Boston Magazine
I love charming staircases. There’s something endlessly appealing about steps: they add character and create an architectural focal point. A sweeping front staircase in an entryway makes a dramatic impression, but I also appreciate a discreet back staircase. My favorite houses are those with both—so you can make a quiet ascent or descent when needed. In our old home we had three staircases, and I used to joke that I could get a great workout simply by bounding up and down them.
House to Home
As much as I admire staircases from below, I must admit they make me uneasy when I look down a long flight. The first step is the hardest for me—the scariest. Sometimes it’s no big deal, but more often I pause, grip the rail and take that initial step carefully.
SB Long Interiors
When I was pregnant the thought of stepping onto an escalator felt especially alarming because I couldn’t see my feet. Stepping onto a moving platform seemed too risky—I even dreamed I’d invented special shoes called “Adidas Ground Grippers” to make stairs and escalators safer. If stairs make me nervous, my fear of heights is far worse. I can’t watch scenes where people stand near edges without my stomach flipping. I suspect my unease with stairs stems more from that fear of heights than from the stairs themselves. Either way, it’s something I’m aware of and manage.
my staircase
Taking a big step in life often feels even more daunting than the first step on a staircase. It requires courage to leave the familiar and step into uncertainty. While I enjoy new experiences, at heart I’m a homebody who values the comfort of a single safe place and would gladly avoid going up or down if I could. Honestly, I’m happiest staying on the ground floor.
my staircase
Still, to reach something new you have to be brave enough to take that first, scary step into the unknown. With that in mind, tomorrow I’ll share the next part of our story about a significant—and exciting—step my family is considering, and what that initial move might look like. I appreciate everyone who has followed along over the years; it’s a gift to have friends with me on every step of the journey, and I’m excited to possibly open a new chapter with you all.
Click here for part two…