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Welcome to First Step Designs, the UK's leading bespoke staircase specialists. We work closely with homeowners and interior designers in Leicestershire to conceptualise, engineer, and install high-end, one-of-a-kind staircases, each uniquely tailored to complement the home with stunning sightlines and impressive focal points from all angles.
We do more than simply build simple staircases. Our in-house team of designers, engineers, and installers offers a seamless and tailored experience from first contact to final quality checks, crafting bold architectural centrepieces that define their space.
As winners of the 2024 Build It Award for Best UK Staircase, with a growing portfolio of high-profile projects across the country, and having recently been featured on Grand Designs, we're confident that we're the right team to bring your vision to life.
Reach out to our design team for a no-obligation consultation to discover how a First Step Designs bespoke staircase can transform your home.
Working with the UK's leaders in modern, innovative staircase design and engineering means compromising neither beauty nor quality.
First Step Designs clients enjoy complete creative freedom to ensure that every last detail aligns with their vision and their home's character, while our skilled and passionate engineering team relies on state-of-the-art machinery and practices to consistently deliver staircases as sound as they are visually striking.
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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.
In a home where even the smallest details matter, the largest item of furniture in your home, your staircase, will almost certainly set the tone for the entire interior—whether as a subtle compliment to understated design or as a bold statement.
Bespoke staircases, unlike their more affordable and mass-produced, prefabricated counterparts, are designed specifically to make the most of their visual weight and impact. They're crafted entirely around your needs and your home's layout to fit in seamlessly, enhancing the space's beauty, character, and individuality.
At First Step Designs, we don't believe in off-the-shelf staircase solutions. We work hand-in-hand with our clients to provide a truly bespoke experience, guiding them through various design options, styles, material choices, and finishing details, a process that ensures nothing is left to chance and allows our clients to move forward with confidence.
A final point worth mentioning is that bespoke staircases can help property owners fetch significantly higher prices when selling their properties. A bespoke staircase is an investment in your property.
We recommend allowing 4 to 6 months for the complete design and build process of a bespoke staircase. This gives our team and the client enough time to review multiple iterations and design choices, finalise all design elements, and coordinate installation with other contractors.
Waiting too long to begin can create delays and limited design options, especially for more complex builds that need active architect participation.
In the event that a client approaches us with a very clear vision and/or staircase plans, we may complete the entire process in a little as 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the project.
The cost of a bespoke staircase depends on a number of factors—from the overall design and material choices to the finishing details and complexity of the installation.
Based on recent projects, the majority of staircases delivered by First Step Designs typically range between £20,000 and £30,000 (+VAT).
For a more personalised quote, get in touch with our team or explore our article How much does a new staircase cost? to view example projects and pricing breakdowns.
With the exception of full-steel staircases, all bespoke staircases are constructed using a variety of materials. Virtually all modern staircases feature either a steel or steel-reinforced structure—either left visible to show off intricate design details or hidden from view—and a personalised blend of steel, wood, glass, stone, and concrete for the visible elements, such as the treads and balustrades.
At First Step Designs, we guide our clients through various material choices, ensuring a balanced staircase with a harmonious design to complement the home.
Since 'bespoke' doesn't refer to a specific style, but rather to the degree of personalisation, any staircase that has been custom-built to the client's specifications may be considered bespoke. At First Step Designs, we specialise in crafting beautiful versions of the most popular staircase styles in the UK, as well as more unique designs.
One way of describing a bespoke staircase is as the opposite of a prefabricated staircase. Where prefab, modular, and other types of mass-produced staircases aim to be as simple, affordable, and universally adaptable as possible, bespoke staircases are individually designed to suit the homeowner’s exact needs. Typically, the client will have full control over the style, material choices, finishing details, and other details.
While bespoke stairs may cost considerably more than the alternatives, when designed with consideration and crafted with precision, they offer far greater visual impact and long-term value.
