Staircase to Basement Installation, Sierra Blanca
A poorly constructed spiral staircase can be hazardous especially for younger children. New clients asked us to have a look at their existing spiral staircase from a child safety perspective. The staircase was just far enough away from one wall to be tricky and the inner radius of the curve resulted in very narrow treads. The other side of the staircase had no handle and the headroom space was also limited.
Background
Our clients wanted to change their existing metal spiral stairwell into a larger, more elegant and child-friendly, marble staircase which would complement the rest of their villa. The existing stairwell was taking up a lot of space and was enclosed by partition walls which made the area very dark as did the entrance door to the stairwell. The design needed to create a feeling of openness and continuity with the rest of the villa. As they have small children, safety was paramount for them. The existing staircase was not practical or aesthetically pleasing. They also wanted to create more natural light to the staircase and their basement area.
Project Planning
Drawings were supplied to the client showing the proposed layout which included adequate head height and incorporated child safety aspects. The new balustrade was constructed in safety glass to ensure that there were no gaps for a child to pass through.
We dismantled and removed the existing spiral staircase and part of a partition wall, then designed and constructed the new marble stairwell. We then created new stairs from the hall to the basement using a new structural slab with the use of steel beams and reinforced concrete. We then constructed the new steps to the basement taking advantage of the space to create maximum width. We then tiled the steps using the same white marble which was used throughout the villa. We constructed a small stairwell leading from the hall to the living room to create a flow through feel.
Decorating
The new walls were plastered, prepared and painted in a neutral colour to provide maximise light and complement the existing colour scheme. We installed a new glass balustrade to maximise light and create a more modern contemporary feel to the new staircase
