Bespoke Oak Stair Cladding over a Metal Staircase in Inverleith, Edinburgh

A complex staircase in a high-end Inverleith home

This high-end residential project in Inverleith, Edinburgh, close to the Royal Botanic Garden, involved re-cladding a steel-framed staircase in bespoke oak to match the engineered oak floors already in the house. It was one of the more technically demanding staircases we have taken on: the steel frame, the welded metal spindles and the winder steps all had to be worked around with millimetre accuracy.

Removing the old cladding and freeing the metal spindles

We first removed the existing stair cladding, which left only the metal-framed staircase and its metal spindles. The difficulty was that the spindles had been welded directly to the old treads, so they could not simply be lifted out. Every spindle had to be cut free before any new oak could go down.

Bespoke oak treads and risers, drilled for every spindle

We produced and supplied bespoke oak stair treads and risers in the same timber and finish as the existing flooring, so the staircase now reads as part of the floor. Each tread was measured to its own step, including the winders, and drilled with holes in exactly the right positions for the metal spindles.

The order of work mattered. Because the spindles had to be welded back, every tread was first dry-fitted and fixed in position, the spindles were passed through and re-welded to the frame, and only then were the treads glued down permanently. We worked tread first, then riser, rising up the staircase one step at a time.

Winder steps and solid oak side bars

The turning section of the stair has winder steps, each a different shape. They were cut individually so the grain and the joint lines run cleanly around the turn. Once the treads were fitted, we made bespoke solid oak side bars to cover the edge of the stair beside the spindles, drilled to suit each spindle and finished to match the colour of the stairs.

Bespoke joinery under the stairs

Once the staircase was finished we moved on to the joinery. The space under the stairs became a small storage area with doors, and to make it part of the design we produced bespoke solid oak profiles to clad both the doors and the front of the storage. The slats follow the line of every step, so the doors disappear into the staircase. See more on our bespoke joinery in Edinburgh page.