color-drenched background adds dramatic flair and creates an illuminated effect reminiscent of stage lighting.
Curve Appeal
Even in small apartments, split across levels, incorporating a statement staircase is achievable. In a Parisian project led by interior designer Sophie Dries, she demonstrates how through pared-back color schemes, natural materials, and soft, organic structural forms, the staircase can blend into the space without overcrowding it. In addition, utilizing art behind the stairwell creates a harmonious flow between function and aesthetic.
Two Tone
Maintaining a minimalist color palette can aid in showcasing strong architectural features within a home. In this Bodrum coastal residence, interiors by Turkish studio Sanayi313 emphasize the curves of the staircase as the focal point within the space through natural wood and neutral walls. Pillars placed either side of the staircase frame the structure, emphasizing its presence and elevating its aesthetic appeal.
With stairways often being one of the first features guests notice upon entering a home, it's essential to ensure they either blend seamlessly into the space or stand out as striking architectural highlights. If you don't have the ability to add one, alternative entryway ideas can still make a significant impact.
- Interior-design trends often include innovative staircase designs to enhance the aesthetic appeal of homes, even in compact apartments and larger open-plan entrance halls.
- Charu Gandhi, an interior designer from London, believes that a stairwell is more than just an architectural feature; it connects key areas of the home and should be elevated with exquisite finishes and thoughtful detailing.
- A recent Clerkenwell project showcases the use of color in staircase design, with the clever application of mustard on the inner wall surface creating a seamless transition into the next space.
- In London, an interior design studio used dark wood wall paneling that follows the curve and wraps around the central pillar of a Westminster penthouse, attracting attention throughout the space and ensuring the stairwell doesn't feel isolated.
- When it comes to staircase design, architectural studios like Khan Bonshek in London have installed eye-catching solid timber spiraled staircases, contrasting the natural timber against a color-drenched background for dramatic flair.
