Reaching New Heights

Tower Grove Homes, 3724 Utah Place, 314-771-7097, www.towergrovehomes.com.

Twenty years ago, Susie Gudermuth, owner of Tower Grove Homes, and her husband Tim Hays purchased their hundred-year-old home in the historic neighborhood of Tower Grove Heights. Thankful that the family who owned the home for nearly 80 years maintained many original details of the home – including the staircase – with very few renovations, Susie says, “We reaped the benefit of their preservation.”

Still, the antique staircase showcased in a grand foyer had undergone much re-staining. Upon moving in, Susie and Tim stripped it down to its original natural oak and applied a single stain and varnish finish. “The overall look of the staircase is typical of the era – a hybrid of Victorian and Arts and Crafts,” says Susie, noting the simplicity of the square newel posts and balusters. Subtle carvings on the newel posts depict historic World's Fair wreaths. “They complement the style of staircase and of the rest of the house.”

A stained glass window at the landing – a common element in even the most modest homes of the era, according to Susie – often clothes the staircase in a soft rainbow of light, while an original bench at the base provides seating for mingling company, as well as landing space for handbags and keys.

The crowning glory of this treasured staircase stands atop the right newel post: an original lamp, which Susie and Tim had cleaned and refurbished in the late eighties. “We just call her ‘the lady on the newel post',” says Susie laughingly. “In this neighborhood, people who want to modernize their homes get rid of these lamps. But we liked her, so we kept her.” Antique details juxtaposed with Tim's collection of modern art, which Susie says “goes beautifully in older homes,” give this staircase a step up.
 

Located at Beck Allen Cabinetry at the IDC, 11626 Page Service Dr., 314-677-6713, www.beckallencabinetry.com; Staircase design and construction – Kirkwood Stair, 50 Midwest Dr., 636-271-4002; Tile work – Elite Custom Tile & Marble, 636-387-8453.

When the client asked Brian Berger, president of Kirkwood Stair and Millwork, to design a contemporary, “different” staircase for his space, Brian presented a standout sketch of this clever, slightly whimsical design. To modernize the existing concrete staircase, he began with a clean-lined structure and chose a Clear Northern White Maple and brushed aluminum for the balustrade. The juxtaposition of light-colored wood and bright, brushed aluminum produces a crisp design that perfectly complements its loft-like surroundings.

“We tried to do something in the three-dimensional genre by bowing out the edges of the treads and also by incorporating an elaborate lamb's tongue carving at the base of the staircase – more contemporary than the traditional style,” says Brian, explaining that they wanted to hide the existing, standard metal pan and concrete stair. 
This contemporary design -– with its ceramic tile treads, brushed aluminum face risers and complicated balustrade system – moves away from the typical glass and stainless steel and into a playful companionship that blends natural wood and complex woodwork technology to create this striking staircase.

While the one-of-a-kind staircase is a masterful finished product, the project presented a challenging design and installation. The initial plan was drawn in a computer-aided design (CAD) program, followed by a complex series of steps needed to produce each part of the staircase on a five-axis computer numerical control (CNC) machining center; it is a highly automated process used to mill the wood to closely match the original CAD design.

As this is the only staircase of its kind completed by the company, Brian notes, “We hope that the complexity of what was done in the design and construction of this staircase will inspire ideas for future projects.”