PROJECT STORY · DOORWAY WIDENING, STAIRCASE RECONSTRUCTION & INTERIOR RENOVATION · KING CITY
Opening Up a King City Home Around Its Staircase
The homeowners wanted the dining room, sitting room and foyer to feel like one gathering space. We widened the openings between them, rebuilt the lower staircase where it met the new doorway and restored the surrounding woodwork. Popcorn removal and fresh paint throughout the house completed the change.
Plenty of room, but everyone felt separate
The house had space for guests. The problem was how that space worked.
People at the dining table felt separated from those sitting by the fireplace. The foyer sat between the rooms, but its narrow openings made it feel more like a passage than part of the gathering.
The homeowner wanted to keep those different places to sit, eat and talk while making them feel connected. Our plan was to open up the doorways on either side of the foyer, allowing the main floor to work more like one large hall.
The wider openings connect the foyer with the rooms on either side.
From 41 inches to almost seven feet
One opening grew from 41 inches to almost seven feet. Because it affected a supporting wall, the work required permits and structural alterations.
The opening beside the stairs posed a further problem: widening it to match the opposite doorway would expose the stair stringer. The bottom of the staircase had to be rebuilt with it.
A wider opening replaced the narrow doorway, bringing the adjoining room into view.
Rebuilding the first three steps
We rebuilt the framing beneath the first three steps and replaced the first two treads. A custom handrail was made to match the existing right-hand rail. Together, those changes finish the stair edge exposed by the larger doorway.
Repairing the floor where the walls had been
Widening the doorways exposed subfloor where the old wall and doorway edges had been. We fitted hardwood into those gaps and stained it to match the surrounding boards.
What the runner had been hiding
Removing the stair runner uncovered a laborious part of the job: thousands of staples, old nails and pieces of carpet still caught in the wood.
The layers of fastenings suggested that the runner had been replaced more than once. Some could be pulled out; others broke off or were already embedded in the treads.
We removed what could be extracted, set the remaining broken fragments below the surface and filled the damaged areas. Only then could the stairs be sanded, stained and varnished.
The finished wood looked new again, but most of the staircase had been restored rather than replaced. The first two treads changed as part of the reconstruction; the remaining tread surfaces were brought back through refinishing.
The remaining treads were repaired and refinished after the runner and old fastenings were removed.
Custom posts without the caps
The owner wanted a clean finish to the posts, without a separate cap sitting on top.
We custom machined the posts with chamfered edges along the sides and at the top. Those bevelled edges give the posts their shape without adding another decorative piece.
The spindles carry the finer detail. We used 5/8-inch round spindles with round shoes, mixing plain spindles with a round-knuckle, double-leaf design.
The decorative detail repeats every fourth spindle along the stairs and every third spindle on the horizontal landing rails. That gives each part of the railing its own spacing while keeping the same design throughout.
Double-leaf accents repeat every third spindle along the horizontal landing railing.
Smooth ceilings and fresh paint throughout
Popcorn removal and painting extended throughout the house. From the foyer, the wider openings now reveal the finished ceilings and walls in both adjoining rooms.
The rooms open onto the foyer
The dining room and fireplace seating remain separate places to gather, with broad openings between them and the foyer. The reconstructed lower stairs, repaired floor and custom railing finish the edges of that change.
Planning answers
What homeowners can learn from this project
Can an older home feel more open without removing every dividing wall?
Yes. In this King City home, the main change was widening the openings around the foyer. The dining room and sitting room remained distinct spaces, but they became much better connected through the hall. The structural work and the staircase beside one opening were planned as part of the same renovation.
Why did widening the doorway require staircase reconstruction?
The larger opening would have exposed the existing stair stringer. We rebuilt the framing of the first three steps, replaced the first two treads and made a matching handrail so the staircase could meet the new opening properly.
Was this stair capping or stair refinishing ?
This was primarily staircase refinishing, with reconstruction at the bottom. The first two treads were replaced because of the doorway changes. The remaining tread surfaces were repaired, sanded, stained and varnished rather than covered with new caps.
Can a staircase be refinished after a runner leaves staple and nail damage?
It was possible here. We removed the old fastenings, set the broken embedded fragments below the surface and filled the affected areas before sanding and refinishing. The condition of the wood determines what can be restored; the runner alone does not tell the whole story.
What happens to the flooring when a doorway is widened?
Widening these openings exposed subfloor where there had been no finished hardwood. We fitted hardwood into the gaps and stained it to match the existing floor, so the repairs became part of the finished openings.
Can new staircase posts be made without decorative caps?
Yes. For this project, we custom machined the posts with chamfered sides and tops instead of adding separate caps. That gave the owner the cleaner shape they wanted while keeping some detail in the bevelled edges.
CONTINUE EXPLORING
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Want your rooms to feel more connected?
Send us photographs of your foyer, adjoining rooms and staircase. We’ll review the layout with you and explain how doorway changes, stair work and interior finishing could fit together.