10 Best Staircases Around
Spiral staircase at the Rookery Building, Burnham & Root architects
You’ve probably heard the Langston Hughes poem about stairs—you know, the one where life hasn’t been a crystal stair, but one with tacks, splinters, and torn up boards—or perhaps you’ve seen stairs used as some metaphor for ascension—none of that matters regarding why we’re here.
No matter how much time goes into constructing the perfect bathroom, or centering lights perfectly above an island in the perfect kitchen, we all know the staircase is the centerpiece of your home. The stair case is a reflection of your home’s personality. If the stairs are boring, you’ve probably got a boring house on your shoulders too.
Luckily, these stairs are free of tacks, splinters, and torn up boards—customized from treads to banisters—and are 10 of the best staircases around town.
1. 2342 W Superior St. — $1,499,500
There’s something about glass and wood that does it for us. With these U-shaped stairs, you won’t have to worry about running out of breath, climbing them.
2. 924 N Clark St. — $11,750,000
It’s that wood again. But this time, try glass walls with a black steel stringers and wooden handrails on these open-riser stairs.
3. 1937 W Dickens Ave. — $1,999,000
Where do we start? From the white risers to the wooden treads, or the open-risers at the starting steps? Maybe the missing handrail is where to begin, or at last, should we address the oddly shaped hectagon steps at the base?
4. 2221 N Freemont St. — $4,200,000
When beauty comes in simple packages—a straight flight of steps, so beautifully nude-colored, we couldn’t let this go without notice.
5. 1860 N Sheffield Ave. — $1,695,000
Okay, so who’s to say beautiful steps must be inside of the house? This black, spiraling wonder of compactness would make you feel like you were travelling through time by the time you made it up or down.
6. 2036 N Magnolia Ave. — $3,000,000
Cement everywhere, yet so beautifully done. This outdoor staircase is reminiscent of a Spanish style home.
7. 2607 N Ashland Ave. Unit 1E — $750,000
Perhaps we were a bit overzealous with this one, but can you blame us? The stairs practically look too idyllic to stare at, let alone walk.
8. 3934 N Greenview Ave. — $1,799,000
Nothing like mahogany wood to give a case of stairs that antique look. Also, the perfect setting for a 1920s game of “whodunnit?”
9. 336 W Wisconsin St. — $3,500,000
What else is there to say when a pictures worth a thousand words? Well, there’s a totally glass landing that expands into a bridge, but that’s nothing special.
10. 1622 N Wolcott Ave. — $3,995,000
Quite clearly, color is the key to success. From the floors to the steps to the handrails, the long flights of stairs seem like an endless ascension to a better place.
