One-of-a-Kind Staircase in Maui
Usually I personally measure for every job. I don't like using other people's measurements especially with a project as complicated as a staircase. But this home is in Maui, which meant I was going to have to rely on the measurements given to me by the clients.
The clients sent me their architectural drawings and many photographs. They also came to meet me at my shop in Southern California to discuss in detail their ideas and interests. And it was fortunate that the clients had an excellent hands-on contractor who supplied me with the accurate measurements I needed to do the shop drawings.
They expressed a keen interest in Hawaiian culture and tradition. We came up with the idea of two Hawaiian maidens for the newel posts, each one having distinct features and body types, which gives them a more life-like appearance than if both were exactly the same.
From all their information they gave me, I was able to create an artistic rendering of my concept design. We built everything here in my shop, finished it, built a large crate, and shipped it to Maui. I sent one of my workers over for the installation and later I personally went to the home for all the final touches.
The staircase turned out fantastic. The stairs are made of solid mahogany with balusters hand-shaped into leaves and two Hawaiian maiden newel posts carved in the round as sculptures in solid walnut. You won't find anything like it made today. It was truly a fun project from beginning to end.
Above: You can see the hand-carved entry I did for the home in the background on the right. For more on the entry, see my blog dated April 11, 2016.
