Outdoor Stair Designs to Make Your House Look Polished
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Designing the outdoors of your house is the most important. Indeed, people’s opinions about your tastes shouldn’t matter, but if you want to make an impression in the neighborhood, you might want to invest a little bit in house design to create that “wow” effect. Of course, this depends on your budget, but we’re sure anyone can build and maintain a good-looking house even with less financial resources.
When you’re searching for some inspiration for your new home, you can look at architectural beauties from around the world. From turf and timber homes seen in Iceland to earth shelters, all buildings have something in common: unique stair designs. They not only allow them to improve movement within the house, especially when it has numerous floors but also provide that sophisticated look of the house that makes it put together.
So, if you’re interested in special stairs, here are some great ideas to inspire you.
Go for stone stairs for a rustic vibe
If you’re a fan of mixing materials close to natural appeal, you’ll love making stairs out of stones that look even a little bit unfinished. For this project, you may need highly durable stone slabs that will get you through some of the most extreme weather conditions. Some impressive stone options include buff sandstone, limestone that can be found in shades of beige and bluestone that has a great textured surface.
While the upfront price for the project can be expensive, be sure that a stone has a high value, and even if you decide to sell the house, this element will contribute to a great deal. However, it may not the quite the DIY project, so you may want to contact Rickman Stairs & Staircases for designing and installing the perfect stone stair.
Choose a spiral staircase for a plus of elegance
Spiral staircases have a unique design that goes hand in hand with medieval-based home designs or those with more lavish materials. The complexity of the spiral staircase also requires the help of a professional. That’s because there are different designs, such as the closed shaft staircase or the spiral one with a vertical axis.
At the same time, when you decide to place a spiral staircase in the outdoors of your house, you must consider the degrees of rotation, the height of the steps and the surface you want for each step. It seems like a stretch, but it’s all done for comfort.
A spiral staircase helps optimize space if the house is located in a small area, but it may not be the best decision for circulated areas. Plus, they have to be designed in accordance with people’s features so they’re not uncomfortable to use.
Stairs with a landscape
If you want stairs outdoors but want to make the place livelier, you can incorporate some landscaping between the steps for a natural look. Choosing this technique allows you to install or build more straightforward and more affordable stairs and instead invest in what’s around them for an enhanced look.
For example, one way to make the stairs pop is to line their sides with dwarf shrubs. Some of the lowest maintenance options include Magic Carpet Spirea, which looks excellent during autumn, but the Weigela plant will last all year round. If the stairs have wood materials mixed in their composition, you can place the plants in similar pots and create a balanced and natural design.
Unique handrails for boring stairs
The handrail is an essential part of the stairs, and while it may not be necessary to install it, it can surely add something special to the construction. A railing usually goes well with a handrail because it completes the stairs.
For these two elements, the best materials include steel, which is the most durable. Typically, steel is packed with nickel, so it won’t rust in time. Aluminum doesn’t need additional maintenance, but it’s more sensitive to scratches and can be pretty expensive.
Still, if your budget allows it, you can have wrought iron for the handrails and railings because they’re handmade. The material is solid and durable and can be painted in numerous colors, but it has to be coated and repainted frequently.
Other material options include the following wood, which is affordable and looks great in natural settings and glass that makes the area more spacious, but needs thorough cleaning.
Upgrade the stairs with proper lighting
Lighting can change the look of your home inside and outside, which is why it’s so important to install it in unique ways and forget about traditional lighting. Gradual lights will enhance the stairs’ looks and adequately light them in multiple areas.
To light your stairs like a pro, consider the following ideas:
- Recessed stair lighting is excellent for classic stairs. They should be installed in the upper part of the stair to shine over a few steps, so you won’t need a lot of them for an entire staircase;
- Layered schemes where you place the lights on the wall next to the stairs and create a series of niches along it to make the place seem more spacious;
- If you’ve got open rise staircase design, install the light right under the stairs to perfectly illuminate them and create a special effect;
- You can enhance the features of a textured staircase through uplights that add a dramatic factor to the construction;
- A spiral staircase works perfectly with a pendant in the center that drops between the treads to create more ambience;
- For a modern look, LED strips work perfectly fine for whatever type of stairs you have, and they’re also simple to install;
Final considerations
Outdoor stairs are important to have outside your house because they not only provide more functionality for family and friends but also make your home look complete. Regardless of how you envision the stairs and railings, know there are so many available materials to choose from. Rock and aluminum are some of the most expensive but will increase your construction’s value and make it last longer.