Make a Floating Staircase the Centerpiece of Your Home - Dwell

How one company is taking the humble staircase to new heights.

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While stairs are essential to vertical living, their appearance often takes a backseat to their practicality. Instead of treating your home’s staircase as a simple way to get from point A to point B (or floor A to floor B, in this case), there are a few simple and creative considerations that can elevate its design from utilitarian to an awe-inspiring centerpiece.

"Viewrail floating stairs work really well with many different styles and design influences," says Will Johnson, Viewrail’s director of design. In this home, rich wood treads and a complementary handrail give these floating stairs a weightless, modern look.

Courtesy of Viewrail

When planning your next project, it’s first important to consider the visual impact you want your stairs to have in your space. Floating stairs—or stairs with their structural support hidden—allow the stair treads to appear as if they are suspended in mid-air. "Floating stairs are becoming an expected element of modern luxury," shares Viewrail director of design Will Johnson. Viewrail is a one-stop-shop that designs, produces, and installs versatile floating stair systems for modern homes.

Though their wow-factor is undeniable, "floating stairs" is actually an umbrella term that encompasses many ways to achieve a showstopping look. Multiple stringer configurations, riser designs, tread options, and handrail materials come together to create each one-of-a-kind sculptural masterpiece. "There are no wrong answers when it comes to stairs," says Johnson. "We’re seeing a shift towards people having more fun, more personalization, more creativity again."

One unexpected quality of floating stairs is that they interact visually with the wall and ceiling even more than the floor. "You’re able to create some really extraordinary spaces when you use floating stairs as the unifying element that ties these different dimensions and surface materials together," says Johnson.

Courtesy of Viewrail

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FLIGHT Mono—Viewrail’s flagship stair system—employs a single steel stringer and open-riser design.

Courtesy of Viewrail

With a contemporary open-concept home, visual lightness is critical to preserve views and sightlines, meriting consideration of a cantilevered design. "The pinnacle of clean, modern design is a cantilever system," says Johnson. A mono stringer—with a central steel backbone and open risers—provides strength and structural flexibility when working with more complex configurations, whereas a spiral staircase is beneficial for rooms with a limited footprint or to add visual intrigue for an elevated loft or cozy hideaway space. "I like to look at the elements of the room and bring harmony to those lines through the design of the staircase," says Johnson.

Viewrail FLIGHT Duo suspends stair treads between parallel steel stringers—allowing ultimate transparency through the riser-less backs.

Courtesy of Viewrail

Not to be overlooked, riser options can have just as big an impact on the overall appearance of your stair. An open riser—where the vertical space between each step is not connected to the next step—is the perfect complement to a modern, minimalist home, making use of negative space to let other elements of the architecture or environment shine through. "Open risers are best when you want to see through the system for the view, and letting the other elements of the home through visually," says Johnson. By contrast, a closed riser occupies more visual space, bringing weight and balance to an otherwise voluminous interior. "Large floating platform plinths can help ground a space with soaring wall treatments," Johnson shares.

Though handrail choice typically boils down to personal preference, a cable or rod railing may be more practical than glass in fingerprint-prone areas or high-traffic locations with kids and pets.

Courtesy of Viewrail

Viewrail FLIGHT Mono is the first-ever ICC-certified floating stair system. "From a safety perspective, all of our systems are rigorously tested and ICC certified," says Johnson, "and working with our national team of certified installers ensures the installation of each made-to-order stair system goes as planned."

Courtesy of Viewrail

Though the sleek look of floating stairs is universally appealing, the structural and logistical considerations that come with their implementation can be complex and daunting. Taking the guesswork out of fabrication and installation, FLIGHT floating stairs from Viewrail are assembled from prefabricated elements, and installed on site in days—not weeks. "We love the phrase, ‘engineering is an art form,’" Johnson says. "Because we’re able to perfect these components and finishes in a controlled environment, it eliminates the headaches of on-site fabrication."

Warm and timeless, this FLIGHT Stack staircase from Viewrail incorporates completely hidden stringers and stacked wooden treads.

Courtesy of Viewrail

"A floating stair system doesn’t have to equal open risers," says Johnson. "For instance, our FLIGHT Stack system still has a feeling of lightness and geometry without being an open-riser stair."

Courtesy of Viewrail

Weightlessly floating across the interior, the FLIGHT Stack staircase becomes a sculptural centerpiece of this modern home.

Photo by Mike Hill, Studio 3H

Whether they’re designed to disappear or be a focal point in their own right, a carefully considered design can take your home’s stair from organizational backbone to modern showpiece. "I always encourage people to anchor their space with something that they love," says Johnson. "Using a wide variety of materials, colors, and textures can create something that’s a lasting, functional work of art."

Get a quote for your own custom stair or railing at viewrail.com.

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