ᐅ Staircase in the Living Room as a Trend – Pros and Cons?

The staircase planned open into the living area is becoming more common again in modern floor plans. It’s not to everyone’s taste and isn’t always practical. But it can also greatly enhance the overall layout.

What do you think of this idea? What are the advantages and disadvantages of having the staircase in the living/dining area?
Here are a few examples:

Fingerhaus Fino 300, Danwood Park 181

Advantages
- often frees up space in the entrance area or sometimes even creates an additional room
- the upper rooms become more integrated into everyday life
- high-quality staircases become a focal point and can elevate the room’s appearance

Disadvantages
- noise from upstairs is always present throughout the house
- kitchen odors require an efficient ventilation system
- children’s guests inevitably meet the whole family (which can also be an advantage)

Our little house will have a straight staircase leading into the living area. It will even have a basement. I think that looks nice, and you can turn the staircase into a great focal point. (Although I don’t like the example shown in the picture at all.) Since we’re building with a basement, the staircase will start on the lower level. Most likely a concrete staircase with a wooden frame on top (or whatever it’s called).

Noise level... well... I experience that too in a more open, single-level apartment. Same goes for odors. We will have doors on the upstairs rooms.

Kids coming through the living room... that’s exactly what I want! Dad will be waiting then :-P

And if you come home late, it’s not so easy to sneak past dad waiting on the sofa :-P

For me, the noise would actually be the problem. It looks stylish, but we prefer the traditional approach, keeping both floors as separate as possible.

This does affect the aesthetics a bit, but the children sleep upstairs while the parents can still use the lower floor normally. Practical, not stylish.

kaho674 schrieb:
- the upper rooms become more integrated into everyday life

I don’t see that as an advantage. Living rooms are called living rooms because they are spaces for living. I wouldn’t want to turn them into a concierge’s desk. I don’t share the wishful thinking that kids would choose their friends more carefully (and therefore turn out better) if those friends had to pass by the parents’ TV/lounge area. Even the mom needs some peace on her bad hair days.

Besides, before falling in love with a sculptural staircase, I recommend considering whether you would actually want to and be able to place your breakfast table exactly where the photographer stood to get the perfect shot of the stairs. Usually, that settles the question of "designer staircase – prince or frog?" quite fast.

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I really like staircases in living areas. I’m also a big fan of open-plan design. Personally, I’m not very bothered by the noise level. I actually find it nice that the children still have some contact downstairs while playing. When they become teenagers, the door is simply closed, but I can still call upstairs without any problems.

Downside: My children’s friends might end up seeing me lounging on the sofa in a bathrobe. But since I expect anyone entering the house to greet the homeowners, they would see me anyway.

We currently have an open staircase in our terraced house. The stairwell makes the entire house, spread over three floors plus a basement, very noisy. With two teenagers in the house, it’s almost never quiet.

In the future house, each of the boys will have their own entrance and will be frequent and welcome visitors. We will basically be two again and will have an open staircase, as it fits well both aesthetically and in terms of circulation.

Conclusion: I recommend a closed staircase when you have children.