Steps with smart moodlighting
Careful steps...
The finished steps look relatively simple.
Two herringbone LVT steps, cleanly edged and softly illuminated from beneath.
Getting them to look that simple took considerably more work than you might imagine.
These steps formed part of a much larger herringbone LVT flooring installation within a substantial open-plan extension in Stourbridge. The full flooring project had already required careful planning to maintain the herringbone pattern across different areas of the room.
Then I reached the steps.
The easiest option would have been to treat the steps as separate from the floor.
I didn't want to do that.
Making the Steps Look as Though They Had Risen From the Floor
When planning the steps, I was keen to make the herringbone pattern feel like a continuation of the main floor.
Viewed directly from above, I wanted the steps to look as though they had simply risen from the flooring beneath them.
That meant the direction and positioning of the LVT planks needed to be carefully considered before I started working on the step edges.
The pattern across the horizontal surfaces was one thing.
Making it appear to continue over the edges was considerably more difficult.
Herringbone is not a forgiving pattern.
The Problem With Folding Herringbone
Visually, I wanted the LVT to look as though it folded over the front edge of each step.
In reality, you can't simply bend a rigid LVT plank around the edge and carry on.
Trying to recreate that effect using normally cut pieces created odd gaps and areas where the pattern no longer merged correctly.
The illusion disappeared.
And once you noticed it, you couldn't really unsee it.
So, the step edges couldn't simply be covered.
Each individual piece needed to be fabricated and effectively “faked” to make it look as though the pattern had folded over the edge.
Fabricating the Fold
This was the time-consuming part.
Each narrow piece had to be positioned and held against the vertical edge while I worked out how it needed to meet the piece beside it and visually relate to the plank above.
Herringbone is hard enough on a flat floor.
Trying to hold the pattern together vertically was definitely a challenge.
There were a lot of small pieces.
There was a lot of checking.
And there was a fair amount of patience involved.
The progress photographs give you some idea of just how many individual cuts and adjustments were involved.
What eventually looks like a clean, simple edge started as a work area full of individually cut pieces, tools and constant adjustments.
It was painstaking.
But getting it right was incredibly rewarding.
Building Smart Mood Lighting Into the Steps
The LVT pattern wasn't the only detail that needed to be considered.
The herringbone LVT steps were also designed to incorporate smart LED mood lighting as part of the wider lighting scheme within the room.
Constructing and bracing the main step structure was relatively straightforward.
Creating the overhang, return lip and the space needed to accommodate the LED strip took considerably more careful work.
The LED strips were integrated beneath the overhang, allowing the light to wash across the floor below rather than dominate the step itself.
The result is a clean line of light beneath each step that adds another layer to the wider room design.
Tuneable and Dimmable Lighting
Like the other smart mood lighting incorporated throughout the room, the LED strips beneath the steps are tuneable and dimmable.
The brightness and tone can be adjusted alongside the other lighting in the room to create the right balance of mood lighting across the wider space.
The lighting also adds definition between the different floor levels without competing with the herringbone pattern.
For me, that balance was important.
The steps needed to work as part of the wider room rather than look like a separate lighting feature that had been added afterwards.
The Details Most People Will Never Notice
Most people walking into this room probably won't stop and inspect every individual piece of LVT along the step edges.
They won't necessarily realise that the herringbone pattern couldn't simply be folded over.
They probably won't think about the individually fabricated pieces or the time spent making the vertical pattern visually relate to the flooring above.
And they shouldn't have to.
They'll simply look at the steps and see a herringbone pattern that appears to continue naturally from the floor.
That's the point.
Sometimes the most time-consuming details in a bespoke project are the ones that attract the least attention when the work is finished.
If it looks right, people rarely stop to ask why.
Part of a Larger Herringbone LVT Flooring Project
These illuminated steps formed part of a much wider herringbone LVT flooring installation throughout the open-plan room.
The main flooring project involved planning and maintaining the herringbone pattern across a substantial open-plan space and through different areas of the extension.
You can read more about the herringbone LVT flooring installation here.
For the steps, however, the challenge was much more concentrated.
Two relatively small areas.
A lot of individually fabricated pieces.
And a design idea I wasn't prepared to abandon simply because it turned out to be fiddly.
Careful steps...
Quite literally.
Do You Have a Bespoke Project You'd Like to Discuss?
If you're planning a bespoke interior project in Stourbridge or elsewhere across the West Midlands, I'd be happy to discuss your ideas.
From herringbone LVT flooring and unusual floor transitions to integrated smart lighting and bespoke details that need a little more thought, I enjoy working through the practical challenges that come with creating something different.
If you have an idea for your home but aren't sure how the awkward details will work in practice, that's often the part of a project I enjoy most.