Staircases have been known since people first began building buildings with more than one floor. Therefore, you would expect people to have considerable experience in building and using them.
This makes me ask, why is just about every Dutch staircases built like they are. They are generally narrow, steep staircases, often spiraling upwards tightly.
The first major problem with this, is how the heck do you get any furniture up them. You simply cannot get even a single bed up most staircases here, and wardrobes and such are right out of the question.
The Dutch found innovative ways around this. If the furniture is too big, they simply use a hook outside near the roof of the building, specially put there for this purpose to haul the furniture upstairs through the windows.
A lot of furniture is also sold in a way where it can be easily dismantled, which also explains why EKEA does so well here.
Surely, the far easier thing to do, is to build houses with normal staircases which can accomdate that furniture.
The second problem with these staircases, is being so steep and narrow, they are particularly treacherous. I, myself, have slipped a few times down our staircase.
Just one of those things I (and my big feet) need to adjust to…
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