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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:
Bespoke staircases are typically planned with several months' lead time before the installation date. We advise our clients to begin the design process 4 to 6 months before installation, ensuring that there's enough time to run through various design iterations and possibilities. We pride ourselves on leaving nothing to chance, but precision takes time.
Another important consideration is to time the staircase build so that your home is ready to take the staircase without holding up the construction or renovation project. Enough lead time ensures a no-compromise design, a professional and guarantee-backed build, and a project that stays on time and within budget.
If a client approaches us with building plans or a very clear expression of their vision, we can expedite the process, aiming to install a bespoke-built staircase in around 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the design and a handful of other factors.
Bespoke staircases may vary significantly in cost. Factors such as the design complexity, material choices, finishing details, and installation difficulties will all affect the final price tag.
At First Step Designs, the majority of the staircases we've delivered in recent years range between £20,000 and £30,000 (+VAT).
Check out our blog post on How much does a new staircase cost? for example projects with specifications and prices.
Bespoke staircases are typically fabricated from a combination of steel, wood, glass, stone, and concrete. While the substructures, frames, anchor points, and supports are overwhelmingly fabricated from steel (either visible or designed to be out of sight), our clients typically match the visible components, such as balustrades, handrails, and treads, with other materials to complement their home's overall aesthetic.
Provided your design meets UK building regulations and you have a design and engineering team willing to build, you pretty much have free rein to express yourself.
Provided that they meet structural and building regulations, bespoke staircases are available in any style. In addition to the most popular styles of staircases listed below, First Step Designs also does deeply custom work for clients whose plans do not fall neatly into a category. If anyone can make your plans work, it's First Step Designs.
In a sentence, a bespoke staircase is one that has been custom ordered, designed, and fabricated to meet the needs of a specific client. Bespoke staircases can be seen as the opposite of mass-produced, prefabricated, or modular staircases built to standardised sizes. Bespoke staircases allow homeowners to craft beautiful, one-of-a-kind interiors with stunning sightlines from all angles and impossible-to-ignore focal points.
Although bespoke staircases may cost more than pre-fabricated solutions, they're typically built by master craftsmen with a passion for crafting what can be seen as functional art.
