Oak & white painted stairs with two quarter landings

There are two options for quarter turns:

• Kite winder (3 treads).
• Quarter landing (1 tread).

As a kite winder has three treads within the space that a quarter landing has one tread, a kite winder is much more space efficient.

However, a quarter landing is arguably more pleasant to walk up and is cheaper.

So, if you have the space, a quarter landing is generally the preferred option.

When specifying and buying a staircase, there are many material options available.
Often, customers opt for the entire staircase in oak or to paint the whole staircase.
However, a mix of materials, such as in the case of this staircase, can look quite effective and is much more cost-effective than having the entire stair in oak.
We do not generally recommend painting the "touch points", i.e. handrail caps & treads, as the paint can easily chip and look unsightly.

As standard, posts & spindles on stairs are square. However, on this staircase, the client opted to have them "stop chamfered", which is the extra detail on each edge seen in the photos.
Stop chamfered balustrade gives a different look which can suit both traditional and modern interiors.

If an oak stair is to be carpeted, it doesn't make sense to supply the treads and risers oak, given the cost saving.
As such, this staircase features MDF treads and plywood risers, ideally suited to carpeting.  

The first tread on this staircase is a bullnose feature tread.
A feature tread looks great and pushes the first post back by one tread, which can make the downstairs hallway feel bigger.