First-Class Flight

In most homes, the main stairway greets all who come in the front door, creating a grand entrance; in others, it rises along a living room wall, less visible but no less a key feature of a house's style. Many stairways, especially those in older homes, were built to be a house's showpiece, and when time and traffic wear on them, they deserve careful restoration. Stairways that aren't so stylish can benefit from a makeover, with plain parts being replaced by ones that are more distinctive. Sometimes, home expansion calls for a new set of stairs, raising the opportunity to add a fresh design element. The projects that follow cover all three instances-restoration, enhancement and new construction-and show how nice it can be to "get there" in style.