Behind The Design – Our Opus Industrial Style Staircase as Featured on George Clarke’s Old House New Home

Did you catch the second episode of George Clarke’s Old House New Home on Channel 4? Taking centre stage is our industrial style steel Opus staircase, transforming a small period Victorian terrace into a home fit for a 21st-century single dad.

The Old House, New Home team, transforms properties with history, unlocking their potential creating homes perfect for modern day living. This particular episode got under the skin of two completely different houses, one Victorian and the other Edwardian.

Rick Haines is the owner of the four storey 1880 Victorian Terrace house situated in Stratford upon Avon just behind the birthplace of Shakespeare. This property has been cut up and altered over the years with most of the original features removed. As part of its alterations, it was split into separate dwellings making its super skinny layout cramped and unsuitable for modern use. With each of the three levels being very small, together with a walled-in staircase, the whole property felt claustrophobic and uninspiring to work from home in.

A Showcase of Industrial Style

Most of the floors were a single room, so a decision was made to open up the staircase to create an airy open plan feel to the whole house. Harking back to the properties working-class Victorian roots, an industrial style was adopted for the primary scheme. Originally, industrial chic emerged in the late 60s in New York, where old abandoned warehouses were being transformed into studios and open plan loft style stylish homes.

This trending look embraces the rawness of the industrial past, think high ceilings, exposed brickwork, raw woods, dark metals and impressive beams or steelwork, streamlined to create extraordinary living spaces.

Opus

These industrial elements, work hand in hand with our unique Opus staircase design. Crafted with raw materials the design relates back to past ironwork industries and metalwork craftsmanship. Completely transforming a space, our exclusive design is constructed intelligently out of forged steel using precision laser cutting techniques into bespoke panels and powder coated with a matte black finish. These beautiful panels are then combined with our Dusted Oak timber to create an impressive statement.

Neville Johnson Opus staircase CAD drawings produced from the initial project survey

Build Details

To make way for the new staircase design, stud walls had to come down on the lower ground (basement) all the way up to the first floor. With the property having past renovations we weren’t entirely sure what would be found underneath. Adrian Guy, the builder, did a fantastic job of opening up the space working with us to ensure the structure of the staircase was not compromised.

Design Elements

Working with Chehvani Leanard, Interior designer for Amazing Productions/Channel 4, and the client Rick Haines it was clear that the staircase needed to bring together all of the initial design elements chosen. The staircase had to be a strong architectural piece of furniture, with contemporary shades and finishes that would work seamlessly in each of the spaces. Copper details, natural leathers, bespoke furniture pieces including a classic Eames chair underpinned by soft greys and dark flooring together made a contemporary living space fit for this beautiful period home.

“The homeowner and ourselves would love Neville Johnson staircase, being the leader in this field to be the ones to carry out this transformation. It is the perfect showcase, not only for style but also for the architectural benefits of a staircase like this.”
Quote from Amazing Productions

This stunning staircase is sure to stand the test of time and make a lasting impact in any home. To discover more about our staircase renovations and to book your own free design consultation click here.

The whole project was completed by an incredible team, Roberta, Steven, Oliver and the rest of the team from Neville Johnson. Interior designer Chehvani Leanard, Adrian Guy from G & B Enterprises Ltd, PMC Flooring Ltd, Amazing Productions and Channel 4.

You can watch the second episode of Old House New Home on Channel 4 on-demand now.

View more of our ideas for staircase replacements today!