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Welcome to First Step Designs, the UK’s leading designer, manufacturer, and installer of bespoke staircases. Based in Stoke, within an hour of most of Shropshire, we work with homeowners, architects, and designers to craft bespoke staircases that act as dramatic and impressive centrepieces while complementing the home’s existing design choices.
From simple but elegant white oak and glass staircases that preserve the charm of heritage homes, to visually striking floating or cantilever stairs set against a dramatic feature wall, our portfolio includes a broad range of styles and personalisation options, ensuring a staircase that reflects your needs and taste.
Reach out to our design team for an obligation-free consultation about how we can help enhance your home with a bespoke staircase, making it more liveable, comfortable, and valuable.
Partnering with First Step Designs on your next staircase build or renovation project means partnering with a company that sets the industry bar for excellence in staircase design and customer service. In addition to winning the 2024 Build It Awards for Best UK Staircase, we’ve also recently been featured on Grand Designs, and we’re continuously working on increasingly high-profile projects across the UK.
We set the standard because we approach each project with the belief that staircases are more than functional; they’re powerful statement pieces that can elevate the entire home when designed with consideration and fabricated with precision. We don’t do over-the-counter, and we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions—we design beautiful bespoke staircases for beautiful homes.
We encourage you to read our testimonials or more than 100 perfect 5.0-star Google reviews to discover what our previous clients have to say about choosing First Step Designs.
Central spine stairs, also referred to as spine or mono-stringer stairs, are a popular choice for modern, open-plan homes with extended sightlines, loft conversions, or new home builds aiming for a luxury or bespoke finish. Their clean and contemporary look also makes them a good option for minimalist interiors.
Spine stairs are supported by a single support beam, typically made from steel, that runs beneath the treads. The spine is designed to support the entire staircase load, and when paired with open risers and glass or minimalist balustrades, allows the steps to appear as if they are floating or cantilevered. Central spine stairs are freestanding, meaning they do not require a wall for support and are suitable for most homes.
It’s hard to surpass the visual impact of floating or cantilever staircases, especially when set against a feature wall or as a focal point in a minimalist home. Floating staircases appear to hang in mid-air with no visible support from below, enhancing homes with extended sightlines, increased natural light, and a sense of openness.
While floating staircases typically require a structural wall to anchor into, First Step Designs specialises in designing custom solutions where this isn’t possible. If you are considering a floating staircase for your home, we encourage you to reach out to our design team. We work closely with architects to find the best designs to complement your home while ensuring a safe and durable floating staircase.
Metal staircases are a versatile all-rounder that lends itself to a wide range of staircase design styles and can fit seamlessly into pretty much any home when designed with consideration. Metal staircases are often paired with timber, glass, and other materials to achieve classic, contemporary, or ultra-modern aesthetics.
Our in-house fabrication team has mastered the art of building stunning metal staircases, consistently delivering ultra-durable, design-rich, and flawlessly assembled structures. From simple, straight metal staircases to elaborate or curved configurations, every staircase is precision-engineered to our exacting standards.
Oak has been a go-to staircase material in the UK for decades, if not centuries. Durable, beautiful, and integrating well with virtually all design styles and finishes, oak staircases genuinely deserve their title as a timeless option. At First Step Designs, we love to blend oak elements—treads, balustrades, and handrails—into our designs, adding a touch of warmth and character to any space.
We love working with natural timber, and our team looks forward to discovering how we can incorporate beautifully finished oak into your bespoke staircase design. We rely exclusively on sustainably sourced European white oak. It offers beautiful natural grain and reacts predictably to staining for colour consistency.
Whether planning a new build or major renovations to an existing space, our team is on standby to help you design a bespoke staircase that truly stands out from the crowd.
Whether building a new home or doing major renovation work, picking the right staircase design to complement your home can, admittedly, be a challenge. With a wide range of styles, materials, and configurations to choose from—spine, floating, traditional, or contemporary—it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.
We don’t just specialise in designing head-turning and award-winning bespoke staircases, we’re also experts at guiding homeowners through the various steps and stages of the process. Working hand in hand with our clients, designers, and architects, we iterate through design possibilities, material choices, and optional accessories to find the perfect configuration for each home—one that elevates the largest item of furniture in your home into a stunning focal point, impossible to ignore.
To get started on your bespoke staircase journey, visit our Inspiration Gallery and save the staircases, design elements, or features that you like. Once you’re done, reach out to our team for a same-day quote on your project and detailed 3D renders of how we can make your home more liveable, comfortable, and valuable.
Each and every staircase that we design, manufacture, and install is unique and never to be replicated. We take pride in crafting bespoke staircases that demand attention, create beautiful sightlines from every angle, and are impossible to ignore. We build staircases that add warmth and character to the home. We also build them to last.
First Step Designs relies on modern CAD to craft detail-rich and millimetre-perfect staircase blueprints, ensuring precision at every stage of the manufacturing process, while our in-house engineering team transforms these designs into flawless, unique staircases. We source the high-quality materials on a per-job basis, and rely on state-of-the-art fabrication, machinery, and processes.
Backed by generous quality guarantees and aftercare service, you can rest assured that your First Step Designs staircase will add value to your home for decades to come.
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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.
Most bespoke staircase builds take roughly 3 to 4 months from first contact to final installation quality checks. When required, we can expedite the progress to meet construction deadlines; however, from experience, we’ve seen that many of our clients appreciate more time to settle on the final design details.
Bespoke staircases vary significantly in cost, with factors such as the overall scope of the project, material choices, design complexity and installation difficulties all affecting the final price. At First Step Designs, new bespoke staircases may range anywhere from £12,000 + VAT to around £45,000 + VAT.
While we acknowledge the price gap between bespoke staircases and over-the-counter alternatives, a beautifully designed bespoke staircase can add significant resale value to your property and should be seen as a long-term investment.
In a nutshell, a bespoke staircase is a uniquely tailored staircase that has been custom-designed to meet very precise demands or criteria. Bespoke staircases aim to enhance the home’s aesthetic, liveability, and value through considered design, more detail-oriented and careful craftsmanship, and a level of personalisation that isn’t possible with mass-produced staircases.
