Cut String Staircase, Mahogany Handrail

This is an American style, cut string staircase, a style that is epitomised by the square newels and spindles, open stringer and hardwood handrail. These features are very simple and don’t contain much in the way of extravagance, but in its simplicity, it is a perfect foil for this hallway and this home.

The handrail on this staircase is a bespoke, rake to rake, wreathed handrail. This means that is goes from one elevation to the next, at a right angle, without a break. This allows for a continuous decent without having to remove your hand from the stairs and declutters the stairs removing the newel post from the landing. This handrail curve is matched by the landing as, rather the having a sharp right angle, it curves in a way to match the handrail above.

One of the main traps people fall into when designing a staircase is that they assume that the more hardwood they use, the nicer the staircase will look, and this isn’t always the case. With this staircase, they have limited the Mahogony to only the handrail and the newel caps, creating a higher level of contrast, which has given the hallway a balanced feel.

This staircase is complimented well by other elements in the hallway. The carpet runner down the centre of the stairs breaks up the white colour block with a neutral great and also adds a textured feel to the stairs. Also, the panelled walls go well with the traditional stiars and inlayed newel posts.