NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — Around and around they go, spiral staircases, that is. And these fabulous structures are going into the homes of authors, actors, NFL football players, and in every day houses.
Bill Bivona started his woodworking business, Hardwood Design, Inc. 30-years ago. He caught the bug after watching his dad build things. Bivona’s first project was a small boat he made in the basement, and now he’s known as the staircase guy.
“Generally, the architect provides us with drawings that show the design intent, what they want it to look like, and then we really tune it, dial it in so that it meets code, so that it’s comfortable, so that the railing transitions are smooth and look as good as they can,” said Bivona.
“Because we have technology, really, machining technology especially and the design technology this trade is coming back because it was all but dead, at the turn of the century, it was pretty popular. It was European craftsmen doing this kind of work by hand, with really just hand tools. Then it sort of died out after the war and the depression and World War II, but it’s definitely coming back,” said Bivona.
To date, the most expensive staircase he’s built ran the customer $300,000 and it went into a home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Hardwood Designs, Inc. is just over the border in Rhode Island.
