The wonderful thing about staircases is that they have many elements to them, and each can be designed in a different way. There are the ‘stringers’ that form the sides, the horizontal ‘treads’ that you step on, the vertical ‘risers’ that occupy the space between two treads, and the railings that provide support.
Each of these elements can be designed in different styles, patterns, and colours, and they come together to give the staircase its character. In this article, we present 8 trending staircase riser designs that you can use to create gorgeous staircases.
8 Riser Designs for Beautiful Staircases
1. The Floating Staircase
Ironically, the first design we have for you is a staircase with no risers. In this design, the stepping treads are attached directly to the wall that acts as the supporting stringer (the support structure), and the rest of the staircase is naked.
The treads can be made of wood, glass, or marble, materials that look stylish on their own. This, coupled with the lack of risers, gives the entire staircase an open and elegant look. From certain angles, the staircase also looks like an interesting optical illusion – a floating staircase, if you will.
2. The Regal Staircase
Polished wood exudes a sense of dignified grandeur and is an amazing material for staircases. The staircase risers and treads can both be made of dark, polished wood to give the staircase an earthy, regal look.
Risers made of wood look extremely stylish in a setting with lighter colours, where the stringer and surrounding walls are painted in a lighter complementary shade. This allows the dark brown steps to stand out and draw attention to the rising staircase.
3. The Grand Marble Stairway
If there’s any material that can compete with wood in elegance and grandeur, it is marble. Whatever the shape of the staircase, whether it’s straight, helical or spherical, it will look great adorned in marble.
It’s best to pair marble risers with marble treads to maintain the style of the design. Marble slabs come in many different colours, so you get the added advantage of choosing a colour that complements the walls and items around the staircase.
4. The Concrete Staircase
Concrete is an interesting material for a staircase and is often used for outdoor stairways. Concrete has a raw and unrefined vibe to it and suits staircases that are built outside the house, but it can, of course, be used indoors as well if it suits the decor. Since concrete slabs are used, the riser and treads are generally both made of the same material.
Concrete tends to be different shades of grey, so in itself, it might seem dull or plain. The plain nature of concrete, however, sets the stage for other objects like the railing, the walls, or the door in front of the landing to stand out.
5. Colourful Tiles
One great way to introduce splashes of colours to your staircase is to use tiles. With tiles, you have a lot of options. You can have one set of colours or designs for the risers and completely different colours or designs for the treads. You can also have different colours and designs for risers and treads in each step.
You have to be careful not to go overboard with the designs, though, because adding too many elements could make the staircase look gaudy. A great design idea is to use plain coloured tiles for the treads and patterns for the risers (or vice versa). This creates a separation between the patterns and makes the staircase look attractive.
6. The Classical Mosaic Staircase
Mosiac patterns can range from vibrant and creative to calm and elegant, and that is the essence of using mosaic for your risers and treads. You can choose from a wide range of colours and designs, and go for a single colour or a combination of different colours.
Mosaic also has a lustre in its texture, so a staircase made of mosaic will shine in the sunlight giving it the sort of majestic look that is generally seen in cathedrals. While you can select the colour of your choice, a bright or darker shade for the mosaic steps coupled with lighter shades for the surrounding walls and objects will create a great look.
7. The Metal Skeleton
A variation of the riser-less staircase, you can select this design where one side of the treads is fixed to a wall with the other side left open, and a metallic support structure runs through the base and provides the risers.
In this design, the treads can be made of wood, marble or glass, with the riser being metallic. The metal can be painted to complement the material and colour of the treads.
8. The Minimal Cement Staircase
You can choose to build the staircase with cement, so it seems to be an extension of the wall. This has a minimalistic look to it, with the staircase being a part of the walls rather than standing out. The steps generally have the same colour as the wall.
With that being the basic structure, you can choose to add elements to the risers or treads (or both). For example, you can add wooden panels to the treads while leaving the risers as is, or vice versa.
Staircases in a house are like trees in a forest – they rise above and demand attention, and they get it. People who walk through the halls of your home will invariably lay eyes on the staircase and you want to make sure it does justice to the rest of your home decor.
This involves designing the staircase to suit the style of your home and choosing patterns, colours, and materials that complement the rest of the elements in the room. If this seems overwhelming, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Our expert designers at HomeLane can whip up different staircase designs that you’re sure to love. Go ahead, take the step.
