Masonic Stair + Case

A young couple was patiently and deliberately creating their dream home, in this case a condominium, in downtown Northampton. In 2015 they purchased a small 500 square foot unit on the second floor of a brownstone above a law office and vintage book store. A couple years later, the unit above them went up for sale and they jumped at the opportunity to double their living space and allow for better entertaining and more privacy.

The trick was how to join the two units. The couple was very used to doing things on their own, from sourcing materials, to scraping and repainting walls and ceilings, to rebuilding their kitchen using salvaged cabinet parts, but they knew that this project required professionals at every stage to design, engineer and execute a staircase that would become the centerpiece of their new home.

We worked extensively with the clients, architects, engineers and the custom steel fabricators to create a staircase and storage area that is striking, strong, immensely functional and still manages to blend in with the apartment’s existing details. Because the clients had enough knowledge of the design and building process they were able to affably challenge builders to execute their vision which resulted in a project that was rewarding for all involved.