Project #319

“We’ve lived in our new home with this stairway for almost a year. The stairs are an art piece and a defining feature of the home. It’s one of the first things people see. It’s visible from the street, and visually pops out at night. The ‘wow factor’ is one of the reasons we got the Viewrail FLIGHT floating stairs, and everyone who sees it wants to talk about it.”

Discriminating homebuilders become even more selective when building a home that they will live in themselves. That was the case with David Rattray, owner of Great Northern Homes in Amarillo, TX.

“When you think of Amarillo, you probably think ‘Texas Traditional’ style,” said David. “Personally, we like more modern, clean and simple geometric lines. We wanted to push the envelope. There are a lot of younger people coming into the new home market, and they are looking for new and different ideas.”
David and his team designed and built a 4,900-square-foot home in an upper-end subdivision in Amarillo. It includes 4 bedrooms, a movie room, a separate breakfast area, a sitting area in the master suite, and a dramatic open floor plan with 20’ ceilings in the great room.

“I think I’m probably the first builder in the area to install floating stairs, and I do see others picking up the trend. They really help to open up the space, especially when paired with the large, expansive windows in the entryway,” David continued.

The Viewrail floating stairs are in a 180° switchback configuration, with six treads up to the first landing, two more treads to a second landing, and then 11 treads up to the second floor. Three black mild steel stringers support the treads. David selected Ash for the treads, finished in Storm Gray and the handrail is the Mission style in matching Ash and Storm Grey. Railing is composed of stainless steel rods with surface mount posts, and there is an L-shaped balcony on the second floor with matching rod railing. There are two complete bedroom suites plus a game room on the second floor.

“I was very impressed looking at the product samples Viewrail sent me,” explained David. “I got a chance to see firsthand the quality of the materials, the finish, and the species, color, and finish options. I’m sure we will be installing more Viewrail FLIGHT floating stairs as buyers see how beautiful and distinctive they are.”