apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Maybe I'm being overly cautious, but the main photo, with the chairs on the landing, and the photo wtih the slippers/shoes on the steps, just don't t seem safe to me.

The set-up in the first photo is ridiculous. There looks like there's barely enough room to get by the armchairs. And I think it's a bad idea to put delicate things like vases on the floor anywhere, particularly at the bottom of a staircase.

Yup, that main pic is totally unrealistic. First, there's barely enough room to get up the stairs, and if you were carrying anything, you'd be screwed. Second, while it looks good, there is no practical value to having those chairs on the landing. No one will ever sit there. A shallow chest of drawers or console table would have a much smaller footprint and would provide some function.

The third picture is just gorgeous! I'm saving it and sharing it with my in-laws who will be building again next year.

And I personally can't stand anything on the stairs so naturally, those pics of the slippers and vases on the stairs really irked me.

And pic 6 hardly seems safe, haha!

i agree with nerdnick....the third picture is my fav also...i would maybe add a big plant...the landing seems like it is spacious and could handle it.

My landlord put cheap roman shades, a cheesy entryway table, and a fake orchid plant on our landing. It's tacky but I absolutely love that he made the effort and thought to use the space.

I agree, the first picture is a bit ridiculous. And shoes on the stairs are a pet hate of mine, both from an aesthetic point of view and from a safety point of view (personal experience).

*sigh* I wish I had a landing.

I have an open staircase in my living room, going up to the bathroom and bedroom. I have a number of small plants going all the way up. The stairs are wide enough so that the plants aren't in the way.

The first photo with the chairs takes away the space you need to get up and down the stairs - especially if you are carrying stuff like clean clothes! A simple bench would have been MUCH better.

The sixth photo - well I can easily see someone coming up or down in a hurry and breaking them. Why do people put breakables right where there is a big chance they will get broken?

The seventh doesn't seem safe or logical. Either someone will trip and fall or the slippers are going to keep getting kicked off. I spy what looks like a table on the true landing - why not just put the shoes in a colorful circle underneath?

The first pic (especially -- and a few others, too) would totally freak out my Firemen uncle and cousin: any blocking of a means of egress is a huge no-no, and a real hazard.

*sigh* I wish I had stairs.

I might be the odd one out, but I like the idea of the first photo. A landing would be a fabulous reading spot -- but, I think the arrangement could be different. I probably, if it were me, would've gone for a long maybe just one chair, and not two.

I'm with you, Trish! I actually think the first picture is fabulous!!!! I could easily get around it!

Actually, the reason I clicked on this article was that picture. My mom's condo has almost that exact set-up - a really wide mid-staircase landing like that. Best part is, it's under a huge skylight!!! How fantastic would it be to put a chair or two there and be able to read/relax?

I agree w/ the others - The first photo, besides being a safety hazard, is just plain crowded for easy passage on the staircase. Can you imagine trying to carry laundry up/down those stairs w/ a cat or dog underfoot - or worse, luggage to go on a trip?

Who's gonna want to sit on that wee landing anyway?

My friend has a nice-sized landing in her house, and she uses it for yoga. She keeps a small trunk there that houses her yoga props.

If the first picture is not staged and is actually from someone's house, my guess is that it's an experiment that will be abandoned.

We have an open staircase with a small landing. So far, I use it as our art gallery - for the art we make. My daughters' art is "hung" there, as well as our own experimentation with canvases and paint. We wouldn't hang them where they were in the spotlight...haha.

But after seeing that first picture, I think a comfy child's chair and a few hanging lanterns might make it a little reading spot of their own. The benefit to a landing? One side is facing the UP stairs and doesn't pose a fall risk.

I just don't get the whole shoes-on-the-stairs decorating idea. It looks cluttered and unsafe. And it messes up the beautiful geometry of the stairs.

Some people feel the need to furnish every inch of space, regardless of the usability.

@bepsf: Who's gonna want to sit on that wee landing anyway?

I.

midmodfan -- Very true - people don't get a few open areas are a good thing.