The Not-So-Big Stair

Necessity is the mother of invention, as the old adage goes. So when cabin space is tight, it’s time to get creative. The dilemma: How best to access a loft space? When square footage is an issue, a ladder may be an alluring option. But ladders are awkward to use, leaving no hand free to carry the linens, books, or suitcases to the lofty perch. And who wants to climb down a ladder in the middle of the night for that necessary run to the loo? 

Enter the alternating tread stair to the rescue. When you climb a common stair you waste half of the tread as each foot rises two risers to the next tread. (In other words, only one foot hits each stair, but the stair is still wide enough for both feet.) The ingenious “skip step stair” throws the wasted half away, and the stair then takes half of the floor space of a normal stair to rise the same amount of height. 

This isn’t a new invention—in fact, it has been around for centuries. I first experienced it in an old house I rented on the Greek island of Santorini in 1970. But it wasn’t until a decade ago that I started using it in my cabin work. I employed an alternating tread stair in a lake home near Spooner, Wisconsin, to provide access to a third-level screened porch lookout. I even test-drove it myself, comfortably descending the stairs carrying an empty tray of gin and tonics without using the handrail. 

A unique characteristic of the alternating tread stair is that its design decides which foot you must start climbing with. With a normal stair or ladder, the user has the freedom to start with the left foot or the right. With this stair, the designer has that freedom and the user must follow his or her lead. 

One of my clients found an alternating tread stair available in kit form at Lowe’s. It came with a user-friendly instruction manual, which her Northwoods carpenter used for installation. The stairs now grace her cabin living space and are a favored ascension of her nieces and nephews. 

Should all of this leave you perplexed and a little doubtful, as some of our clients have been, we have created a mock-up in our office in Excelsior. Drop by and skip a few stairs with us. 

Dale Mulfinger, a partner in Twin Cities–based SALA Architects, teaches architecture at the University of Minnesota. His most recent book, Cabinology, was published last fall by Taunton Press.

Where to find it:

• Home Depot and Lowe's both allow customers to special-order the Karina kit by Arke, a home-installation kit for alternating tread stairs. See arkestairs.com/karina.php or call 888-782-4758 for more information about the product.
• Try out an alternating tread stair model at SALA Architects, 440 2nd St., Excelsior, 952-380-4817