Meghan: Stairs come in many different shapes and styles and to help you find the right type for your home, I am here today at Adam Stair works.

I am hitting the road searching for answers and finding great design. It is a quest of beauty, function and of course inspiration.

Whether you are making plans for your dream home or just dreaming about your future home, seeing the different types of staircases helps you find your favorite one. And to do that I visited Doug Adams owner and president of Adam’s stair works.

Doug, walk me through the different types of staircases starting with the most basic staircase, the straight staircase. The name pretty much describes it. Straight staircases are straight and come in bent variations accurately described as L’s and T’s.

Doug: Your L shape stairs that just go up to maybe a landing and then turn to the left or right. You have your T shape stairs that go up and then exit left or right.

Meghan: Not all staircases are stuck with 90 degree angles, they can twist turn and curve at every imaginable way. The most familiar curve staircase is the spiral staircase, well most spirals and big enough to be a main staircase they are great for side getaways.

Doug: Most people, were building a lot of spirals in libraries, that is probably the number one place that is going two storey library and a stayed home, executive home and then people want it to be that piece of furniture.

You got your double helix next which is like a spiral but a large diameter that has an inside stair.

Meghan: The double helix is the only type of spiral staircase that can be used as a main staircase in a home.
Doug: But they are very large and you know they are a little bit more costly so it would not be economical to use it in tight space like a library, loft.

Meghan: If a spiral staircase is not dramatic enough a circular or elliptical staircase may live up to your dreams.

Doug: You have a circle stair which is a like a bridal type stair where you see it a long sweeping curve going up, you know gone with the wind type style stair that is a circular stair.

People mistake the spiral and the circular all the time, you have an elliptical stair, which is similar to a circular stair, but it fits within an ellipse. Those are more popular in city homes where they are very long and narrow and the ellipses are the most expensive stairs we sell. Because the railing and the treads everything is all different all through out the stair.

Meghan: To give your stair case a floating grace you may want to consider making it free standing.

Doug: Free standing means you can walk under both stringers and you can totally walk under it and we have a single open under which means one side is attached to a wall and one side is open under. You will find that in a lot of city homes where it is going up along an outside wall but you can see down to the basement.

Meghan: Regardless of what style you are dreaming you can get any type of staircase to match and now when you go searching for your dream staircase you will not what to ask for, whether it is a colonial circular, a contemporary spiral or a Victorian L.

Check out my website www.askthedecorator.com. To discover more about this topic read informative how to articles or watch other videos from my trip. You will find a variety of helpful decorating advice when you stop by.