PLANNING STAIRCASES

Evening Star, Issue 19796, 21 February 1928, Page 2

PLANNING STAIRCASES

THE TENDENCY TO SIMPLIFY. fn small houses the tendency is to tuck the staircase away in a corner out of sight, and to utilise tiie space that it would occupy for some other purpose, generally to give additional floor area to a hall or lounge. The tendency, indeed, is to simplify the staircase in every way and to reduce it. to a mere adjunct of utility (writes Herort Jeans, in “'Town and Country Homes ’). Nevertheless, with correct treatment, the staircase in even the most unpretentious of cottages can he made an interesting feature; and this, J. think, should always be aimed at. It is, of course, a matter of planning and design. Just lately 1 visited a house that is quite charming in its elevation and arrangement of rooms, and particularly in the vistas that are to bo obtained at different points from both doors and windows. But the staircase, which is of quite ordinary form, is brought down into the hall in full view of the front door in such a manner that the stairs almost seem to be a continuation of the doorstep. This treatment gives an impression of crudity at the very entrance, which rather tends to detract from an otherwise dclightfully-nlan ted house. . . .

The staircase, with a solid balustrade formed of concrete, surmounted by a wooden handrail, is one of the latest developments in the building of the laborsaving house. In such a staircase there are no interstices in which dust can collect, and the constant rubbing of the handrail by those passing up and clown the stairs is, in itself, almost sufficient to dispense with the housemaid’s attentions in this respect. In a hall with a staircase of this kind which I saw recently the walls are distempered in a cream color, and the woodwork, including the stairs, skirting up and down are painted stone color, the whole effect being bright and cheerful. _ In its variety of material, methods of construction, and decorative treatment, the modern staircase shows unfailing interest and often considerable beauty. At no time has the range of types been greater than it is to-day, r or in addition to the period stylet of the seventeenth and eighteenth century's, there are almost inexhaustible possibilities in the evolution of a. new style of domestic architecture suggested through the inherent qualities of modern materials and the conditions imposed by modern methods of construction. This does not mean, however, that the old-world style of house, with halftimbered walls and ceilings and. Jacobean oak staircase, is ever likely to lose its charm. Indeed, some of the new staircases in the Tudor style which 1 have seen ;ecently have bee i among the most delightful in all my experience. The other day, for example, J saw an oak staircase which, in common with the oaken beams in the ceiling and other details in various rooms, had been brought down to a pleasing silver trrey tone by liming. To harmonise with this silver grey background a bine stair carpet was used. This staircase had been placed in an inner hall so as to be out of sight of the front door-—an arrangement always to be secured where has eliminated the staircase altogether; but it is gratifying to reflect that, although much of the glory of the stairway lias departed, careful thought is still being given to its treatment in the better class houses of two or more stories, and that there are still among us designers who are not unmindful of the traditions of past centuries.