With an ethereal lightness, this helical staircase in mild steel and antique oak is the impressive result of a commission by specialists Bisca for London architects Hackett Holland Ltd to create an exceptional staircase for a prestigious home in Notting Hill. The stairs were an important part of the architect’s vision to create a transition between a rather traditional reception room and a contemporary space below; the staircase had to link the two very different styles. The free floating staircase comprises a hand forged steel structure and polished stainless steel uprights with an oak handrail; treads in a grey washed reclaimed oak match the parquet on the ground floor and complement the polished concrete on the floor below. From an architectural point of view, the staircase is a masterpiece in itself. The stair structure is fixed to the main building structure at only two points; via a mild steel base plate at basement level and by means of mild steel fixing plates attached to the double beams at raised ground floor level. In this setting, a floating design really is the ideal solution. The overall look is both elegant and gracious.