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Based in Stoke, First Step Designs is a leading UK designer, builder, and installer of bespoke metal staircases. Over the past decade, we’ve helped countless homeowners transform their homes into something spectacular with precision-crafted metal stairs that bring visions to life, enhance how living spaces are experienced, and boost property values.
In recent years, we’ve been featured on Grand Designs and worked on increasingly high-profile projects, including a staircase renovation for the world’s strongest man, Eddie Hall. In 2024, we were crowned the Build It Award’s Best Staircase of the Year winners. With First Step Designs working on your dream metal staircase, you can rest assured knowing that you’re working with the best in the business.
We don’t do prefabricated or off-the-shelf designs. We design and fabricate every last element of our staircases ourselves, ensuring metal stairs that are truly unique and built around your style and aesthetic preferences.
Reach out to us today for a zero-cost and obligation-free discussion of your bespoke metal staircase needs. Our designers are on standby to assist you with precise 3D mockups and design concepts to help you build the stairs of your dreams.
We’re the best at metal staircases because we love the material. We love its strength and the challenges of working with a material as tough as metal. We love how versatile it is and its timeless aesthetic. We love how it looks great raw but also lends itself to various finishing options that complement the overall design.
Where other companies rely on metal for their staircases’ structures, our design and fabrication showcase the material as a defining design feature that enhances living spaces with a sleek, modern aesthetic.
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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.
Right off the bat, the term metal staircase is open to interpretation. To some, it means a staircase that relies on a metal substructure for rigidity and support, with little of the metal visible during normal use. For others, it can mean a floating or central spine staircase where the metal elements are brought to the forefront instead of being substituted for glass, wood, or concrete.
No matter how you define it, First Step Design has the skills and experience to craft a metal staircase to complement your home’s aesthetic, architectural features, and available space. If you have your heart set on a bespoke metal staircase, we’ll create one that is not only structurally sound but also a striking focal point in your home.
While this is only a rough guide, metal staircases are commonly found in various home styles and configurations. For example:
While this may vary significantly between projects, the typical timeline ranges from around 4 to 6 months. At First Step Designs, we advise our clients to start working on a design sooner rather than later, as bespoke metal stairs take time to design, build, and install. This may seem like a fairly long timeline considering the availability of prefabricated options; however, the right metal staircase serves as a functional piece of art—and we don’t rush art.
If our clients have a very clear idea of exactly what they’re after and approach us with inspirational images and/or design plans, we could theoretically complete the project in as little as 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the design.
Yes, but they don’t need much. First Step Designs relies on high-quality steel and superior finishing techniques to provide durable and lasting metal staircases. Realistically, except for keeping your stairs clean and dust-free, the only maintenance you’ll ever have to do is ensure that the powder coat or selected finish remains scratch or damage-free. In the event that the surface finish is scratched or otherwise damaged, it is important to respray or finish these areas as soon as possible to prevent oxidation.
There are detailed guides that explain exactly how to do this available online or, alternatively, contact First Step Designs for an obligation-free renovation quote.
Absolutely, yes. In fact, as designers and fabricators of bespoke staircases, every last metal staircase that leaves our fabrication floor has been customised to suit our clients’ exacting needs. We work closely with our clients from day one, ensuring that we have an understanding of their exact staircase wants and needs to only design and build bespoke masterpieces.
Depending on your home, its architectural features, and its design aesthetic, our design team provides our clients with several style options to ensure the best possible fit. From there, we typically spend up to a few weeks working on material and finishing choices, typically considering factors such as other materials to include and what surface finishes to go for. Popular options include powder coating, wrought ironwork, and brushed or polished stainless steel.
By the time the final design heads to fabrication, our clients have customised their metal staircase’s style, treads, balustrades, newel posts, handrails, and even special features such as lighting or decorative inserts.
Metal staircases, whether referring to a metal substructure only or as a staircase that incorporates metalwork into the detailing, hold several benefits when compared to other common staircase building materials. These include:
