The staircase and entryway are an extremely important design and functional aspect of a custom built home. They affect how the home lives on a daily basis and their relationship and appearance forms the first, and often most lasting, impression of the home by others.
Functionality First
In spite of its aesthetic value, function always precedes form. When the foyer and staircase will be together, focus first on how you want it to function by asking:
- If you want the front door to be the main entry point for daily living.
- Will the kids use the front door to leave and come back from school?
- How much space do you have to give the staircase and foyer?
- Will you need a hallway to reach other rooms of the entry or are you planning an open design?
Your responses will help the architects and designers create a home that gives you all the convenience and functionality you want along with the design elements that reflect your taste.
Fine-Tuning the Space
Once you’ve answered these broad questions, you and the design team can discuss design features, like:
- How large the coat closet needs to be.
- Whether you need to incorporate some of the conveniences normally found elsewhere in homes. In addition to a powder room, you may want a bathroom large enough to function as a small mudroom.
- How rugged the flooring materials need to be for the foyer. If you anticipate using it as the entry and exit point for children, you probably won’t want it carpeted or covered with highly polished marble surfaces.
Once you’ve identified these essentials, the design team can move ahead. At some point, you’ll have to specify the exact styles and finishing materials you want for both the staircase and the entryway. There are many to choose from that will match the overall theme for your custom built home, from traditional to elegant, the craftsman style to rustic.
Design Elements
Staircases, in particular, give you lots of ways to express your taste and individuality. The handrails, newel posts and finials, balusters, and treads come in many styles and can also be custom-made. The foyer itself can express styles from formal to casual.
Bottom Line
The relationship between entryways and staircases is an important one. As you go about designing your custom built home with Alair Homes Collingwood, take plenty of time to discover and define what you want it to be and how it should live and work.