This is the plan with the 9 ft ceilings - the offending step highlighted in red.

And here is the 2nd floor.

Is making the steps all a little taller an option?

I am not sure - I mean, I feel that this is an easy fix, so the architect should have brought this up if it was. (That's actually part of my frustration with them, but it's a diff story.)

My first thought was to make the steps each a little taller. There are code requirements for the height of each step, but it's a range, not a hard number.

My second thought is to move the hall at the bottom of the stairs. So bedroom 2 gets a little bigger, and BR#3 gets a little smaller. And your master shower gets a little narrower, and the space between the sink and toilet gets a little smaller.

I don't know if the ensuite can handle being squished like that. I'm not sure if it's at its minimum sizes already. If not, you could get rid of the linen closet and give that space back to the ensuite, The closet for BR#2 would be getting a lot longer, (because you don't want your steps sticking out in front of it) so you could consider putting in a narrower linen closet next to the stairs, stealing space from the BR closet.

Or, is there room at the top for another landing and turning to the right as you come up? You might steal some headroom from bedroom 2?

I was thinking amberm145's last suggestion ... make a second landing at the top and adjust the entrance to the new bonus room space. It wouldn't be much of a sacrifice for the bedroom below, given it's so high.

maybe something like this? (the shaded portion would be at the same landing level)

IâÂÂm going to assume that the hallway side of the stairs has a railing that ends at the bottom step. If not then I would install one. I would also add the additional step that you donâÂÂt want but make the stair rail curve out onto it. Do the same for both sides but on the closet side just attach the railing to the wall. The step you donâÂÂt want would actually be longer on both ends to accept the curved end of the railing. Think, Grand Stair Case to visualize what IâÂÂm trying to describe. Thats one fixâ¦â¦
Something like this:
http://www.stair.com/staircase-gallery/production-stairs/curved-basement-and-main-stairs-with-ornate-custom-balconies

This post was edited by Toolbelt68 on Mon, Jan 12, 15 at 16:09

Could you raise the floor in the bedroom hall by one step? You'd step up from the entry that hall somewhere, either before or after the MBR, then basically have sunken bedrooms.

Could you have the ceiling of that bedroom remain 8'?

I would do a few things.

Assuming that you want to maintain as much of the second floor landing as possible, first shrink your stairs by 3 inches, currently they are 42" wide which is standard but many houses have 39" width and it is doubtful that you will really notice the difference. This will move the bedroom closet out 3 inches and give you a little more space in the bedroom.

Next just add a step at the top, the additional 3 inches will minimize the impact of the extra step on the bedroom below and the landing above.

Finally, open up the area under the stairs in the bedroom. The space will not be as useful as empty space but will feel bigger. I would personally add a built-in desk under the stairs but if you just open it up throw a sheet of drywall up and finish the area you will find it is pretty useful space.

In whole this means there is a small loss to the upstairs landing, a net gain in the down stairs bedroom and stairs that are a bit narrower.

Through the years, the codes have regularly decreased the maximum permissible rise for stairs. It is highly unlikely that the existing risers can be increased in height. the changes to the stair may make all of it, in the eyes of the authorities, subject to the new rules, adding three or possibly 4 risers and treads to the stair. Landings do not change that number.
It was at one time at least 8 1/8" maximum rise. Better check on today's maximum. It might be as low as 7 3/8" or less.

Here is a link that might be useful: Code

Wow, what great ideas! I knew I had to post here!

Yelloducky, I like your idea most of all. I think it is the most practical under the circumstances. It will probably steal a bit of head room from the bedroom below, but not terribly much. If we keep the winder step at the landing, then it's just one extra step.

Toolbelt68 - I like your idea but I think it would not work with the overall style of the house, which is pretty modest. A grand staircase might just be too grand for us :)

Bry911 - we cannot add a step on top as the architect tells me we'd run out of mandated headroom. And I do plan to open that space under the staircase next to the closet - I actually planned to recess a dresser into that spot, so it would be a dressing corner of the bedroom.

You guys are all so wonderful! Way better than our architect. All this creativity!

I don't think the winder steps as shown will meet code. Winder steps have to have a minimum tread of 6" along the entire step. The ones drawn do not, they come to a point on the inside.

dekeoboe - the architect said we can have a winder step, so the drawing might just be not super-precise.

Actually, one of the reasons I like yellowducky's solution to add a second turn is that this way we can rid of a winder step. I was never crazy about it. It was a forced step because originally the architect said we only needed to add one more riser, so I thought a winder step may solve the problem. Then it turned out we actually need two, not one. So now there is no overwhelming reason to use a winder.

If you are going to try to design the new stair yourself or with help from the forum you must first find out what the code requirements are. In VA I believe the max riser is 8 1/4" and min tread depth is 9". In fact, that would have to be the case for the stairs to only have 13 risers and an 8 ft ceiling ht.

That is not a very comfortable or safe stair design but it is apparently legal. My state code is the same but I would only use those dimensions for an uninhabited basement stair.

The winders suggested are a code violation. The smallest dimension of the narrow part of the winder tread must be 6" and at the walk line they must be 10" and they must all be the same dimension at the walk line. Therefore winders no longer shorten stairs.

If the ceiling is 9ft high the only choice is to redesign the plan to accommodate a longer stair. While you are at it I recommend making the treads 10" and the risers 7.5" for a safer and more comfortable stairway. Pulling the risers back from a square landing a half tread will avoid awkward dropped handrails transitions.

Do you have to have the second floor future bathroom at that location?

I haven't read all the responses, so forgive is this is a repeat. Our house is about 150 years old, and we have 'winder' steps - and the middle of their tread is basically the same as those of the straight steps. I'd find the planned winders so awkward to use - the tread is way too deep. Why not add another step there?

Changing the riser height would also make it awkward. There is actually a formula that relates the tread depth to riser height. I have no idea what it is, but I do know that's why we can easily manage so many different types of stairs, as they basically all result in a somewhat regular gait.

Your stairs are 4 feet wide, and narrower ones could work, (ours are 36 inches, 33 inches inside of the bannister) which would allow the winders to meet the minimum code, I'd think, even if that means adding a bannister.

My Dad designed and built houses for decades. Each unique, some for spec, some not. He always said it's easy to screw up stairs. (He never complained about the design of our old stairs, and he is one to always point out mistakes.) He is too old, alas, for me to have a conversation about it. He won't listen long enough to understand the problem and his eye sight won't allow him to study plans.

Naf_naf - the bathroom has to be either there, or in the lower right corner to sit on top of one of the existing downstairs bathrooms.

Renovator8 - yes. I know we have to redesign the staircase. I was asking for ideas on that very same subject :)

This post was edited by nadya1972 on Tue, Jan 13, 15 at 10:53

Yellowducky's solution is genius. Code-wise, the door opening inward is OK, the door can't open outward over stair treads, there would have to be a 3ft landing. Having an 8ft ceiling in the smallest bedroom will probably be better scale anyway.
Casey

And I don't really have to have a door there. In fact, I was thinking of making the walls framing the door half-walls instead and leaving the door opening, well, open - to maximize light, space and the ease of getting furniture inside.

What about something like this?

Yellowducky's landing solution. Lower the entire ceiling ( I forgot this was nine, one entire room of eight would be more pleasant than a room with soffits in the middle, in my opinion) and a shift of the bedroom walls a bit. I am not a huge fan of the random diagonal, but you have other diagonals in the plan

Palimpsest - it seems this wastes a whole lot of hallway space. What is the advantage of this plan, in your mind? maybe you see something I don't?

I really would like to see someone suggesting a solution for this issue.

One of my ideas can not keep the second floor bathroom as is, it will need to be shifted a few feet or relocated somewhere else. The good thing: bedroom #2 can have a 9' ceiling (no soffits).

The other idea creates a dent in the middle of the attic (the stairs will protrude in part of the attic), in other words the attic will not be a rectangle as you have it now.

How will you use the attic space?

Required clearance in front of Bedroom #2's door for one, you can't have an area that is only about 30" deep directly in front of the door.

What about a dormer at the top of the stairs to increase the head room for the steps at the top? No extra step at the bottom, more steps and added headroom in the attic.

I wasn't suggesting that you redesign the stair case. You need to redesign the house so a longer stair will fit. The only modification to the stair that would shorten it would be to straighten it out and remove the landing.

This thread is confusing. Shouldn't it be in the remodeling forum?