Gothic steps

The first project of the new season brings me out of the hills and into the suburbs. In a subdivision, surrounded by hundreds of homes with concrete front stairs and walkways, my client and I wanted to present something a little different.

After a few days spent jackhammering stubborn concrete and cutting rebar, the old walkway and stairs are removed and the front entrance renovation begins. I'm using a beautiful grey Limestone to build the step risers, and cut bluestone for the step treads. With this home in a more metropolitan area, the goal is to achieve a clean, formal appearance, while still maintaining the aesthetics that make dry stone work so appealing.

The stairs are paired with a new clay brick walkway. I typically don't do paver installations, but in this case the red hues of the brick play off of the blue and grey of the stairs, and fit well with the surrounding homes.

To finish the project off, a gothic arch inlay is created and installed on the front step landing. The original plan called for this space to be filled with matching brick from the walkway, but while enjoying a pint in front of our wood stove on one of the last cold nights of the year, the idea of the arch inlay presented itself. After installing the inlay, the yard was regraded, seeded, and my clients home has a new inviting main entrance that stands apart from the neighbors