Stairwell Showstopper in Eden Prairie

A Dated Space Turns Into a Gallery of Light

“The client received so many compliments on this incredible project. You can see the staircase from the exterior, giving the home a ‘wow’ factor unlike any other.”

Neal Warstler, Viewrail Sales Representative

In Eden Prairie, a leafy suburb just outside Minneapolis, two homeowners came across Viewrail floating stairs and immediately envisioned it as the centerpiece in their renovation. A FLIGHT Mono staircase, running from the second floor to the lower level wraps around a statement chandelier, while Vedera Glass Railing lets in the light and picturesque views.

Multiple flights with glass railing climb beneath a long skylight

The Challenge

The clients wanted to completely revamp a stairwell with traditional stairs and windows in the front corner of their home. In its place, they wanted floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall windows, with a floating staircase that made the entire space light, airy, and modern.

To do that, they had to work through some unique challenges:

A Tight Timeline

What began as a single-flight staircase quickly expanded into a two-story showpiece wrapped in floor-to-ceiling glass. The timeline, however, didn’t have a lot of wiggle room.

Complex Engineering

A U-shaped stair with two landings needed to float clear of the surrounding window wall, while continuing seamlessly to the lower level.

Flawless Finish Matching

Standard white-oak treads skewed slightly pink against the existing hardwood. The new staircase had to read as if it had always belonged.

Floating treads and pendant globes crowd the view up a bright stairwell

The Design

For the floating stairs to integrate into the space perfectly, custom landings were given corner notch-outs to hug the walls and windows without gaps. The stringer itself was offset from its usual position to accommodate the unique window structure while remaining centered under the stair treads.

For a bespoke flooring color match, wood specialists dialed back the white oak’s natural warmth with a custom stain, erasing the pink undertone and creating an uninterrupted path of matching floor and tread.

To visually and physically connect the entire project with three floors, frameless low-iron glass panels rise from both treads and landings, capped by a slim white-oak handrail that echoes the stair finish. The result is a single horizontal line that seems to hover in mid-air, drawing the eye from the second floor clear down to the garden-level lounge.

Glass railing rings a stairwell opening in a room with a grand piano

The Result

The cherry on top of the project is the elegant chandelier that stretches all the way from the ceiling of the top floor to the lower level, lighting the entire space with its pearl-like globes. Integrated LED lights in the treads add their own glow, without stealing the spotlight from the chandelier.

Because of the large windows in the stairwell that sits at the front of the house, it elevates the facade of the house tremendously, while giving residents and visitors unobstructed views of the neighborhood. By day, the two-story window wall floods the interior of the home with sunlight. By night, the illuminated stair becomes an art installation visible from the street.

What began as a functional upgrade evolved into the defining element of the residence — proof that when engineering discipline meets high design, ordinary spaces can become the home’s most memorable. For these Eden Prairie homeowners, every ascent and descent is now an experience in light, craft, and effortless modernism.