Minimalist interior stairs with wooden steps

The interior staircase in a house or apartment will hardly go unnoticed. It is an architectural element of considerable size that cannot be neglected. This is why the staircase is treated as both access to the upper level as well as a decorative element. If we think back, the ladder was really a central element. It was imposing, often showing the social position of the owner. And nowadays, due attention is being paid to these interior staircases, as evidenced by companies specialising in such products and works.

Minimalist is an increasingly popular style in home decorating lately, and staircases have also followed the trend. While in other styles the staircase has many eye-catching elements - handrail, banister, stair tread, riser - in minimalist the stairs are the central element.

Features of minimalist style. How is a minimalist staircase

In the case of minimalist style, less is more. It is a style that goes to the essence by removing elements considered unnecessary (colours, shapes, textures, non-essential building elements). The aim is to focus on the main element of the object, the room, the overall picture, making it the focal point.

From a visual point of view, the style is meant to bring peace, calmness and direct attention and thoughts to the essence, to the core of things. The minimalist style emerged decades ago in Switzerland and quickly spread to all fields: architecture, design, music, literature, painting.

Minimalist style on interior stairs means steps. They are the central element, what really matters. To get to the top level you need to climb the steps, nothing takes precedence over that. The whole construction is focused on the steps and that's where the beauty comes from. The steps seem to float in the room being like a fairytale stairway to a fantasy world.

Different ways of making stairs

Although by this reduction to the essentials it seems impossible to make minimalist stairs in more than one way, there are still plenty of designs. I will list a few of them, describing them briefly. It would be very difficult (more precisely, impossible) for me to say in detail how the stairs were made in practice. Although it all seems reduced to a few steps, there are well-chosen supporting elements and strength calculations thoroughly done so that the stairs are safe to use.

Here are some models:

• the steps are supported by a central metal structure that is as unobtrusive as possible so as to be almost invisible;
• are wall-mounted, uphill supporting elements at equal distances and the steps are mounted on them;
• The step is supported in 2 parts, one element fixed to the wall and the other in the form of a thin metal wire hanging from the ceiling;
• the step is supported in 2 parts, one element fixed to the wall, and on the opposite side the grip is by a simple, almost invisible glass railing;
• a central structure, as simple and discreet as possible, supporting steps arranged in a spiral around it.

Speaking of spiral staircases, I think the earliest minimalist staircase, made long before the style appeared, is Spiral staircase in Lorreto Chapel, Santa Fe, USA. It's a fascinating staircase that seems to float. In fact, it's one of the world's famous staircases, and the subject of a film. It was built without a central support pillar, is 6 m high and rotates a full 360º twice. These 2 rotations, very difficult to achieve without a central support even today, let alone almost 200 years ago, have fuelled and continue to fuel the legend that the staircase is a divine achievement.

Minimalist stairs with central element - the steps

The steps are the eye-catchers in minimalist staircases, and if they are made of wood, the quality of the wood and the way it is finished becomes essential. As the central element, everything is important: the essence of the wood, the thickness and shape of the step, the colour, the special effects achieved by the finish, the oil or varnish with which they are covered.

The wood is chosen in the same way as for flooring or floorboards. It has to be hard-wearing because it is subject to more stress than a simple piece of furniture. Hardwoods are preferred - oak, fag, frasin, acacia. Natural elements such as knots, staining, cracks can further enhance the step.

If you decide to make such a staircase (or need steps for any kind of interior staircase) you can choose the steps at Dippanels. The steps are made of solid wood panels - oak or beech - of various sizes and designs. You can even choose vintage designs.

The steps can be finished with oil or traffic-resistant varnish. A good choice, given that it is wood with high natural resistance, is oil. It leaves a natural look to the wood and allows it to exchange moisture with the environment, a natural process in wood. In addition, because it does not film, any scratches or cracks are not visible and repairs are easy.

A minimalist staircase doesn't fit everywhere, but if the style of the house allows it, it can be a very special eye-catcher. And something makes me think that all your friends will enjoy climbing the stairs with floating steps, just like in childhood fairy tales.