Attic or attic stairs - 60 creative solutions
The design of stairs has recently become an urgent problem not only for owners of private houses, but also for those who purchase a two-level apartment or decide to equip the upper tier in a room with high ceilings. It is not in vain that designers believe that the steps and railings that help us get from one floor to another carry not only a constructive, architectural function, but also are an important part of shaping the image of a home, its personality, character. In order to create a comfortable, safe, durable and at the same time original, outwardly attractive and modern staircase design, it is necessary to have information about a possible choice of design features, material of execution and original design ideas in this area.
Ladder arrangement - practical and safe variations
Even at the design stage of the dwelling, it is necessary to choose the option of creating the design of the stairs. This building will occupy a lot of space in the room and will certainly have a significant impact on the formation of the entire image of the home. Before choosing this or that way of building a staircase, consider how often you will use it (someone on the second floor of the bedroom, others have a small attic with a playroom), whether small children and elderly households will climb the stairs every day, how many free space can be used to install the structure and what is the budget for this project.
One of the most traditional options for organizing stairs is a single-march type of structure. In this case, there are several options for the location of the steps:
- to significantly save the space of the home, the entire structure is located along the load-bearing wall, and the three upper and three lower steps are rotated 90 degrees in one direction;
- the more complex, rounded design of the single-march staircase assumes the presence of conventional and running steps, through which comfortable passage on straight and rotary sections is ensured;
- the staircase with a zigzag twist is installed near the inner wall - it looks original, but it also requires a lot of space.
The main difference between a two-march staircase and a single-march staircase is the presence of a site. Such designs are great for small areas:
- space saving of the second floor and comfortable movement will be ensured by an L-shaped (angular) staircase with a 90-degree turn of the structure;
- the installation of a straight staircase with two flights is considered advisable only if there is a large distance between floors;
- in some rooms it is logical to install two-march structures with a 180 degree turn and with run-down steps (instead of such degrees, you can install a platform, but such a design will be appropriate only in the corner of the room);
- the building looks spectacular with a smooth transition from a two-flight staircase to a single-flight staircase (suitable for large halls of spacious apartments).
A spiral staircase will help you significantly save square meters of housing for installation. Spiral structures are compact and look very impressive, but they are not suitable for all families - children, the elderly and people with disabilities are not recommended to use such structures. In foreign design projects, spiral staircases are found quite often, the popularity of this cost-effective building comes in our country:
- the most widespread is the design with a central rack and steps attached to it (such a structure takes up very little space);
- adding an intermediate platform to the construction of a two-march spiral staircase, you can add originality to the interior of the home;
- There is a circular way of attaching a ladder that does not require a supporting axis - walls and special fastenings are used as support.
The advantage of the spiral staircase is that it can be located anywhere in the room. To install a spiral structure does not need an angle or the presence of walls that could be used as a support. A spiral staircase can be located right in the center of the room, becoming a coordinating element of the interior.
In addition to the design features of the location of the entire structure in relation to space, there are differences in the method of attaching the steps:
- the staircase can be fastened to the pebbles - the main condition is the presence of a solid wall to which steps connected by special fasteners will be mounted (the resulting structures look light, even airy due to the lack of a visible base for installing the steps, but the structures are not inferior in strength and reliability other species);
- fastening on kosoura presupposes the presence of a supporting beam, to which the main elements of the stairs are attached - risers, steps and railings (the structure rests on the one hand on the floor of the first floor, on the second - on the top level platform, great for the traditional style of interior decoration);
- ladders on bowstrings have a similar design, but in this case, the supporting element to which all the components of the structure are attached are bowstrings;
- the stairs on the consoles seem to hover in the air due to the lack of balustrades and fences, the steps are attached only to the wall (it should be strong and have a large thickness).
Execution material - choose the best option
Obviously, determining the type of staircase construction is not enough, because the structure should provide a comfortable and safe movement of people. That is why all the elements of the staircase must be made of high-quality, reliable, durable and durable material. Let's consider some options.
Not so long ago, a wooden staircase was almost the only available option for the owner of a two-story private house. Today, more preference is given to combined structures, in which the tree is adjacent to other materials, but to meet and a completely wooden structure is not difficult and there are several reasons:
- the dense and uniform structure of the tree is quite easy to process and allows you to create products of various shapes;
- There are many types of wood that are able to demonstrate high strength, resistance to decay and mechanical stress;
- a unique texture and a wide range of color solutions allows you to find the best option for manufacturing stairs for various stylistic variations in the design of the home;
- in our country, wood is an affordable and relatively inexpensive material;
- nothing is able to bring positive natural energy into the housing space like natural wood.
The metal ladder is strong and reliable, durable and resistant to various types of impact. The painted construction is able to withstand moisture for quite some time. In addition, metal can be given various forms, which creates a wide bridgehead for the action of designers and architects. There are models of stairs made entirely of metal, as well as options for combined designs. The most common are metal structures with wooden steps. Equally popular is the combination of a metal frame with transparent glass protective screens.
Transparent steps from glass incredibly organically fit into the modern style of decoration of living spaces. But many homeowners still doubt the ability of glass to support the weight of an adult, large person. Steps for stairs are made of specially tempered plexiglass that can withstand high loads.
Glass cannot be the only material for the execution of the stairs. As a rule, this durable, but seemingly airy material is used for the manufacture of steps or a protective fence in combination with a metal or wooden frame. In order to prevent sliding on the glass steps, their surface is corrugated or a special composition is applied during the production process.
The staircase, in the structure of which the glass is used, looks easy and even weightless, giving the whole interior a certain airiness, visually expanding the space. But, of course, you will have to pay for such a pleasure.
You can make a staircase from concrete - this will be an inexpensive and quick enough project in terms of installation. But unfortunately, such structures can not be placed in any room, and the design for the construction of concrete structures is very limited. In terms of aesthetics, concrete stairs are inferior to wood, metal and glass products. Perhaps that is why they are more often than others decorated with ceramic tiles or mosaics, draped with carpets.
Unusual design or how to bring originality to the interior using the stairs
The original design of the stairs can be the main highlight of your interior. This design is very impressive in size, definitely will attract attention. If you use some design techniques to increase the degree of uniqueness of the structure, then your staircase will be able to become the main coordinating element of space. For example, steps of a staircase that have fastening only to one of the walls of the room look unusual. Such a design seems to soar in the air, giving the image of the interior lightness and weightlessness.
A staircase as an art object can very well be practical, convenient and at the same time inexpensive. Original designs in modern design projects are the main elements of the interior, it seems that the rest of the decor is just the background for this building, which helps us move between floors.
The main elements of the stairs are steps and the level of comfort and ease of use of the structure will depend on how efficiently and ergonomically they are executed. The steps can be straight, running, arched and eccentric in shape. In one march there can be at least 3 steps (otherwise this building cannot be called a march) and no more than 18 pieces. The optimal ratio of stage parameters, experts call 30 cm depth and 15 cm height. An ergonomic slope of 30 degrees is considered. The width of the degrees can be different and it is logical that it varies depending on the capabilities of the room, but experts do not recommend the use of structures whose step widths are less than 50 cm.
Arched steps add a special grace to the design of the stairs. Wooden steps with a rounded shape are perfectly combined with a metal frame made using smooth, curved lines of the structure.
Recently, the degree model, which is a plane for one leg, is gaining popularity. Of course, such a structure requires careful calculations and skillful execution, so that a person can use the design with comfort and with a high level of safety.
To save the useful space of small-sized rooms, a ladder with a retractable mechanism will help. Such a structure is suitable for households who do not go up to the upper floor (attic or attic) every day. If necessary, the staircase, the edge of which is at the level of a raised human hand, by means of a mechanism lowers to the floor of the first floor and in the same way can climb up, freeing up space on the lower level.
Ensuring the staircase space with an adequate level of illumination is a matter of your safety. In some cases, homeowners resort to a combined method of lighting the room in which the staircase is located - in addition to the central chandelier or wall sconces, they use the lighting of the steps. Such lighting will allow you, for example, to move between floors in the dark, not including the central lighting fixture.
An original, catchy and colorful way of introducing a positive mood into the interior of the room is lining the space under the steps with the help of multi-colored ceramic tiles. Bright shades and intricate ornaments will become an adornment of even the most ordinary staircase, attracting all the views and introducing a significant variety into the color palette of the room.
We use the space under the steps wisely
Storage systems do not exist much - any owner of a house or apartment will agree with this statement. So why not use the space under the stairs to equip cabinets, open shelves or closed cells to store the little things you need, and sometimes the whole wardrobe? Consider several ways of organizing roomy storage systems under the stairs, in the space of steps that do not easily fulfill their function, but also affect the formation of the image of the room.
Depending on the size of the stairs and, accordingly, the space underneath, it can be arranged as small drawers under each step. So is the whole complex of storage systems, consisting of a cabinet with hinged doors, open shelves and whole racks.
Drawers located under the steps are spacious and very convenient from the point of view of operating the storage system. But choosing such a design, it is important not to forget about the main function of the stairs and make moving along its steps safe and comfortable.