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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 require careful planning, and we typically recommend beginning the design process 4 to 6 months before the installation date. This allows enough time to explore multiple design options and ensure that every detail is considered with nothing left to chance.
It’s also important that the staircase is timed to fit into the broader construction or renovation schedule. If left too late, it can limit design possibilities or cause costly delays to the overall project.
That said, when clients come to us with a clear vision and the project conditions are right, we can move more quickly, aiming to complete the design, fabrication, and installation of a bespoke staircase in as little as 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the complexity.
Bespoke staircases can vary greatly in cost depending on several factors, including design complexity, material selection, finishing touches, and installation requirements.
At First Step Designs, most of the staircases we’ve completed in recent years have fallen in the £20,000 to £30,000 (+VAT) range.
For more details on what affects pricing and to see real examples with specifications, take a look at our article: How much does a new staircase cost?
Unless a client orders a bespoke staircase made entirely of steel, all bespoke staircases feature a mix of materials, most commonly steel, wood, glass, stone, and concrete. Bespoke staircases are overwhelmingly designed around a steel substructure or frame, which can be left visible as a focal point or designed to be out of sight.
Material choices for the treads, balustrades, handrails, and other visible elements should be made with structural performance and how they contribute to the overall design in mind. Our talented team of designers works closely with our clients to guide them through material choices that best complement their home.
The term ‘bespoke stairs’ refers to the level of customisation involved, and any style of staircase built to meet the client's exacting demands can be considered 'bespoke'. As the UK's leaders in bespoke design and fabrication, we craft a wide range of common (and a few not-so-common) staircase styles, all guaranteed to meet building regulations.
In a nutshell, bespoke staircases are designed entirely around a specific client's exact specifications. They stand separate from mass-produced, pre-fabricated, or modular staircases that conform to standardised sizing and aim to keep complexity and manufacturing costs as low as possible. Bespoke staircases allow homeowners to express themselves through design, creating beautiful and unique spaces using the largest piece of furniture in the home.
A final difference worth noting is that bespoke staircases are crafted with care by skilled craftsmen with a passion for precision and beauty, whereas prefabricated stairs are built by workers with a quota to meet.
