Decorating & Design
10+ Beautiful Staircases That Make An Entrance
Published on July 8, 2025
Beyond its practicality in a home, a staircase can make for a major design moment. Whether you’re refinishing an original staircase or designing a new one, take inspiration from these stunning homes. Some of our favourite looks include the marble treads on a restored staircase designed by Gillian Segal, a magenta-hued bannister by Ben Leavitt and the showstopping curved corian staircase in Landscape Designer George Coito’s modern Oakville home. Below, get inspired by these incredible staircase design ideas.
To update the staircase in this circa-1929 Toronto home, Chloe Goldberg, Studio No. 33 owner and principal designer, installed new railings and newel posts and painted the treads and risers black. “I have such an appreciation for the architecture and period elements of old houses,” she says. “We wanted to bring in modern elements that would enhance, rather than overshadow, the home’s historical charm.”
NHL player Vince Dunn’s earthy, Euro-style condo is where he spends off-season stints in Toronto, his hometown. Jaclyn Genovese of Spaces by Jacflash was hired to liven up the interiors. In the open space under the stairs, the designer installed a zen garden, tidily bordered by rocks. “The tree trunks are preserved but the leaves are silk, so it’ll last forever,” says Jaclyn. Vince appreciates its uniqueness and calming quality. “It differentiates the condo from most in the city,” he says.
When it came to designing her hallway and staircase, Prince Edward County-based artist, designer and entrepreneur Christine Flynn was inspired by a trip to Provence. “Our hotel walls were covered in gorgeous shades of dark blue and green,” she says. “Those colours are the perfect backdrop for gold frames.”
The sculptural staircase in the heart of designer Lyndsay Jacobs’ home has a Venetian-plaster look. “I fell in love with the moulded plaster staircases you see in Europe,” she says. The ideal design would have been a ribbon staircase that ran from the second floor down to the basement, but the quote came back way over budget. So, she found a compromise: from drywall, architect Nicholas Discenza designed a sculptural masterpiece with rounded edges and a maple-capped handrail. “Most people think the staircase is plaster,” says Lyndsay. “We were able to maintain the vision.”
In this colourful Vancouver house, the original staircase was refinished and the banister rail was sprayed in a fun magenta hue.
A curving Corian staircase that looks like one continuous piece of stone is a standout element in this contemporary house.
In this Dutch Revival–style house, designer Gillian Segal upgraded the central staircase with Silverstone marble treads for a cool and contemporary look.
Pink walls and a patterned stair runner set the tone in the foyer of Natatlie Tredgett’s London home. “I would define my style as artistic-led and colourful, but it’s also purposeful,” says the designer.
“We took this staircase from dated to timeless,” says designer Delia Mamann. The grand staircase off the foyer was wrapped in poorly designed wainscotting and an awkward niche cut into the wall leading to the basement. Delia flattened the walls below and above the stairs to create a mirror effect with box panelling. Simple upgrades include a black and white floor runner, new metal spindles, a sleek wood hand rail and a custom matte floor stain.
In this modern farmhouse, Les Ensembliers turned the space under the stairs into a design moment, with a vintage wooden bench, patterned pillows and intriguing wall art.
A clean-lined stairway with elegant metal detailing leads to the bright lower level by designer Jean Stéphane Beauchamp.
In designer Jo Levitan’s house, the monumental staircase, with its grand archway, became a hero of the home’s design.