Elliptical staircase; renovation to residence – Rockport, Maine; cherry with painted baluster;  contractor - Taggart Construction.

“This stair replaced a poorly designed “hexagonal” stair and accommodated some difficult space and structural constraints. ”

Balustrade; residence-new construction – Rockport, Maine;  custom handrail, and newel in curly soft maple, painted stock baluster;  contractor – Cold Mountain Builders - Belfast, Maine

“The owners (both are artists) had very clear design ideas for this project. They provided a photo of a traditional rail and newel that this balustrade was to be based on.. They also did the superb stain and finishing job“

Staircase; residence-new construction-Camden, Maine; handrail, treads, and newels in quarter-sawn white oak, painted risers and stringers.  contractor – Cold Mountain Builders – Belfast, Maine; architect – Chris Glass – Camden, Maine

“Architect Chris Glass designed a lovely shingle style home in Camden, Maine.  He provided a 3-D hand-drawing for the lay-out of this stair.  I was also shown a photo of the staircase at Naumkeag, an historic residence in Stockbridge, Massachusetts designed by Stanford White in 1885.  The Naumkeag stair suggested the handrail/newel design on this project.  At least one of the old textbooks on stair building refers to this type of stair as a dancing stair”

Stair in ash, painted soft maple baluster, with cherry handrail, residence  - Hallowell, Maine. Conservative Builders, China, Maine – contractor.

“This stair highlights the possibilities available with round profile handrail.  The open stringer and handrail are gently flared in plan.  Handrail with a molded profile is considerably more expensive to make in this wreathed configuration.  With round handrail it is possible accomplish elegant wreathed turns and easements fairly economically without resorting to the elaborate assemblies of level turns and goosenecks that are required when using pre-manufactured stock handrail.”

Stair and handrail in ash with painted newels and baluster.  Bufflehead Cove Inn and B&B, Kennebunkport, Maine.  S-shaped plan(turns right, then left)

“The issue here was to create an appealing stair which would utilize the space under the sloped ceiling and avoid any head-room problems.  The owners did not want the more conventional alternative of a pre-fabbed spiral stair.”

Unsupported double/split elliptical staircase. Heart pine treads, painted poplar risers, baluster and stringers, mahogany newels and handrail, - Northport, Maine.   contractor  – Cold Mountain Builders

 “This home was constructed with the re-claimed timber frame of a Quaker meeting house which had later been used as an axe factory. The owners wanted a design that would give them congenial access to the second floor balconies.  The stair was to be a place where friends might sit and visit during social gathering. The design inspiration for this stair was a photograph of a circular staircase at the Pleasant Hill Shaker community near Lexington, Kentucky ”

Stairwork - summer residence - Waldoboro, Maine Reclaimed heart pine treads; fir stringers, baluster, and newels; mahogany handrail (note rail detail over newel posts). Builder - Cold Mountain Builders - Belfast, Maine Architects - Van Dam, and Renner - Portland Maine