Justin used to have the most gorgeous original Victorian cast iron spiral staircase that he often reminisces about. It was reclaimed from an old workshop and ran through all three floors of his little Brighton house.

There’s something quite magical about them – organic, sculptural & full of movement… and very tempting to climb.

Obviously, reclaimed antique staircases can be hard to come by & expensive too. Not to mention, you require a bit of luck when it comes to finding one that’s the correct size and of course the knowledge & skills to restore and fit them properly.

Going with a brand new staircase is often the most practical or only option available.

You might not have ever considered shopping around for a staircase online – but Fontanot is well worth checking out.

They’re an Italian, family-run company, going since the 1940s,  with a UK-based branch in Rotherham – located just the other side of the M1 from Sheffield’s Meadowhall.

They have a huge selection of modern staircases in a wide range of materials – round or square spirals, space savers, modular systems & made-to-measure options.

They’re robustly constructed from materials such as stainless steel, aluminium, zinc and toughened glass with solid, FSC-certified wood including beech and ash for the treads.

There are a few brightly coloured options too.

And choices for treads, spindles & handrails.

They provide the perfect solution to tricky spaces – and lend themselves well to accommodating a small office, library or reading space in the stair well at the bottom.

Fontanot sells a range of shelves & storage systems to make use of this often overlooked space.

As well as interior staircases, there’s a selection of attractive, industrial outdoor versions available too.

We’ve considered an outdoor spiral staircase ourselves. Our home backs on to the canal and we really like the idea of French windows in our bedroom opening out onto a balcony where we can look out on the birds & barges on the water – with a metal spiral leading down from the balcony to the garden below.

They look great for starters – and then the thought of breakfast on the balcony, followed by winding down the spiral to have a little potter around the garden is very appealing indeed!

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