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Welcome to First Step Designs, the UK’s leading name in bespoke floating staircase design and manufacturing. Based in Stoke, we work closely with Liverpool homeowners, architects, and interior specialists to design and craft floating stairs that enhance bespoke homes with stunning architectural impact and precision-engineered performance.
Bespoke floating stairs represent the height of staircase ambition, requiring specialist design and engineering expertise, as well as expert understanding of light and spatial flow. Having been featured on Grand Designs and winning the 2024 Build It Award for Best UK Staircase, we’ve earned national recognition for these disciplines, and we’re confident that we’re the right team to help you transform your home into the extraordinary.
When it absolutely has to be flawless, Liverpool trusts First Step Designs.
With the absence of visible support structures, floating staircases, also known as cantilevered staircases, are defined more by what you don’t see than by what you do. Each tread, as well as the total weight of the balustrades, is anchored into a custom-designed steel structure hidden within a supporting wall—a design and engineering challenge that leaves no room for error.
At First Step Designs, floating staircases are engineered with millimetre-perfect precision. We rely on advanced CAD modelling, pinpoint-accurate 5-axis CNC machining, and rigorous in-house test fitting to consistently deliver staircases that exceed expectations. Lasting, secure, and of uncompromised quality!
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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.
Cantilevered stairs are counted among the most visually distinctive and impactful architectural features in bespoke modern homes. Their floating appearance seems to defy gravity, while at the same time, their minimalist design and absence of bulky stringers, tread risers, and support structures bring a sense of openness and flow.
Floating stairs offer:
The design-to-installation process typically takes 3 to 6 months. This allows for design development, structural engineering, quality control, test-fitting, and installation. For projects with a detailed design brief and structural drawings, we may complete the installation in as little as 6 to 8 weeks.
At First Step Designs, every last component is designed and manufactured in-house—no prefabricated elements, no generic modules—to ensure a truly bespoke build.
The cost of a floating staircase depends on several factors, including the materials, configuration, structural requirements of the property, and installation requirements. In recent months, most of our Liverpool floating staircase installations have fallen between £23,000 and £30,000 (+VAT).
Reach out to our design team to discuss your project and receive a more detailed, personalised quote.
Our floating stairs are designed around a custom-built steel structure that we secure into a supporting wall before attaching each tread and concealing it from view.
As for the visible elements, First Step Designs clients may detail their staircases in timber, steel, glass, stone, tile, microconcrete, or mixed materials. We work closely with our clients and their interior designers to craft staircases that complement any interior style.
Not at all. In fact, with their minimalist design and absence of visible support structures, they are even easier to keep clean than other staircase styles and require only routine dusting and mopping to maintain an as-new look.
In the event of accidental damage, our renovation team can repair or refinish timber, metal, and glass to their original condition.
Floating stairs comply with the same set of safety rules and regulations as other staircase styles, making them just as safe to use as any other staircase. At First Step Designs, we take pride in manufacturing cantilevered stairs that hold up to heavy daily use for decades.
Floating stairs are designed so that each tread is only affixed to the support structure on its side profile, giving it a cantilevered look. The support structure is then concealed within a supporting wall, making the staircase appear to hang in mid-air.
Bespoke floating stairs are broadly considered to be high-value, high-status home furniture.
