Recycled Timber Staircase

A recycled timber staircase from old lock gates provides the perfect blend of old meets new for a barn conversion in Northumberland.  This new staircase would become the focal point of the home, seamlessly blending the essence of the building’s history with its transformation into a contemporary residence.

The barn conversion retains many features of the original building, and the staircase had to reflect and complement its character. Having worked with the Canal and Rivers Trust on a previous project, Bisca were offered old timber lock gates. Bisca’s design team suggested this would be the perfect home for the recycled treads.

Bisca presented a free-floating helical staircase within the open-plan kitchen and living area to achieve the desired impact. A slim, white-painted structure with a sweeping plastered soffit to the underside supports the chunky oak treads. The curvaceous form continues onto the first floor, where Bisca created a curved landing extension to join the staircase seamlessly to the building.

The recycled timber staircase treads are beautifully rustic in appearance, with movement showing from their previous life. Each tread was hand-carved in Bisca’s workshop, firstly creating blocks of timber from the lock gate and then shaping them to the exact size required.

Heavily textured mild steel uprights, reminiscent of the bars in the adjacent stable, form the balustrade. The uprights which are fixed directly into the treads and handrails provide a neat finish to the rustic staircase. Softness is added to the staircase with a round oak handrail, that flows onto the landings. At the foot of the staircase, the handrail transitions into steel newel posts, finished to match the uprights.

For more information about this particular project, please get in touch with one of the Bisca team and mention project 8985.

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