Gizmodo: staircase

12 Beautiful Staircases That Could Easily Kill You

Sean Fallon — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:40:00 EST

The guys at Oddee have put together a list of 12 of the most "creative" staircases that designers have conjured up. Creative...yes. Deadly...you bet.

My personal choice for the deadliest staircase has to go to the Samlot. It can kill or maim you in two ways: either you fall off it completely or you over-step and catch your leg in the open gap between each stair. But, again, that is just my opinion. Check out the rest of the list to determine which design you think best sacrifices safety for aesthetics. I also humbly submit lucky number 13th your consideration. [Oddee via Fark]

Alternating Tread Stair Looks Painful If You Slip

Jason Chen — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:20:00 EDT

Not only can you possibly slip off the side and cut a gash in your face on these crazy tread stairs, you could slip and fall crotch first onto the middle bar.

Very useful for keeping fatties off the 2nd floor, as well as making sure your children NEVER RUN UP THE STAIRS. That is, if you're still viable to have children after all those accidents. [Costel21d via Treehugger]

StairCASE's Bottom Shelves Keep Highest Books in Reach

Elaine Chow — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 22:30:00 EDT

It's no surprise that a dude who lives in a city of 18 million people would appreciate the need to conserve space. Shanghai-based artist Danny Kuo created the StairCASE, a bookcase where the shelves slide out to become a stairwell. We've seen the amalgamation of shelves and stairs before in London, but StairCASE can be put just about anywhere. The design lets you have a much taller bookshelf (most top out at roughly six feet to accommodate human height), or functions as a way to reach a lofted area for sleeping or storage. I could've used something like this in New York. [Danny Kuo via Craziest Gadgets]

Ultimate Hidden Staircase Ideal for Wannabe Bond Villains

AddyDugdale — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 07:40:00 EDT

Giz is a big fan of the secret passageway, but this sub-staircase version really is the mutt's nuts. A cross between a drawbridge, a private jet and something that, to kids, is straight out of Indiana Jones and the Duplex of Suburbia, the concealed hidey-hole is just one of a series of designs from Creative Home Engineering, a firm that puts hidden doors just about everywhere you wouldn't think of looking. Prices range from $5,000 to a cool quarter of a million. [Creative Home Engineering via BallerHouse]

Bathtub Bookcase Is Perfect Match for Stairs Bookcase

Jesus Diaz — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 10:15:00 EDT

If you thought London's apartment stair bookcase was the coolest thing since Martha Stewart introduced you to vacuum-packing underpants with you still inside, check this beautiful bathtub bookcase (or vice versa) by Italian company Antonio Lupi. Part of the Biblio collection, it's made in wood and corian, the adamantium-hard material made by Dupont. And as their giant UFO and boat after the jump show, it's not their only cool bathtub.

They are call Vasabarca and Arca, respectively. The price range goes from frackinghell to yougottabekidding. [Antonio Lupi via Aqua—in Spanish, gracias Fernando]

Stairs Bookcase Actually Makes Me Want to Move to London

Jesus Diaz — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 11:20:52 EST

Here's a great idea for anyone who loves books and doesn't have enough apartment space or a Kindle: a "secret staircase" made of English oak, lined with books left, right and center, leading to a loft bedroom in a Victorian 1898 apartments block.

The 70m2 apartment was remodeled by London-based Levitate Architects, who created "a new bedroom level and increasing the floor area of the flat by approximately one third." The staircase is both the way to access the bedroom and a perfect place to store books, movies or CDs. "With a skylight above lighting the staircase, it becomes the perfect place to stop and browse a tome," says Levitate's Tim Sloan, who also pointed out the unique structure of each step, allowing for anyone to comfortably sit down while picking a book. [Apartment Therapy via Boing Boing]