We're in the shop here today showing you an alternating-tread staircase that's' going to a job-site in Napa tomorrow. I'm standing on the landing which is at exactly mid-floor level. It's going into one one these 100-year-old houses with a steep roof and lots of attic space. The homeowner called me last month saying he wants to access this large attic area with something better than a ladder. He didn't have room for a conventional stair but this alternating-tread space-saving stair was a perfect fit. It's all Red Oak which matches the hardwood floors throughout the house. Once these are installed at the site we'll put a handrail on top of the stringers on the open side. I'll tell you a little about the alternating-tread staircases. It's built in a way that is nearly as easy to climb as a conventional stair. When we walk up a convectional stairway we normally use half of the stair tread at a time, placing one foot on the right half and the next foot on the left half. The idea of an alternating-tread stair is make half of each tread wide enough for your foot and then alternate the wide end of these paddle-shape treads from left to right. You still have your 10 inch minimum tread depth plus a 1 inch nosing projection. This give you 11" of support for each foot, just like a conventional stair. We normally make the risers a max of 7-3/4", but code allows us to go as high as 9 inches. This one is 7-3/4" which is very comfortable. We installed a metal bar across the middle of each open-riser to limit the open space to less than a 4 inch gap. Anyway, I just wanted to give you a quick shot of this. Tomorrow morning we get to go to the job-site and install this. I'd can't wait to see the look on the customer's face when we have this installed. I'll let him do the bragging :-) Last but not least, I'd like to give glory to God and special recognition to a Jewish carpenter named Jesus. I don't know for sure if He built stairways as a carpenter, but I am happy to say that He is my LORD and I want to live my whole life for Him. God bless you! And please contact me if you want any type of custom stairs. Clyde 520-895-2060 or 916-991-9700

5' Napa Wall stone wall, anchored with 6' Stone columns and a typical automated metal gate
Photo of a mid-sized craftsman full sun front yard stone driveway in San Francisco.

THEMES: ROCK Gardens |Rock Outcrop. This image is of a Rock Outcrop on the back side of previous image that has the SIMPLEST and LEAST EXPENSIVE ground treatment of all: MOSS. After removal of thick leaf debris, moss came in on its own, as it did on ALL the many rock outcrops on this site. Moss requires little more than spot weeding in season, and removal of thick leaf debris in fall or spring. Moss is a truly elegant, very low cost way to highlight Rock features in ALL SEASONS. Does best in full shade.

A beautiful hand loomed pure wool carpeting was used on this project. This subtle pattern can be used in a modern or transitional space. The dark hardwood floor relates nicely with the Taupe, White and Grey colors in the carpet. Our fabrication team used a complimentary color in a cotton binding material to complete the sides. Our installer completed this staircase install within a two day time frame. Wool carpet is a great choice for a staircase because it is an easy material to clean, stain resistant and flame retardant.

Dane Spencer
Inspiration for an asian landscaping in Portland.

The half turn stairs with winding red oak hand rail are accented by the ascending window layout. DT
Large trendy wooden curved carpeted staircase photo in Austin with beige walls and carpeted risers

Minimalist home design photo in New York

Rhododendron canescens / Piedomont Azalea Photo: John S. Quarterman, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-2.0 Generic

Front door - mid-sized modern ceramic tile and multicolored floor front door idea with beige walls and a green front door

Staircase - country staircase idea

Mayfaire Volakas Grigio Basketweave 2x2 Mosaic. Beautiful Porcelain tile.
Bathroom - traditional bathroom idea in Raleigh

This was a backyard renovation. There was an existing plastic tub pond with many perennials around it. We took out everything, saved as many perennials as we could and installed a new rubber lined, natural ecosystem pond, stream and waterfall. We redesigned the area and created a couple different seating areas along with a pathway over the stream. Transplanted the perennials and added a few new plants to add interest all year long.

While there are many interesting details on this home, the most unique is the dovecote located at the peak of the front gable.
Home design - traditional home design idea in Birmingham

Vivid colors of yellow, blue and green compliment this Mediterranean vignette.
Photo of a mid-sized mediterranean full sun landscaping in Santa Barbara for summer.

Sundaura Alford-Purvis
Home design - transitional home design idea in Ottawa

Regal Lion Head Granite Water Fountain creates a focal point for the Tuscan courtyard in this Ormond Beach, FL home. Custom fabricated by the stone experts at Granite Brothers. Fountain rests on granite feet to allow for drainage and protect pavers. Rich hues of Santa Cecilia Gold granite are perfect for this Mediterranean style palette.

Here is a before photo of the hillside that was cleared by the client.
Photo of a contemporary backyard garden path in Baltimore.