When I bought this abandoned property, there was a large staircase going from the bottom floor to the top, and it consumed a large amount of the bottom floor. It was very nice and easy to walk up, but it consumed far more floorspace than was necessary. I have been sent hundreds of videos and links now, to a variety of very beautiful and functional staircases, but for me, cheap and cheerful is always nice.

Step one was closing off the large hole from the previous staircase. It could have been left open for other floor plans, but we have plans for that space, both upstairs and down. These kinds of jobs are always exciting, because you can see the results on the same day, and that is especially fun for Emi. In Japan, few young people get the opportunity to build a home, so it is awesome seeing Emi get involved and learn how these things are accomplished. My only concern with sealing up the large stair hole, is the restriction of airflow, primarily in the winter time. I noticed over the previous winter, that it takes quite a long time for the hot air to make its way upstairs, when typically heat rises and will increase the temperature upstairs greater than downstairs. Now with the hole even smaller, that could be an issue to come, but of course can be solved with some venting.

The ladder/stairs is an easy job, with the exception of a few angles, but in my opinion this is the way to go with a small space. We chose our angle strictly based on looks and estimates, and ultimately it would be better slightly less steep. Going up is not an issue, but we find it can be slightly difficult going back down, but that is the process of learning.

The final step was of course the railing, and this is what really tied everything together. Building off on nothing but an idea in mind, I am so satisfied with the end result. Building in this little house is challenging because the structure I started with was not level, straight or square, so everything added has to be build with these same wrong angles in mind. A little bit of masking tape and a handful of chance, we ended up wit a beautiful and functional railing.

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