Santa Barbara Staircase

One of the things I love about staircases is the sculptural aspect of them. Whether its the treads, the balusters and handrail, or the path the stairs will follow, there is always the possibility of designing something really cool. In this case my clients wanted to have classical elements to go with their collection of antique furniture, and contemporary elements so as not to overpower everything else. My final design used wood, metal, and glass arts, all of which are my specialties, and it's especially fun to work with these elements in combination. 

The trees are forged of solid steel, starting with 1-1/2" diameter trunks at the bottom and forge-tapered to 3/4" at the tops, textured similar to if I was carving in wood. I continued the design in smaller pieces for the branches in a multitude of shapes and sizes. The leaves are also all hand forged, there are just under 1,000 of them, each different sizes and shapes, just as they are in real life. I finished the metalwork with a bronze finish that is made of powdered bronze metal in a clear medium that makes a very durable and beautiful finish. 

The wood is all white oak to match the flooring, but a slightly deeper color to give a little contrast. The handrail is a continuous line, with no breaks or hard angles, to give it a sculptural flow. The glass is 1/2-inch thick, tempered, with polished edges. I forged matching brackets to hold the glass in place. 

The staircase was built and finished in my shop, and then I delivered it on my truck and installed it in the Santa Barbara home. When the staircase was finally installed, my clients were thrilled with it.