Project Description
Part of a larger remodeling project, these simple stairs belie the attention to detail and care that went into their creation.
“We began with steel stringers,” says Ren Chandler, owner of Dyna
Contracting, because the clients wanted something different, something
that was airy and a striking feature in the home’s high-ceilinged, open
floor plan. Vertical steel railings were given a blackening treatment to
gain their rich tone. Custom-ground knives were used to carve the
walnut railing, which matches the walnut treads. The 3-by-6-foot landing
is like another tread, but “quite a bit of it is buried in the
drywall,” says Chandler, which “makes the landing seem to float.” All
parts were fabricated in the company’s shop, where designers made a
model to help visualize the design’s match to the stepping of the
stringers. The stairs were built in pieces and brought to the site.
“It’s a wonderful, sculptural, creative stair,” said one of the
judges, who also praised the meticulous millwork, regularity of the
balusters, and general attention to detail. The judges also found the
mix of materials “powerful and elegant.” The clients like the “reverse
stair” aspect, Chandler says, “the way the stairs look the same from
underneath.”