Green House by Hayhurst & Co Architects. Photo by Kilian O'Sullivan.
Staircases don’t need to be just functional elements in your home; they’ve can be architectural focal points that can transform the look and feel of any space. Whether you're designing a new build or renovating an existing property, the right staircase design can make all the difference. In this collection, we've gathered 20 modern staircase ideas created by UK architects, showcasing a range of styles from minimalist floating steps to bold, sculptural designs. Each staircase offers unique inspiration, blending form and function to elevate your home's interior.
Photo by Jim Stephenson.
In an Aberdeen conservation area, Brown & Brown Architects designed a spiral staircase crafted from layers birch plywood that elegantly sweeps into the dining area. The stair took three weeks to construct, with each timber tread meticulously cut and hand-layered to create its seamless curve.
Photo by Jack Hobhouse.
A cream-painted staircase with solid oak cantilevered steps connects the four floors of this renovated Chelsea mews house by Alma-nac. Designed to maximise light, the delicate staircase features a steel stringer balustrade and slender balusters tied back to a supporting structure embedded in the wall.
Photo by Rory Gaylor.
The centre piece of Middle Avenue House by Rural Office is a bespoke wooden staircase that rises through a triple-height hall. It leads to a book-lined gallery library beneath a skylight, seamlessly connecting the home's two floors.
Photo by Kilian O'Sullivan.
Hailed as a “green oasis in the city”, the RIBA award winning Green House by Hayhurst & Co is arranged around a central atrium featuring a green powder coated steel staircase and gallery. Other interior materials include cross-laminated timber (CLT) walls, reclaimed concrete blocks and recycled cork rubber flooring.
Photo by French + Tye.
London-based studio Office S&M Architects reimagined the classic narrow staircase of this Georgian townhouse with a playful mix of pale pink, butter yellow, and vivid red. To complement the overall renovation, storage was incorporated into the spandrel, echoing other design elements featured in the scheme.
Photo by Christian Brailey.
This refurbishment and two-storey extension by Architecture for London features a timber staircase that descends through a newly created double-height entrance. The lower section is made of concrete and seamlessly merges into low-level storage, while the upper section is timber, appearing to cantilever off the wall.
Photo by Simon Kennedy.
In this renovated Oslo loft by London studio Haptic, a suspended staircase of powder-coated white steel connects the lower living spaces with the mezzanine above. The staircase, featuring open risers and narrow vertical supports, ends just above a custom wooden chest that doubles as a seat, subtly dividing the kitchen from the lounge.
Photo by Tim Croker
This London flat refurbishment by Tsuruta Architects features a floating timber staircase alongside CNC-etched walls adorned with images of dragons, bats, and the Thames. The staircase design allows natural light to flow into the kitchen and living room below, with solid timber bricks serving as landings on either side.
Photo by French + Tye.
Consolidating a garden flat and upper maisonette, this Victorian townhouse refurbishment by Bradley Van Der Straeten features a new staircase made from white-painted timber between the ground and lower ground floors. Vertical, floor-to-ceiling timber sections form the balustrade, allowing light into the stairwell and concealing doors for under-stair storage spaces.
Photo by Building Narratives.
Bindloss Dawes reorganised a mews house in Chelsea, adding a full height lightwell with a new contemporary staircase for the sense of volume and light. Concrete is used to form the first flight of the staircase, while the upper levels are finished in European oak. Steel balusters were painted in grey-based white to match the woodwork and ceilings throughout the house.
Photo by Tim Soar.
Coffey Architects has utilized traditional Japanese design techniques to maximise space and light in this London mews house renovation. On the top floor where space is restricted, a narrow staircase with alternating treads provides a steep route up to a roof terrace.
Photo by Jill Tate.
The result of a close collaboration between the architect, specialist steel fabricator and concrete installer, this cantilevered concrete staircase by Miller Partnership Architects uses a limited palette of utilitarian materials, referencing the site’s industrial past.
READ: 113-115 Ouseburn Road
Photo by Ståle Eriksen.
Proctor & Shaw refurbished and extended a Victorian townhouse in south London, replacing the existing staircase with one that wraps around a three-storey triangular void, allowing light to reach all levels. The new staircase features a folded-steel structure clad in Douglas fir, with a minimal steel balustrade to maximise natural light.
Photo by Edmund Sumner.
In the Storyteller’s Home by Neil Dushieko Architects, a Victorian terrace remodel in Stoke Newington, this perforated plywood staircase is distinct from the main house and marks the transition to a converted roof space.
Photo by James Brittain.
Architect Jonathan Tuckey has thoughtfully modernised a 400-year-old cottage on the Cornish coast. To enhance the flow between spaces and adapt the home for modern living, an oak staircase with a delicate steel balustrade was introduced, running alongside light-toned walls that allow natural light to highlight the cottage's uneven shapes.
Photo by Stijn Bollaert.
Inspired by Belgian Brutalist architecture, this extension and renovation of a Victorian terrace by Pashenko Works employs a restrained palette of materials inside and out. A terrazzo-clad staircase, enclosed by white walls and ceiling, leads from the entrance to the first floor, where it transitions into minimalist white flights connecting the upper levels.
Photo by Chris Wharton.
This project by Fraher & Findlay extends a first floor flat into the roof space above to create a more spacious living accommodation. A perforated metal staircase was installed to bring as much light into the landing and living spaces at lower level as possible.
Photo by Fran Mart.
London practice Tuckey Design Studio has refurbished a Victorian terrace, stripping back its interiors to create a tactile yet minimalist home. The design reveals the house's original structure and includes a striking curved plywood staircase, stained midnight blue.
Photo by Living Architecture.
Located on the Kent coast, Shingle House by Nord Architecture features a black shingle-clad timber frame built around a concrete spine that houses the chimney, hearth, and staircase. The balustrade is made of square-sectioned vertical timbers, extending to a gallery area overlooking the double-height living space.
Photo by Nicholas Worley.
Vine Architecture Studio revitalised this old rooftop flat in east London with the addition of a bold, bright yellow staircase on the exterior. Painted in a vivid yellow, the staircase creates a striking sculptural feature that contrasts sharply with the muted tones of the pale brick and mortar backdrop.
About the author
Aron Coates, an architect with over two decades of experience, draws upon a wealth of residential architectural expertise, encompassing projects ranging from the restoration of historic structures to the design of contemporary homes.
