Shots from the Shop

These shots show some of the work we've been doing on a curved, freestanding stair that features some unique design elements. All of the work has been done here in the shop over the past several weeks, and we will be shipping the stair carcass in a single piece. By prefitting and assembling the stair in the shop, we can ensure precise fit and deliver beautiful quality for our client. The stair will incorporate a wreathed white oak handrail with brushed steel balusters. We designed and created this stair for an older home, and some challenging geometry was required to work with the existing framing and the available space. We will be doing the installation next week, just in time for Christmas.

The day before Thanksgiving

As a nor'easter bears down on us here, we're trying to stay warm by keeping busy in the shop. Looking across the Kennebec, the snow is piling up outside, and we're looking forward to a wonderful Thanksgiving together with family and friends. Enjoy your holiday, everyone! 

A Graceful Line

 In this update from our current installation, more of the handrail has been fitted after sanding and glueup. As we complete the installation, we'll be inserting more steel balusters into floor nosings to support the lower portion of the handrail. The continuous rail ascending from the basement to the second floor creates a graceful, sinuous line that draws the eye and accents the curves of the stair quite nicely.

From the Job Site

Today and tomorrow we will be finishing up the installation of this stair, which beautifully complements a lovely view of one of the Belgrade Lakes in a wonderful Maine summer home. This open stair, done entirely in white ash with steel balusters, is accompanied by a lower curved stair, which you can see a bit of at the lower right of the photo, and by a straight, closed upper flight ascending to a loft above the second floor. The straight stair isn't visible in this shot. 


This has been quite an enjoyable job to work on. A good deal of work is still to be done on the rail and balusters, so the final look is still taking shape.

"...the salt added to the architectural stew..."

There is something about creating stairs that has always spoken to me. I hope to share my passion for this art on this blog. In her 2001 book Staircases, the Czech architect Eva Jiricna captures some of the fascination I have always felt for the history and art of stairbuilding. Here's an excerpt from this wonderful book, from architectureweek.com:
From architectureweek.com: Eva Jiricna on stairs

Kennebec Sunset

On these warm November days we have a stunning view from our shop,
as the Kennebec River flows slowly by. It doesn't get much better than this.

Preparing for an Installation

This morning we are making final preparations to complete installation work on a stair which features an open riser design with doubled "carriage" stringers. In these photos you can see some of the handrail, along with the treads and nosings that we will be bringing to the job site this afternoon.