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Welcome to First Step Designs, the UK's leading bespoke staircase specialists. We work closely with homeowners, architects, and interior designers to craft award-winning bespoke staircases for bespoke homes. Exclusively crafting original and deeply personalised staircases, you can trust First Step Designs for one-of-a-kind staircases that make the home more liveable, comfortable, and valuable.
Having recently been featured on Grand Designs, winning the 2024 Build It Award for Best UK staircase, and working on increasingly high-profile projects across the UK, we are confident that our well-proven in-house team of designers, engineers, and installers can deliver a tailored staircase that enhances your home, and client service that exceeds expectations.
Reach out to our design team for a zero-obligation discussion of your new bespoke staircase or bespoke staircase renovation needs.
With First Step Designs, you never have to settle for the next best available option or come to a compromise because we don't have it or can't do it. We're industry leaders because our clients get exactly what they want.
From sleek, minimalist floating stairs with bespoke glass or metal for an industrial-style home to curved white-oak stairs featuring detailed inlays for a more contemporary feel, our designers work hand-in-hand with our clients, iterating through design styles, options, and accessories that complement your home and style.
Choose the specialists for truly bespoke, choose First Step Designs.
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Your new or renovated stairs are no more than a quick call, email or message away.
You can also use our Inspiration Gallery to save images of our work that you like. Then, simply send them along with any other photos, plans, or details through our contact form so we can discuss your project.
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After understanding what you’re trying to achieve, we’ll send a detailed and itemised same-day quote. Our pricing is honest and transparent, allowing you to quickly determine if we are the right fit for your project.
At your request, we’ll gladly quote for multiple configurations of your ideal stairs.
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After visiting your home to take the measurements we need, we draft and present fully accurate 3D renditions of what your staircase will look like in your home.
Once the details, timelines, and installation dates are locked in, we begin fabricating your dream staircase.
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That’s right: sit back knowing that our expert team of craftsmen is hard at work bringing your staircase to life, fabricating your dream stairs to our exacting standards.
Depending on the complexity of the design, this typically takes anywhere from 3 to 5 days.
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Our expert and experienced team of Staffordshire-based installers will install your new or renovated stairs in 2 to 4 days.
They have a wealth of experience in joinery and engineering, a seriously professional attitude towards work, and operate as unintrusively as possible.
Your staircase is the single largest, most visible, and most imposing piece of furniture in your home. Everyone in the family uses it daily, and every visitor sees it. It is an important and prominent feature in your home, and when designed, crafted, and installed with consideration, can dramatically improve the home's comfort, liveability, and value.
As opposed to modular or prefabricated staircases that prioritise standardisation and cost-effectiveness, bespoke staircases are custom-designed from the ground up to complement your home's architectural style, personal preferences, and overall design vision.
At First Step Designs, we offer our clients granular control over every aspect of their design. Understanding that not everyone feels confident making design choices, our team guides our clients through various styles, materials, finishes, and bespoke staircase features and accessories. We find that a deliberate and guided process helps our clients move ahead assuredly.
A final important note on bespoke staircases is that they should be seen as an investment—not just as a way to move between floors. A beautifully designed and expertly installed staircase is a highly desirable feature that can significantly boost a property's resale value.
Bespoke staircases are typically planned with several months' lead time before the installation date. We advise our clients to begin the design process 4 to 6 months before installation, ensuring that there's enough time to run through various design iterations and possibilities. We pride ourselves on leaving nothing to chance, but precision takes time.
Another important consideration is to time the staircase build so that your home is ready to take the staircase without holding up the construction or renovation project. Enough lead time ensures a no-compromise design, a professional and guarantee-backed build, and a project that stays on time and within budget.
If a client approaches us with building plans or a very clear expression of their vision, we can expedite the process, aiming to install a bespoke-built staircase in around 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the design and a handful of other factors.
Bespoke staircases may vary significantly in cost. Factors such as the design complexity, material choices, finishing details, and installation difficulties will all affect the final price tag.
At First Step Designs, the majority of the staircases we've delivered in recent years range between £20,000 and £30,000 (+VAT).
Check out our blog post on How much does a new staircase cost? for example projects with specifications and prices.
Bespoke staircases are typically fabricated from a combination of steel, wood, glass, stone, and concrete. While the substructures, frames, anchor points, and supports are overwhelmingly fabricated from steel (either visible or designed to be out of sight), our clients typically match the visible components, such as balustrades, handrails, and treads, with other materials to complement their home's overall aesthetic.
Provided your design meets UK building regulations and you have a design and engineering team willing to build, you pretty much have free rein to express yourself.
Provided that they meet structural and building regulations, bespoke staircases are available in any style. In addition to the most popular styles of staircases listed below, First Step Designs also does deeply custom work for clients whose plans do not fall neatly into a category. If anyone can make your plans work, it's First Step Designs.
In a sentence, a bespoke staircase is one that has been custom ordered, designed, and fabricated to meet the needs of a specific client. Bespoke staircases can be seen as the opposite of mass-produced, prefabricated, or modular staircases built to standardised sizes. Bespoke staircases allow homeowners to craft beautiful, one-of-a-kind interiors with stunning sightlines from all angles and impossible-to-ignore focal points.
Although bespoke staircases may cost more than pre-fabricated solutions, they're typically built by master craftsmen with a passion for crafting what can be seen as functional art.
