Not every home calls for an open staircase. A closed design can still feel refined and current, especially when the details, caps, skirt boards, wainscoting, are given real attention. Below are five projects where we brought that same craftsmanship to a more traditional layout.

Closed Staircase Projects, Different Details

Closed doesn’t mean plain. Here’s how we approached each one.

Some of these projects still involved removing pony walls to bring in more light, while keeping the overall layout closed rather than fully open. Others focused entirely on finish work, matching stain colors, replacing loose balusters, or modernizing worn transition treads. What ties them together is the level of detail, wainscoting, skirt boards, and precise stain matching, that turns a traditional staircase into a standout one.

About This Technique

A closed staircase doesn’t have to mean an outdated one. The work here is often less about opening up structure and more about precision finishing: matching stain colors exactly, replacing worn or loose parts, and adding trim details like wainscoting and skirt boards that give a traditional layout real presence.

Several of these projects also involved removing upper or lower pony walls to bring in more light, while keeping the overall footprint closed rather than fully opening the staircase to adjoining rooms. Others were purely about updating worn hardware and outdated finishes, or matching new work to existing floors and cabinetry down to the exact stain color.

As with every project, all wood parts are manufactured, finished, and installed by our own crew, so the details that make a closed staircase feel intentional rather than dated are handled with the same care as any open, modern design.

Materials We Work With

Closed staircase projects call for materials that hold up well to precise stain matching and detailed trim work: Rustic White Oak and premium Alder are common choices for caps, railings, and posts, paired with powder-coated round balusters or a clean paint-grade finish depending on the home’s overall style.

What to Expect

We start by looking at your existing floors, cabinets, or trim to match stain colors precisely, then handle everything from replacing worn balusters to adding wainscoting or skirt boards. Every part is manufactured and finished in our shop before installation, whether the project is a small hardware update or a full staircase remodel.

Trusted by SW Washington’s Most Detail-Oriented Homeowners

A closed staircase gives a home a classic, grounded feel when it’s finished with real attention to detail. We’ve helped homeowners across SW Washington get that finish right, down to the exact stain color.