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Emerson Row Stairs


Khadi

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I'm finishing an Emerson Row, and I'm really happy with it except for the stairs.  They are an eyesore.  I've tried changing them so that face the door so that they don't take up the whole living room, and I've tried closing them in.  I just can't get them to look right.  I've tried some other staircases but the space is so tight that I can't get them to fit.  I thought about leaving them out, but my house is an old station stop on the Underground Railroad and there is going to be a secret entrance to the basement under the steps- based on a childhood friend's real house- so really important to me to keep the stairs.

I was wondering if anyone had any ideas or suggestions.  Thanks.

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12 hours ago, Khadi said:

there is going to be a secret entrance to the basement under the steps- based on a childhood friend's real house- so really important to me to keep the stairs.

What if the entrance to the basement were via a trap door? That would eliminate the stairs, but it would provide access. Since the Emerson Row isn't exactly like your friend's house, it would at least recreate the spirit of secrecy if not the exact physical feature.

Or what if the vertical access door were part of a built-in sideboard -- a faux sideboard that could fill the footprint that the bottom of the stairs would normally fill but not be higher than a couple inches. Again, the stairs are eliminated. 

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3 hours ago, KathieB said:

What if the entrance to the basement were via a trap door? That would eliminate the stairs, but it would provide access. Since the Emerson Row isn't exactly like your friend's house, it would at least recreate the spirit of secrecy if not the exact physical feature.

Or what if the vertical access door were part of a built-in sideboard -- a faux sideboard that could fill the footprint that the bottom of the stairs would normally fill but not be higher than a couple inches. Again, the stairs are eliminated. 

Thanks for the suggestions.  I like the idea of a sideboard or perhaps a cabinet.  I'll have to play around with it.

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One of my kiddos built a military compound. The main floor was the "regular" house and the secret areas were in a huge underground shelter. He installed an access trap door and drop down chain ladder inside the kitchen broom closet. He also had a pull up ladder to a secret upstairs room.

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1 hour ago, Mid-life madness said:

ow about something like this? I have been trying to do something similar for my Laurel.

Cupboard_Stairs_Slight_Angle_Made_Up_Unpainted_24th.800.JPG

 

53 minutes ago, Debsrand56 said:

I've always loved those stairs.  I was thinking about something like that when I saw this topic.

The faux stairway is a good idea. The door would have to be disguised as a part of wainscoting or similar, something very un-door-like, to escape notice.

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3 hours ago, Mid-life madness said:

How about something like this? I have been trying to do something similar for my Laurel.

Cupboard_Stairs_Slight_Angle_Made_Up_Unpainted_24th.800.JPG

I love them.  They remind me of the stairs in my mom's house (minus the door).  I don't know if that is what I want for my Emerson, but I'm thinking that they would work well in my Orchid I started forever ago and never finished.

 

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5 hours ago, Selkie said:

One of my kiddos built a military compound. The main floor was the "regular" house and the secret areas were in a huge underground shelter. He installed an access trap door and drop down chain ladder inside the kitchen broom closet. He also had a pull up ladder to a secret upstairs room.

That sounds really cool.  I'm always looking to put secret rooms and passages in my houses because according to the books I read every old castle and house has them. ;)

 

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2 hours ago, Khadi said:

That sounds really cool.  I'm always looking to put secret rooms and passages in my houses because according to the books I read every old castle and house has them. ;)

Absolutely! I've always dreamed of living in a old creaky place with towers and dungeons, with secret passages, opening bookcases and hidden staircases.

In this same build I mentioned above, he had it have the ability to "generate" fresh air, electricity, grow food, etc, complete survival underground, undetected. He made a section of the ground above open and slant down to drive tanks, vehicles, small planes, etc. in and out. The opening completely disappeared when closed. He was a pretty inventive kiddo. Fun build.

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Ok, might be a weird Idea here, but what if you omilt the stairs and resplaner them with an elevator kind of set up? That way you. An have a space where the entré way is hissen in the bottom of the elevator and depending on the area as such you could either go with wrought Iran look or just regularisering closing Doors, a lever on the outside or.... 

good luck with whatever you go with for this, Please share pics to as I have such a huge crush on the E,erson, and My kit is patie try awaiting to get some attwntion

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