The Marble Staircase

The very first thing that to me defines the whole house are the staircases. I had just won the one for the library on EvilBAY so I then put my efforts upon the one in the dining room. This one was suppose to be an Art Nouveau style so I searched for references on Flickr. I found one staircase that carried a light air that pleased me and used it as an inspiration. The staircase I had to make was to be a lot steeper than the original one and I´m still not sure about the railings, but the warm marble and the slight curve really pleased my eyes.

I began the work by drawing the outline of the staircase and the curve below to a sheet of foamcore. I cut out the framework and made an identical piece and the stepping boards. Unfortunately I did not take pictures of this part of the process at all. The first picture is from the staircase after is has been coated with plaster. It is merely a coarse form but I could see it ready and perfect before my eyes from the first moment.

After the plaster has dried I sanded the surface and used water to wipe of the grinding dust. Then I painted it on layers. First an equal surface of white, then touches of warmer shades layer after layer and veins of brown to complete the marble look. Then endless layers of varnish for depth and gloss. I only painted the steps and left the side part white, since it would seem unreal to build a whole staircase from marble no matter how wealthy one is. I want to preserve the realism in my house, want to be able take pictures that make people think whether it really is real or not.

As you can see the floor reveals the scale quite easily and even though I really like the colour and texture of the original floor, I really need to do something about it. But that is one of the last thing on my mind, there is so much work to be done.