7 Different Types of Staircase Designs

By Toll Brothers 3 minute read

Last updated on October 3rd, 2023

Beyond their practical purposes, staircases also afford homeowners an opportunity to elevate their overall home design. Whether you live in a modern farmhouse or transitional townhome, a functional, beautiful staircase can serve as your interior’s main focal point. Remember, each staircase design will have its own visual appeal and required square footage. To decide on the right one for you and your home’s layout, it’s important to first understand the different types of staircases found in home design.

 

What are the most common types of staircases?

  • Straight
  • Quarter-Turn (L-Shaped)
  • Half-Turn (U-Shaped)
  • Spiral
  • Curved
  • Grand
  • Dual

Learn more about the 7 types of staircases found in many Toll Brothers homes across the country. Let us know which designs are your favorite in the comments below!

 

Straight Staircase

One of the more prevalent staircases, straight stairs are exactly that, a linear flight of steps with no change in direction. Straight stairs also come in many different kinds of materials and can have other features, such as built-in storage or seating space, worked into the design. For these reasons, many homeowners enjoy this type of stairs in their home. 

Light Brown Modern Straight Stair Case Design
Toll Brothers at Atlas Waterfront in Coeur d’Alene, ID

 

Types of Turned Staircases

Quarter-Turn (L-Shaped)

Another common style, the quarter-turn staircase has a 90-degree turn, either in the middle or at one end or the other. Slightly more complex than a straight staircase, quarter-turn staircases are popular among homeowners as a staircase design idea for saving space and ability to hug the exterior walls of your home.

Quarter turn staircase style in modern farmhouse home
Regency at Cranbury by Toll Brothers in Cranbury, NJ

 

Half-Turn (U-Shaped) 

Another simple style, half-turn, is a different type of staircase that possesses similar visual and space-saving appeal as other turned designs. While this type can include a switchback landing midway through its parallel flights, you do not need to utilize this feature.

 U-Shape or Half-Turn Staircase design type with brown steps and black railings
Toll Brothers at Wolf Ranch in Colorado Springs, CO

 

Spiral Staircase

Elegant and space-saving, spiral staircases have one central point to which all steps revolve around in an upward-twirling fashion. Generally, this type of staircase design is best suited for homes that use up their square footage as efficiently as possible, such as city living residences and coastal condos.

Luxury spiral staircase design in condo space
121 East 22nd by Toll Brothers in New York, NY

 

Curved Staircase

One of the more modern staircase design ideas is a curved staircase built with a gentle arc in its structure to add a layer of visual sophistication. Known for its elegant look, most curved staircases are positioned in the front of the home, near the foyer so they can be seen upon first entering the home.

Modern type of staircase called a curved staircase in a foyer
Toll Brothers at Light Farms – Select Collection in Prosper, TX

 

Grand Staircase

A design pulled straight out of a fairytale, grand staircases make an impression no one will forget. Predominantly found in foyers, this luxury staircase design utilizes two separate flights of steps that come together in the middle at a central landing. While it’s far from a compact build, there’s simply no arguing the impressiveness of a grand design.

Grand Staircase with luxury design in traditional foyer
Town Lake at Flower Mound by Toll Brothers in Flower Mound, TX

 

Dual Staircase

Similar to a grand staircase, dual stairs are a modern type of staircase design built to make a statement. While also mainly found in the front of the home, this style does not have a central landing spot that connects the two flights of steps, unlike a grand design. Instead, the flights start and end separately on different sides of the dual design.

Modern staircase design with in a grand foyer
Diamond Canyon by Toll Brothers in Pleasanton, CA

 

For more amazing staircase designs, check out 17 Amazing Entrances to Come Home to and visit our website.

Toll Brothers design options vary by market, community, and home design across the country. For more information regarding staircase design options offered in a specific Toll Brothers community or home, please visit our website or reach out to one of our Online Sales Teams.

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Embracing an unwavering commitment to quality and customer service, Toll Brothers currently builds in over 60 markets in 24 states nationwide, and is a publicly owned company with its common stock listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: TOL). In 2024, Toll Brothers marked 10 years in a row being named to the Fortune World's Most Admired Companies™ list.* Toll Brothers has also been named Builder of the Year by Builder magazine and is the first two-time recipient of Builder of the Year from Professional Builder magazine. For more information, visit TollBrothers.com. From Fortune, ©2024 Fortune Media IP Limited. All rights reserved. Used under license.

  • 6 Comments

    1. Travis Handy says:

      All the staircases are absolutely beautiful, however my favorite staircase is the dual staircase and the reason is i like the way the staircase hugs the walls and the separation it provides between the staircase on top and bottom with the extra space it provides is the reason why i like the dual staircase the best.

    2. Sam Ghaisas says:

      Grand staircase home is our family dream. Do you have any homes with grand staircases at NC research triangle?

      • Toll Brothers says:

        Hi Sam, we appreciate your interest in our homes. While we do not currently have any communities directly in the Research Triangle, we encourage you to visit our website and explore nearby locations here. The Hollister home design is one NC model with a grand staircase design.

    3. Suvarna inkollu says:

      Hello, This is suvarna, from Atlanta, We are booking new tollbrothers community, before we sign a contract we struckup at choosing the design . because of Staircase model. Is is possible to change staircase design instead of straight can we go L shape or U shape or floting model like that. if it is YES, it is very easy to decide and to proceed quickly.

      • Toll Brothers says:

        Hello, Suvarna. We appreciate you picking Toll Brothers for your homebuilder! Are you in contact with anyone from the local Toll Brothers team in Atlanta? They should be able to advise you on the possibilities and limitations of your home design. Please let us know which community you are interested in, so we can reach out to the proper Toll Brothers team members. Thanks!

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