Progress - Stairwell

November 2013

At the start of the renovations, the Stairwell on the ground floor was one of the most attractive features of the house. The stair treads were in very good condition, for a 100-year-old house, and the stair balustrades and handrail were in excellent condition. The stairs were in structurally sound condition, with no bounce or sway as they were climbed. Even the wallpaper was in good nick, although I think I was the only one who liked the pattern and put up any argument to retain it. The only thing that convinced me to go along with their point of view was the argument that it would be impossible to avoid damage to the wallpaper where major work was required (such as removing the double doors on the 1st and 2nd floors, or replacing the windows out to the Lightwell), and it would be nearly impossible to find matching wallpaper to do any repair work. So I resolved myself to bid farewell to the wallpaper and to remember it with just these photos.

March 2014

One of the first changes to the Stairwell on the Ground Floor came after the installation of the skylight at the top of the Stairwell, which had a dramatic effect, as illustrated by this photo taken from the Ground Floor. Light now flooded the entire Stairwell during the day. This photo also highlights the continuity of the handrail, as it spirals its way to the top of the Stairwell.

April 2014

By April, the wallpaper had been stripped from the Stiarwell. While the pattern of the wallpaper had been lost, it was clear that the Stairwell would now be a much brighter place. From now until near the end of the project, when the Stairwells got their paint-job, the Stairwell walls became a whiteboard where dimensions, sketches and instructions were written.

July 2014

In July, after the new winders to the Lightwell had been installed, the Stairwell received its first coat of paint to brighten it up (and hide all the graffiti, before the steelband arrived in August. The supporting structure for the Lightwell room on the 2nd floor, and the "climbing rungs" up the outside wall of the Lightwell are clearly visible as one climbs or descends the stairs. One other feature, for which we never worked out the purpose, was the small rung/step just below the window inside the Staircase. One day, someone might explain its purpose to us!