A step ahead

A staircase has a dramatic impact on an interior and a great one is both beautiful and practical

IN GOOD ORDER

Whether used for storing vacuum cleaners or coats, the space below a staircase can prove invaluable in any home. Bear in mind, in order to hang anything, the cupboards will need a depth of 58cm (most stairs are wider). Dividing the space into three or four cupboards rather than one large one will avoid the problem of things getting lost in the back. This was the route taken in the former London home of the founders of textile and rug design studio A Rum Fellow. The window stair partition ensures the stairs and hall benefit from more light. "The colours were inspired by the beautifully vibrant and warm hues of the buildings in Antigua, the former capital of Guatemala,' says co-founder Dylan O'Shea.

SUCCESSFUL RUN

A runner serves many purposes from disguising a staircase which isn't in the best condition to protecting treads from wear and tear and providing an anti-slip surface. This one is by Laura Stephens and part of her collaboration with Bombay Sprout. 'The saffron yellow and berry colourway is a perfect shade of pale yellow which picked up the original hallway tiles in the house,' she says. 'These tones work particularly well on a staircase or in a space lacking light and in need of an injection of brightness.

INTO THE BLUE

Tongue-and-groove panelling is a classic country design approach. For this cottage in Trevone, on the Cornish coast, Tom Cox of HÁM Interiors used two tones of blue to add definition to the space which houses a simple staircase with treads in pale wood, white-painted spindles and a dark-wood handrail. 'I'm a details person so added the mouldings on the outer string of the staircase otherwise it might have seemed a bit bland and undecorated,' explains Tom.

BOXING CLEVER