Curved Staircases

Few staircase styles draw the eye as naturally as curved, spiral, and helical staircases. They’re often the first thing you notice when entering a space, and when designed with care and fabricated with precision, rarely reveal an unflattering angle.

At First Step Designs, we specialise in crafting award-winning bespoke staircases, including curved, helical, and spiral designs. We work directly with homeowners and architects to design and build luxury staircases that enhance any interior with a defining focal point—born of inspiration, crafted with precision, and finished with an eye for detail.

Whether creating a grand entrance hallway featuring a swooping curved staircase or looking for a spiral design for a compact modern home, reach out to First Step Designs for an obligation-free discussion of how our feature staircase designs can enhance your home.

A well-designed and crafted bespoke curved staircase isn’t just beautiful; it’s impossible to overlook the skill and craftsmanship that goes into making it. You can’t easily or cheaply recreate the perfect curve and clean lines of a made-to-order curved staircase, and any shortcuts stand out in a very obvious way. A smooth and uninterrupted curve takes time, skills, and a genuine mastery of the stairmaking arts.

It’s what goes into the perfect curved staircases that gives them their prestige. They represent a high level of design and manufacturing ambition, where perfect execution is rewarded with a staircase that truly stands out from the crowd—a staircase that feels luxurious, elegant, and unmistakably bespoke.

Our curved staircases aren’t just striking focal points and design statements; they are the largest item of furniture in the home—one that typically gets used multiple times every day. Beyond just a flawless appearance, premium curved staircases must also be able to handle daily use, resist wear and tear, and stand up to the occasional knock. 

At First Step Designs, we rely on modern precision engineering and cutting-edge material sciences to craft curved staircases built for life. From structural integrity and anchoring to ultra-durable surface finishes and detailing designed to last decades, each component is precision-engineered to ensure lasting strength and visual perfection.

Curved, helical, and spiral staircases all share a flowing, sculptural-like appearance; however, they each have their own defining characteristics and engineering requirements.

• Curved staircases: A curved staircase follows a continuous arc without completing a full rotation: hugging a curved wall, visually breaking up a large space, or leading elegantly to the next floor. They are designed to fit the geometry of the room, curving in a broad radius instead of tight turns and creating a sense of movement.
• Helical Staircases: Often confused with spiral staircases, a helical staircase forms a true helix. This continuous curve can feature a number of different radii/diameters to work around the space in a truly unique fashion. This often results in huge opening feature treads spanning up to around 1800mm for a luxurious opening. Helical staircases are more complex and costly to fabricate; however, their sculptural look is unmatched in natural balance. 
• Spiral Staircases: A spiral staircase wraps tightly around a central supporting pole for a small footprint—ideal for compact homes or tight spaces when acting as a secondary staircase. When used as a primary staircase, they do require a large 2000mm diameter, meaning they do not save much space in comparison to a regular staircase. They’re typically easier to design and manufacture than curved and helical staircases, with each step crafted to the exact same radius as the one before and after; however, the internal walkline does have a steep pitch, and this design forces narrower treads on the inner side.

First Step Designs sets the bar for innovative modern staircase design, specialising in the bespoke styles that mass producers and pre-fab installers don’t touch: custom, complex curved designs that demand the highest level of skill and expertise.

Our bold approach to bold stairs has paid off, winning the 2024 Build It Award for Best UK Staircase, being featured on Grand Designs, and working on increasingly high-profile builds around the country. 

For a staircase that exceeds every expectation, choose the team with an obsession with precision—First Step Designs.