Stunning Staircases Are Sure to Inspire Your Own Grand Entrance

Architect Eric J. Smith and designer Steven Gambrel sought to revive the home’s Art Deco roots when redesigning this 1920s New Jersey estate. The stairwell is flanked by an elegant arched window by Lourdes Sanchez Points (left) and color lithographs by Le Corbusier Le Poème de l’angle droi Homage to the origins of the house.

For this Houston property, designer Charlotte Moss commissioned decorative painter Bob Christian to create the “Birds of Texas” series of paintings to sit along the staircase. Moss specifically requested that the images be different sizes and frames “so it looks like it somehow happened,” she says. “The foundation of this house is a personal connection between people and their things, a true expression of their interests.”

A collection of shells, sponges and corals displayed in the stairwell highlight the coastal qualities of this Bahamian property designed by Amanda Lindroth.

Given the generous space, designer Miles Redd decided to transform the landing of this Block Island retreat into a cozy reading nook. Waterfront promenade by Arthur Kimmel Getz and the collection of blue and white ceramics refer to the house’s location by the sea.

Master decorator Mary McDonald’s embarked on a journey to transform this Pebble Beach castle from drab to sophisticated. Their immediate solution was to give the entire house a soft glow using white paint and luxurious materials. A Gothic-inspired wrought iron railing adds elegance to the limestone staircase.

As loyal supporters of Canadian art, former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and his wife Mila wanted every room in their Montreal penthouse (designed by Les Ensembliers) to display their beloved art collection, including the staircase. The family’s French poodle, Hugo, leads the guest up the stairs past a tree-like sculpture specially commissioned by Canadian artist Laura Santini.

Design duo Brooke and Steve Giannetti designed the central staircase of this Los Angeles villa to “evoke an old French courtyard.” Steve used the same stucco and rough limestone on the walls as on the outside of the house and planted ivy along the stairs. The outdoor lanterns (Shades of Light) and the double-story glass and steel windows ensure that the stairwell is constantly filled with light.

Designer Gary McBournie and architect Mike Fisher of Studio Indigo set out to honor the original Victorian spirit of this London terraced house through architecture and color. An example of this is the curved, aqua blue staircase topped by an oval oculus that allows natural light to stream into the core of the home.

Lush jasmine, bougainvillea and plumbago climb the spiral staircase at Renvy Graves Pittman’s Bel Air estate as part of a Chinese fretwork fresco by artist Haleh Atabeigi. There is a collection of antique ginger jars on the windowsill.

Architect James F. Carter jokes that the most common thread running through the “clutter” in his private home in Birmingham is books. There are closets in the library, dining room, and master bedroom, and even along those stairs to the second floor. The antique American chair is in a J. Robert Scott fabric.

While his San Antonio home may feature traditional architecture, the interiors are bursting with elegance and energy thanks to Todd Romano’s use of intense colors. Salmon pink serves as a vibrant background for English and Dutch dog portraits and European allegorical paintings. Todd Romano is in the entry with English Lab, George.

Serving as her design laboratory, decorator Ceara Donnelly’s 18th-century Charleston home brings sophisticated colors and bold patterns to life. The tumbled stone flooring by decorative artist Stephanie Poe embellishes the entrance stairs. A gleaming platinum Christopher Spitzmiller lamp sits on the steps of a Japanese library at Mario Buatta’s estate.

Bodron/Fruit made the most of every square foot in this Nantucket home, even in the entry stairwell. Framed abstract art by Eva Lundsager and an early 20th-century oak hallway bench found at Lassco in London greet guests before they venture upstairs.

In true “Gusto” style, the family team at Palm Beach’s popular Casa Gusto sought to evoke a sense of comfort and familiarity in the stairwell of the Kips Bay Palm Beach Show House. The walls are covered in Benjamin Moore’s Saybrooke Sage and handmade papier-mâché items from the store.

In the entryway of this Atlanta home redesigned by architect Yong Pak and designer Melanie Turner, an ombré stair runner from The Rug Company welcomes guests in soaring jade tones. Tile floor, Kelly Wearstler for Ann Sacks.