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First Step Designs is a leading UK designer, fabricator, and installer of bespoke central spine staircases. Over the last 10 years, we’ve helped dozens of homeowners in Cheshire and its surroundings improve their homes with central spine staircases that act as a dramatic and impressive centrepiece, elevate their homes’ value, and command attention.
In 2023 and 2024 alone, First Step Designs was featured on Grand Designs, won the Best Staircase award at the 2024 Build It Awards, and we’ve been working on increasingly high-profile projects. We look forward to showing you why we’re fast becoming a dominant name in the UK custom staircase industry.
Unlike many of our competitors, we custom design and fabricate every part of your staircase ourselves, steering clear of stock items and box sections covered in unsightly welds. Our spines feature laser-cut profiles, custom-fabricated into a seamless architectural structure that’s visually flawless and with no visible manufacturing details.
Reach out to us for an obligation-free discussion about how we can help you build a central spine staircase that complements your home, personal taste, and style, creating an architectural feature that enhances your home.
Designing, fabricating, and installing central spine staircases comes with a unique set of challenges and considerations when compared to other types of staircases. We factor in the differences in structural loads, rely on high-precision engineering and fabrication practices to ensure stability and understand the importance of a perfect-fit installation, among many other unique considerations.
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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.
First of all, they’re beautiful. When designed right and fabricated with care, central spine staircases can add a certain—and we’re really not trying to sound snobbish here— ‘touch of class’ to an indoor space. They’re sleek, appear to float in midair from certain angles, and can complement any aesthetic with the right detailing and finishes.
For some homeowners, central spine staircases are simply the logical choice. Homes with floor-to-ceiling glass walls, uninterrupted panoramic views, or custom-designed walls with specific features or materials all benefit from stairs that don’t need wall-mounted anchor points, ensuring that your feature walls remain features and don’t become fixtures.
In more compact homes, open central spine staircases with a smaller footprint help to save space while also allowing for maximum natural sunlight in the room.
Absolutely! It's arguably the most enjoyable part of the bespoke design process. With First Step Designs, you'll not only have a wide range of materials, finishes, tread styles, and staircase shapes to choose from, but we'll also render them in 3D to give you a very realistic idea of what the final product will look like.
We invite you to view our inspiration gallery and see what we’ve done for others. We encourage you to look closely at the details, find what you like, and let us help you design a staircase that is truly yours.
First Step Design central spine staircases are safe, and we've never had an instance of a staircase failing. We understand the physics of centrally supported steps and manufacture our staircases using modern CAD practices, laser precision cuts, and modern welding and assembly methods. Our treads are made to a thickness that ensures that the gap between the treads remains below 100mm as per building regulations. Despite central spine staircase balustrades being minimalist in design, they’re fitted securely to withstand high levels of force. For added safety, consider a non-slip tread surface.
Materials for central spine staircases include wood, steel, glass, stone, and concrete. For structural strength, the central spine typically consists of steel, while the treads typically consist of wood or toughened glass. Central spine staircases often aim for a clean and minimalist look for their balustrades, typically made from steel, glass, wood, or a combination of the three.
Central spine staircases look amazing, especially in modern architect-designed homes. From certain angles, it can appear as if they’re simply floating in place, demanding your attention and creating both a focal point and a discussion piece. An open-tread design also allows more natural light through, keeping your indoor spaces bright and airy.
The only two disadvantages to central spine staircases are their increased costs and bigger footprint. They’re more complex to design and build than other types of staircases and typically have a larger footprint to compensate for the lack of structural anchor points. It’s important to understand the implications of a larger footprint, so make sure to reach out to a professional designer early in the planning phase to ensure you get the best possible use out of your space. While central spine staircases will always be slightly more expensive, their larger footprint can be offset or reduced with clever design.
A central spine staircase is a modern staircase design where the steps are supported by a long central beam or 'spine' that runs underneath the steps from the base of the stairs all the way to the top. The spine offers 100% of the stairs' structural support, completely negating the need for side walls or stringers. They're more difficult to design, build, and install than wall-mounted staircases; however, they're a popular option for clients seeking a sleek staircase with a minimalist look.
