Call me weird but I like your staircase. I can see it with iron railings and flower pots all the way to your beautiful new door. I'm sure whatever you decide, you'll do a brilliant job ❤
Do whatever you need to fix the wonky height issue on the stairs ( avoiding an awful trip hazard as you get older). I think the railing idea would be great and the 90 degree turn would improve the blocky (brutal even?) look but the latter would need to be really worth the effort it would take so definitely up to your own choices there. I saw on another channel (Quinta garden culinaria) how they improved their outside steps by whitewashing and adding Portuguese tiles to the risers - really improved the look.
My suggestion: demolish the stairs, build a new wooden staircase at the same footprint. It can provide passage under the stairs if desired and room for storage. It can also give the building a modern element.
Christine here, great ideas, whatever you decide will be an improvement. Moving into the house before winter is a priority. Love your videos. Hugs from South Africa xx
We saw many such staircases while living in portugal. They’re a bit odd but very much vernacular. The ones that looked the best had been rerendered and simply painted white, steps cleaned and left ‘au naturale’ with a pot of geraniums on each step. I like the quirkiness of the uneven steps on yours. Especially if you’re not going to use that entrance much I’d keep it simple and not overthink it. Perfectly imperfect.
Those steps would make a wonderful area to display flowers 😃 and wrought iron would definitely look amazing. Would you also consider putting a railing atop of the walls either side of the gate 😃🙏🌻
@@JudySnyder-dv5ld cuidado. 👎👎👎nâo nada de flores 🌺 💐🌺🌺 da trabalho muito calor não dá. Deixem de flores pessoal tudo mudou globol warmer 👎👎👎is sac eu fui criada nos farmos não era nada disto calor terrível.Não falem em flores 🌺 nas escadas não gosto. Quando se passa.quebra ,vai 👎👎Etc 👎👎👎meu pai dizia. Pencem não só ao comessaram Pencem também no fim. Por favor 🙏 o tempo mudou não ouvem as notícias são hunrriveis por favor 🙏 estejam alerta. 👎👎👎😂😂😂😂e fogo 🔥 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥em todo o lado. Cuidado não brinquem está sério; 😂😂um calor intenso que arde. 🥵🥵🥵🥵🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🦵🦵🦵🦵ter pernas para fugir. Atenção. Amigos. 🙏🙏🙏🥵🥵🥵🥵aqui no Canadá. Um Sro ia Para a casa de verâo. E levava uma chaleira para ferver água. O fio a fumo a sair do tranque do carro 🚘 parou e foi ver ,com o calor. O fio 🧶 elétrico estava ,a pegar fogo. Só cuidado ⛔️ o futuro não está para ser bom. ,os cientistas aqui disseram o calor vai ser muito que vai pegar fogo nos fios elétricos. Só atenção amigos . ,rezem nâo façâo puluição. Etc. Sros grow. Pensem ++Veijam. O que é do melhor para vocês. Eu já tenho-79- 3 se voltasse atrás era diferente. Apesar pouca sorte eu tive viúva com -30- criar -3- filhos pagar casa 🏠 foi do o nessesssitado não tenho luxos mudei-me para está casa faz hoje -34- anos. Está como. Comprei os mesmos candieiros do contractor Etc só fiz apartamento no basemento et só não comprei nada. Porque era só o meu trabalho , e os belos que estão agora só em belos passa de -15:000 dolas no ano. Os belos sa9 muito altos só de contribuição e mais de -7:000 mil dolas. O gaz etc Sros nâo gastem dinheiro a tua , cuidado e o meu consselho bjs 😘🇨🇦🇨🇦💐💐💐💐🥵🥵🥵🥵😂🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥e cuidado o calor e de mais. ,,
When I first found your videos, I thought I would,not enjoy them. As I watched more and more, I have come to realize they amount the best I watch. Your plans and the level of detail you approach everything from building renovation to gardening to just the overall planning is terrific. I look forward to your videos every week. I often watch them more than once. Thanks for all you are doing.
Yes, make the stair riser height consistent. Maybe some decorative tiles in the risers as well as the banister? I like the idea of a landing at the bottom. Instead of a single 90° turnout, facing the gate at the road, have a 180° landing, with steps facing the road and a mirrored section facing the grape trellises. One more thought, then I'll shut up. If you decide to incorporate some wrought iron details into the banisters, you could carry that same design theme into the gate and the top of the wall after the brick section was removed. I'll pipe down now. 🙂
Kylie and Guy I'm an interior designer and I am all for this curve in the staircase if you guys can do it. It will be very nice and soften up those STRAIGHT stairs. Kyle could learn to weld and everything could be a very beautiful metal rail ( stones, wood elements etc. ) that match the front wall . It will look 👍. and Kylie gets to learn to weld which could be a lot of fun 😊
I think you should put in for planning approval for an 'L' shaped or curved staircase, towards the front gate. It doesn't matter if it takes a year or two to get approval. You have plenty of other things to do. It would give you options.🙂
Hey, I got onto your channel because me and my partner are doing crazy DIY on a house in Porto. You're doing great work! One of the skills I picked up a few years ago is welding. I'm not a great welder, but believe me, you will be impressed with what you can do with just a little practice and a simple machine. It helps to have someone show you the basics-- in the beginning, working with that much heat and electricity seems terrifying but it's actually pretty safe, and doesn't require a big investment in tools. A basic stick welder and a helmet is pretty much all you need. I haven't quite figured out where you are in Portugal, but if you want to get started on welding, I may be able to pass by and help you strike your first arc (after that it's just practice).
Our very similar steps in the 50’s is where the women sat on the steps near the hot kitchen( kindling and coal) stove to visit and cool off. There were plants in pots…
Hello! It's always so lovely to see a new video from you guys on here. That's a lot of ideas for changes you want to make to the house - all of them sound like big improvements over the current situation. Kylie, I 100% support your ambition to learn new skills. I'm the same, and I love seeing it in other empowered women. What about forging? I tried that when I was in art school - it's a tonne of fun and pretty cathartic with all that hammering. Speaking as a former planning tech (it was my job to review building permit applications for compliance with bylaws and recommend for or against their approval prior to them going to the council for a decision) those stairs are a non-compliant safety hazard. It's likely written into your building code that each step must be the same height. If you aren't going to be doing the work on them right away (so you have time to go through the planning process), I'd highly recommend applying to remove and rework them entirely. Because they are currently unsafe, you have excellent reasoning for the changes, and as long as the application complies with building codes, there's no reason it shouldn't be approved. It will just take time. At this point, you've got that. The application itself shouldn't be too expensive, and in the long run, I think it's totally worth the cost to get a safe staircase that looks, and works, the way you want it to. Of course, I'm in Canada, so building codes and application processes here will differ from where you are to some extent, but they shouldn't be so different that anything I've said would be too crazy by comparison. Love the idea of tiles, wood and wrought iron being incorporated into the new design. It will certainly add some wonderful character and beauty to your place.
Different heights in stairs were used in old castles in Portugal (maybe in other places too) as a way to make your enemies trip when they were invading, in the heat of the fight, giving the defenders an extra advantage in the fight. The locals didn't trip because they were used to the different heights. I doubt your stairs were made with this intention though. 🙂
Nice idea but the whole structure ain’t old enough to support that explanation for varying tread heights .And those slit windows are common everywhere for airflow into what would originally been a stable or barn .Again price was the factor .To narrow for a burglar so no need for a grill or the need for a window frame and glass .but enough for ventilation and airflow .
The same concept was applied in bavarian farm houses - there was one "thief step" to alert the inhabitants (sleeping accommodations being upstairs) of anyone trying to sneak up to them in the dark. Of course that was back when the nights were still dark, and illumination based on fire which would give away its presence by light and smell.
If you're able to standardize the riser height on the stairs, cladding the risers in Azulejo tiles would look stunning imo. Especially so with wrought iron sidings. If the staircase isn't going to be used much (or at all) for foot traffic, then some plants (esp. succulents), maybe some terracotta pots, would look really nice running down the staircase as well. Best of luck on the stairs project, whenever that comes around!
That staircase is an eyesore. If it doesn’t open up an entire can of worms I’d go planning commission route. That way you can make it exactly right (i like the 90 degree turn with landing) and beautiful. You could have a mini dozer just pull it down. So much easier and then you could either leave the space under the stairs open or enclose it for storage. Just my 2cents! Thanks for sharing your plans.
Love watching your life adventure! I know it will look amazing when it gets done! I would definitely sneak in a full width patio on the ground below with a floating wooden staircase going up, still keeping in the footprint required. Raise the front wall for privacy and install a solid metal door. It could be a really awesome patio under the balcony above.😊😊😊 My two cents! 😁😁🤗😘👍
Hi folks. My immediate impression for the staircase was keep the 'walls' same height, but with added wrought iron railings with timber handrails. This would then allow the horrendously dangerous steps to have a false matching timber staircase laid over them with the step width and raisers corrected. To unite the staircase to the house, perhaps the door colour matched to the walls of the staircase with some decorative ironwork and timber features uniting the materials. As always I bow to your superior creativity and abundant determination to do your renovation right. I always look forward to your video releases.
I've had quite a bit of experience brainstorming on front staircases with balusters and bannisters. I think you could flare the stairs at the bottom. The steel wrought iron bannister idea is the most durable as well as nice looking but without special skills and equipment it tends to look quite industrial. Metal work can be custom made in Portugal and you install them. I have also seen molded stone balusters made like statues. Or even chiseled stone balusters. Granite tiles would look quite nice of the treads. Portuguese tile is nice but the direct sun is brutal on materials.
Guys have you thought about to demolish that staircase, and build a nice pergola and in that entrance make like a small balcony. I think if you ask permission for that, really worth and will give a nice touch to your renovation. Great job as always.
Since you are not working on the staircase at the moment, it still might be worth looking into getting a planning permission to change it entirely. I do not imagine that the relevant department of your city council will not allow it, so the worst that could happen is having to pay some fee, filling out a ton of forms and handing in some plans, and then wait some months. If there is an architect or draftsperson around, they might be able to do that for you in a few hours. The work that you plan to do on this stair might be much quicker and easier if you rebuild it completely anyway …
Erm knock it down and replace, presume you would not need planning permission If it was just a replacement? That staircase will be causing damp. I’d splay out the bottom slightly, would look great.
It's going to be amazing! I always enjoy your videos and knowledge you have about renovations. I also know you are adding to your skills as you go. Well done!
Good luck with the steps! We have thirteen uneven steps up to our garden. Ours is faced with Purbeck stone. We have repaired ours top to bottom since we have lived in this house, UK. (Nearly five years). They were not built properly. We had a lot of rain in the last Winter that has caused land slippage. So we know we are going to have to tackle the again. 🙄We are still thinking on that one!
I know you two don't like doing things by halves but, given how much else you have to do, I'd just patch up and paint the front of the house as it is, including the garden wall and front gate etc. You'd see an immediate result and your surroundings would look and feel much better. You can re-render the house later, because maybe that's years away anyway. As far as the entrance goes, I quite like the staircase, and that too could be fixed up and painted as it is. The visual problem with it, longer term, is the straight line and steepness of the climb, so a 90 degree turn would be good. You could also break up the look by adding a modest wooden veranda at the front door level, heading left across the house as you look at the front door, knocking out that bit of bannister/wall. That's then more of a 'landing' and a welcoming feature, as you reach the top of the stairs. For sure, in the longer term, wrought iron railings and bannisters would look posher and smarter. But where does this project end, haha? Keep going!
Maybe some natural stone or terracotta anti slip tiles at different depths, you can use the thinner ones on the big/taller steps and the thicker tile on the smaller steps, which should level them out a lot and nearly the same depth. Use their unevenness to your advantage. I would tile the vertical part of the step (name escapes me) in a traditional Portuguese tile (paint door and porch wood in a colour that is in this tile). I would then nick the idea further down and add terracotta flower pots with flowers in . Rerender the sides and paint in house colour. the porch using traditional half circle tiles in terracotta and wood. The terracotta theme is then going through and links it all together. The wall and the ballustrade could also be topped with the traditional half circle roof tiles
Kitewinder steps look cool, but are more difficult to walk up. We used them on the stairs to our master suite to use the space we had. They fit the age, 172 years, but remind us daily of our age. Also, you could possibly correct your step height with different thickness stone treads.
Use concrete spindles then top it off with a concrete handrail. It'll make it look regal and it is very often used in roman and Portuguese architecture.
I love those staircase curved walls. Would render and paint same colour as house. Make steps even and cover in either Portuguese limestone, terracotta tiles or Portuguese tiles. You can get really nice terracotta tiles just for steps with curved edge that would look lovely.
Thanks for info regarding the staircase … plenty of suggestions for you to consider… definitely getting the inside ready for winter takes precedence for now … things usually become clearer when the time is right. Durban SA 🇿🇦
*Kia ora (hello) Kylie & Guy, I like the idea of keeping the steps and doing them up. But at the top of the steps, can to add to it, by doing a wrap around deck around the house somehow... cos what an amazing view you would have from the deck upstairs overlooking your gardens. That way you can then sit out on it having your meals and drinks. Yep it will be costly, but for your future plans.*
If you can terrace the front area you could lift the bottom landing level say 350mm and create a bottom terrace. That would allow you to fix the stair tread levels to be the same and potentially increase the length of the upper landing as well. At the bottom landing you can then create a steps in the bottom terrace similar to the stairs in the top terrace to the fruit orchard which is only a few metres away. This would probably require almost total deconstruction of the staircase but it would be a very functional layout and keep the same footprint. If you are changing the aesthetics of the balustrade to wrought iron this would require a half deconstruction anyway. The upper and lower terrace could be in exact alignment from the front gate (I think). The whole front area could be landscaped like an internal courtyard. Nice place for cool drink in the summer months too. 😊
Buzzing concepts and ideas. Learning from what others have successfully done. Then blending those concepts with your design characteristics. Which are not cast in stone but can change. I prefer lowering the wall. Adding a metal railing that mirrors the gate pattern. If or when wholly feasible, widen the entrance door landing. Maybe a shaded wall to wall balcony or decked area.
It looks as if there may have been a single wooden post just below the centre of the old canopy, which probably used to serve as a suspension point for a pulley to lift hay or other things to the first floor level, before the concrete stairs were added. I think the wrought iron balustrade would be a good feature, using local ironworkers to make in the traditional style, and the step difference issue could be overcome by using the highest riser measurement, tiling the step with a traditional clay tile, and then tiling the other steps with sufficient mortar bedding to match the highest riser measurement, thus equalising all the risers/steps.
Even before you mentioned it, I thought replacing the cement bannisters with wrought iron railings would looks so much better. Another poster described the present stairs as "brutal" (referencing brutalism in architecture), and I agree. A turn in the stairs would look good, but it would make the project more time-consuming.
I saw a home not quite as high, but with the same type of staircase and those people made a semi-circular awning over the entrance. Personally I thought it was outstanding for aesthetics and the sheltering of the door. Welding huh? It's a very good skill to have, id either of you go for it, you might find a local welding shop and take a few days like you did with the flooring to understand how to do the welds right the first time. Redoing, ugh, it's not easy, but doable.
Boa noite.O seu muro não precisa ser deitado abaixo por ser de tijolos vermelhos,Posso dar-lhe a minha sugestão de o forrar a pedra .Vende-se nas lojas de construção pedra natural em paletes para forrar paredes .Foi o que eu fiz cá em casa.Espero ter ajudado.
Very pleased to hear your plans to make the stairs less hideous! Like your idea to use wrought iron but would vote to demolish the stairs and have a wroght iron railing on a balcony instead!
Make stairway railing to match the iron gate. That's a designer's MUST DO! Do you hear my fairy-wings fluttering? LOL... Doing a scrolled flare at the bottom of the stairway would be nice. More fluttering. ;). Quite honestly, step back and consider the scale of the stairway. Does it match the scale of the house? It looks a bit demuitive to me.
While I look forward to the exterior renovation, I can't help but think that even after moving in, making the interior "not a building site" would probably take precedence over aesthetic improvements outside. But if you're not so bothered by that, then I'll look forward to the exterior transformation. This is going to be such a beautiful home at some point in the distant future.
It's called a site plan in English. I'd be circumspect about removing the concrete render, its a huge job for minimal gain once you have to stabilise and re-finish the structure underneath. If the stair riser issue is genuinely difficult/dangerous then perhaps remedy it by tiling on top of the existing treads/risers. Finally, the stair is probably acting to buttress the end wall structurally - so there'll be engineering issues. But ultimately wasn't the point of buying on old vernacular house the charm of its imprecise character? Whatever you choose, good luck.
Hi, when you get the banisters out and remove the concrete from the sides, also try to remove the concrete on one of the steps.... i think that concrete on the steps/threads is not original, and beneath may be the original stairs, that can maybe even have the steps with less diference between each other!!
Is it the planning permission cost that hold you back? If not, maybe it's worth putting in the effort in re-thinking the design of the stairs and add a large balcony? Then when the planning permission is approved, you might be in the "let's do fun projects"-stage? since I'm guessing the approval-time could be quite long.
@@ninemoonplanet ah, I see. That definitely sucks, but then it might be good to start the process now. They can still go through with some of the current plans as a middlestep. Depending on where the new main entrance is going to be, the stairs could be quite an eyesore.
Hi guys, I m on holidays in Portugal and yesterday I visited Sertã. Always trying to find your house... but hey oh, impossible. Search for stone and marble in Montelavar near Sintra.
So if welding is going to be learnt then along with that would be blacksmithing. One of your outbuildings could be turned into a forge where you can smith and weld all day long. Steel railing should have some scroll work incorporated into it, hence the forge. So the fun project would be fixing up one of your outbuildings ready to become a forge and the skills could be learnt over the winter. Oh dear I have said too much. Thanks for posting.
I haven't read through the rest of the comments but, wrought iron or 'the welding learning' project would be lovely but, would also get very hot in the summer so maybe wood on top? Just a thought. Love watching your videos and also enjoying the twice weekly thing! Kylie, bloody cold in VIC Aus at the mo but it's looking promising for Thursday we'll have 20'c so, spring is springing lol
Great suff to look forward to as always and the ideas are always the fun part... I also like the sound of getting some welding skills as in an old house those tools and skills are invaluable! 😊😅
Great ideas for the front area, whenever that happens. I wonder if instead of having to learn how to weld (you guys never go half way) you could look for a used railing at a building surplus or wreckers yard. You might have to still weld a little, but save a little time, too.
In many countries those stairs would be illegal. A break with a landing is required to prevent a fall all the way to the bottom. 90 degree or 180 degree turns are usually expected in the middle.
If you face the steps with stone or tile, can you layer the grout (if that's the right term for whatever glues the facing to the tread) differently such that the steps are evened out a bit? And I'm a big fan of bougainvillea on old masonry houses like yours...maybe on an arbor over the ground floor entrance and up the stair balustrades?
Half the fun is planning...... If you just need to keep the footprint of the staircase I guess you could demolish it and rebuild one in the same space to your liking? Happy planning.
If you do reface the treads and risers on the staircase...You might want to investigate using mortar to even your step heights. You would need to make an accurate drawing of each of the step heights to see if adjusting the heights is possible. So you don't end up with one tiny step or one giant step. If you're going to invest in a welder, might as well get a cheap metal bender to make those fancy curly spirals. Make your own porch posts with spirals that match the gate!!! Good luck and thanks for your time.
I did mosaic up my grotty staircase.
That's the first thing I thought when I saw it. It could be nice on the fence areas to. 😊
I love the Portuguese tile look on stair cases.
Call me weird but I like your staircase. I can see it with iron railings and flower pots all the way to your beautiful new door. I'm sure whatever you decide, you'll do a brilliant job ❤
Weird
I too like the staircase.
Me too!
yes, i was going to comment and say that I really like the stairs lol
Same ❤
You guys are probably doing the best renovation that I have seen. So well thought out and researched. I really enjoy your videos.
I agree!
I really enjoy your videos. I like your personalities. You are both normal, down-to-earth people who do not get on my nerves. So thanks😊
Do people normally get on your nerves, then?!
@@perolagrande Yes, some people get on my nerves. You don't ever experience that?
🤣
Do whatever you need to fix the wonky height issue on the stairs ( avoiding an awful trip hazard as you get older). I think the railing idea would be great and the 90 degree turn would improve the blocky (brutal even?) look but the latter would need to be really worth the effort it would take so definitely up to your own choices there. I saw on another channel (Quinta garden culinaria) how they improved their outside steps by whitewashing and adding Portuguese tiles to the risers - really improved the look.
Yup I immediately thought Portuguese tiles on the risers.👍🏻
My suggestion: demolish the stairs, build a new wooden staircase at the same footprint. It can provide passage under the stairs if desired and room for storage. It can also give the building a modern element.
I totally agree....
and then they can use the stones to rebuild the wall....
As he said, they need permission to demolish it, and knowing Portuguese bureaucracy it might take months or even years to be approved.
Portugal has very wet winters and very dry summers so it's hell on wood.
Christine here, great ideas, whatever you decide will be an improvement. Moving into the house before winter is a priority. Love your videos. Hugs from South Africa xx
We saw many such staircases while living in portugal. They’re a bit odd but very much vernacular. The ones that looked the best had been rerendered and simply painted white, steps cleaned and left ‘au naturale’
with a pot of geraniums on each step. I like the quirkiness of the uneven steps on yours. Especially if you’re not going to use that entrance much I’d keep it simple and not overthink it. Perfectly imperfect.
How about the front of each step tiled..?
Traditional Portuguese style..?
Wrought iron also traditional banister..❤😊
I like the idea of curving the steps towards the gate.
Those steps would make a wonderful area to display flowers 😃 and wrought iron would definitely look amazing. Would you also consider putting a railing atop of the walls either side of the gate 😃🙏🌻
Potted flowers for sure!
@@JudySnyder-dv5ld cuidado. 👎👎👎nâo nada de flores 🌺 💐🌺🌺 da trabalho muito calor não dá. Deixem de flores pessoal tudo mudou globol warmer 👎👎👎is sac eu fui criada nos farmos não era nada disto calor terrível.Não falem em flores 🌺 nas escadas não gosto. Quando se passa.quebra ,vai 👎👎Etc 👎👎👎meu pai dizia. Pencem não só ao comessaram Pencem também no fim. Por favor 🙏 o tempo mudou não ouvem as notícias são hunrriveis por favor 🙏 estejam alerta. 👎👎👎😂😂😂😂e fogo 🔥 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥em todo o lado. Cuidado não brinquem está sério; 😂😂um calor intenso que arde. 🥵🥵🥵🥵🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🦵🦵🦵🦵ter pernas para fugir. Atenção. Amigos. 🙏🙏🙏🥵🥵🥵🥵aqui no Canadá. Um Sro ia Para a casa de verâo. E levava uma chaleira para ferver água. O fio a fumo a sair do tranque do carro 🚘 parou e foi ver ,com o calor. O fio 🧶 elétrico estava ,a pegar fogo. Só cuidado ⛔️ o futuro não está para ser bom. ,os cientistas aqui disseram o calor vai ser muito que vai pegar fogo nos fios elétricos. Só atenção amigos . ,rezem nâo façâo puluição. Etc. Sros grow. Pensem ++Veijam. O que é do melhor para vocês. Eu já tenho-79- 3 se voltasse atrás era diferente. Apesar pouca sorte eu tive viúva com -30- criar -3- filhos pagar casa 🏠 foi do o nessesssitado não tenho luxos mudei-me para está casa faz hoje -34- anos. Está como. Comprei os mesmos candieiros do contractor Etc só fiz apartamento no basemento et só não comprei nada. Porque era só o meu trabalho , e os belos que estão agora só em belos passa de -15:000 dolas no ano. Os belos sa9 muito altos só de contribuição e mais de -7:000 mil dolas. O gaz etc Sros nâo gastem dinheiro a tua , cuidado e o meu consselho bjs 😘🇨🇦🇨🇦💐💐💐💐🥵🥵🥵🥵😂🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥e cuidado o calor e de mais. ,,
Oooooh! Random stair heights like we have in Iraq. Took me ages to get used to that, and I still trip occasionally.
When I first found your videos, I thought I would,not enjoy them. As I watched more and more, I have come to realize they amount the best I watch. Your plans and the level of detail you approach everything from building renovation to gardening to just the overall planning is terrific. I look forward to your videos every week. I often watch them more than once. Thanks for all you are doing.
Those stairs could be a great platform for decorative plants.
Imagine iron rod banister with vine on it! Ahhhh 😊
I love your idea!!! A refresh makes perfect sense!!! 😁 You could place a collection of potted herbs down each side of the staircase?!?!?! 😎🎶😁❤️🪴🪴🪴
Yes, make the stair riser height consistent. Maybe some decorative tiles in the risers as well as the banister? I like the idea of a landing at the bottom. Instead of a single 90° turnout, facing the gate at the road, have a 180° landing, with steps facing the road and a mirrored section facing the grape trellises. One more thought, then I'll shut up. If you decide to incorporate some wrought iron details into the banisters, you could carry that same design theme into the gate and the top of the wall after the brick section was removed. I'll pipe down now. 🙂
Everything you’ve done to the house has been a labor of love.🎉
Kylie and Guy I'm an interior designer and I am all for this curve in the staircase if you guys can do it. It will be very nice and soften up those STRAIGHT stairs. Kyle could learn to weld and everything could be a very beautiful metal rail ( stones, wood elements etc. ) that match the front wall . It will look 👍. and Kylie gets to learn to weld which could be a lot of fun 😊
I think you should put in for planning approval for an 'L' shaped or curved staircase, towards the front gate. It doesn't matter if it takes a year or two to get approval. You have plenty of other things to do. It would give you options.🙂
Hey, I got onto your channel because me and my partner are doing crazy DIY on a house in Porto. You're doing great work!
One of the skills I picked up a few years ago is welding. I'm not a great welder, but believe me, you will be impressed with what you can do with just a little practice and a simple machine. It helps to have someone show you the basics-- in the beginning, working with that much heat and electricity seems terrifying but it's actually pretty safe, and doesn't require a big investment in tools. A basic stick welder and a helmet is pretty much all you need. I haven't quite figured out where you are in Portugal, but if you want to get started on welding, I may be able to pass by and help you strike your first arc (after that it's just practice).
Our very similar steps in the 50’s is where the women sat on the steps near the hot kitchen( kindling and coal) stove to visit and cool off. There were plants in pots…
I think whatever you decide to do (or do and redo), will be phenomenal 😛 ENJOY the sunshine!!!!!
As a big guy with bad knees would love to see good handrails on both sides of the stairs. That's handy especially with uneven steps.
Hello! It's always so lovely to see a new video from you guys on here.
That's a lot of ideas for changes you want to make to the house - all of them sound like big improvements over the current situation. Kylie, I 100% support your ambition to learn new skills. I'm the same, and I love seeing it in other empowered women. What about forging? I tried that when I was in art school - it's a tonne of fun and pretty cathartic with all that hammering.
Speaking as a former planning tech (it was my job to review building permit applications for compliance with bylaws and recommend for or against their approval prior to them going to the council for a decision) those stairs are a non-compliant safety hazard. It's likely written into your building code that each step must be the same height.
If you aren't going to be doing the work on them right away (so you have time to go through the planning process), I'd highly recommend applying to remove and rework them entirely. Because they are currently unsafe, you have excellent reasoning for the changes, and as long as the application complies with building codes, there's no reason it shouldn't be approved. It will just take time. At this point, you've got that.
The application itself shouldn't be too expensive, and in the long run, I think it's totally worth the cost to get a safe staircase that looks, and works, the way you want it to. Of course, I'm in Canada, so building codes and application processes here will differ from where you are to some extent, but they shouldn't be so different that anything I've said would be too crazy by comparison.
Love the idea of tiles, wood and wrought iron being incorporated into the new design. It will certainly add some wonderful character and beauty to your place.
Different heights in stairs were used in old castles in Portugal (maybe in other places too) as a way to make your enemies trip when they were invading, in the heat of the fight, giving the defenders an extra advantage in the fight. The locals didn't trip because they were used to the different heights. I doubt your stairs were made with this intention though. 🙂
I think they were, when you also factor in the defence window beside the stairs.
Nice idea but the whole structure ain’t old enough to support that explanation for varying tread heights .And those slit windows are common everywhere for airflow into what would originally been a stable or barn .Again price was the factor .To narrow for a burglar so no need for a grill or the need for a window frame and glass .but enough for ventilation and airflow .
It may have been specially built for inebriated people , perfect cancelled out stumbling geometry so you walk up in a straight line😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
@@simonlewis6276 I believe we were both joking here. 🙂
The same concept was applied in bavarian farm houses - there was one "thief step" to alert the inhabitants (sleeping accommodations being upstairs) of anyone trying to sneak up to them in the dark.
Of course that was back when the nights were still dark, and illumination based on fire which would give away its presence by light and smell.
If you're able to standardize the riser height on the stairs, cladding the risers in Azulejo tiles would look stunning imo. Especially so with wrought iron sidings. If the staircase isn't going to be used much (or at all) for foot traffic, then some plants (esp. succulents), maybe some terracotta pots, would look really nice running down the staircase as well.
Best of luck on the stairs project, whenever that comes around!
That staircase is an eyesore. If it doesn’t open up an entire can of worms I’d go planning commission route. That way you can make it exactly right (i like the 90 degree turn with landing) and beautiful. You could have a mini dozer just pull it down. So much easier and then you could either leave the space under the stairs open or enclose it for storage. Just my 2cents! Thanks for sharing your plans.
Love watching your life adventure! I know it will look amazing when it gets done! I would definitely sneak in a full width patio on the ground below with a floating wooden staircase going up, still keeping in the footprint required. Raise the front wall for privacy and install a solid metal door. It could be a really awesome patio under the balcony above.😊😊😊 My two cents! 😁😁🤗😘👍
Wait until you see what we have planned for the other side of the house 😃
As background...most old rural houses in PT had the floor level for cattle housing and warming during winter.
Wouldnthh but if he best to tear the whole staircase down and rebuild it, within the required parameters, but with even steps and a nicer railing.
Sounds like a good plan ,if you're not having fun with your projects it gets to be too much like work so enjoy
I think whatever you decide to do, you will make it beautiful. 💖
Hi folks. My immediate impression for the staircase was keep the 'walls' same height, but with added wrought iron railings with timber handrails. This would then allow the horrendously dangerous steps to have a false matching timber staircase laid over them with the step width and raisers corrected. To unite the staircase to the house, perhaps the door colour matched to the walls of the staircase with some decorative ironwork and timber features uniting the materials. As always I bow to your superior creativity and abundant determination to do your renovation right. I always look forward to your video releases.
I've had quite a bit of experience brainstorming on front staircases with balusters and bannisters. I think you could flare the stairs at the bottom. The steel wrought iron bannister idea is the most durable as well as nice looking but without special skills and equipment it tends to look quite industrial. Metal work can be custom made in Portugal and you install them. I have also seen molded stone balusters made like statues. Or even chiseled stone balusters. Granite tiles would look quite nice of the treads. Portuguese tile is nice but the direct sun is brutal on materials.
Guys have you thought about to demolish that staircase, and build a nice pergola and in that entrance make like a small balcony. I think if you ask permission for that, really worth and will give a nice touch to your renovation. Great job as always.
Since you are not working on the staircase at the moment, it still might be worth looking into getting a planning permission to change it entirely. I do not imagine that the relevant department of your city council will not allow it, so the worst that could happen is having to pay some fee, filling out a ton of forms and handing in some plans, and then wait some months. If there is an architect or draftsperson around, they might be able to do that for you in a few hours.
The work that you plan to do on this stair might be much quicker and easier if you rebuild it completely anyway …
Erm knock it down and replace, presume you would not need planning permission If it was just a replacement? That staircase will be causing damp. I’d splay out the bottom slightly, would look great.
It's going to be amazing! I always enjoy your videos and knowledge you have about renovations. I also know you are adding to your skills as you go. Well done!
Good luck with the steps! We have thirteen uneven steps up to our garden. Ours is faced with Purbeck stone. We have repaired ours top to bottom since we have lived in this house, UK. (Nearly five years). They were not built properly. We had a lot of rain in the last Winter that has caused land slippage. So we know we are going to have to tackle the again. 🙄We are still thinking on that one!
I know you two don't like doing things by halves but, given how much else you have to do, I'd just patch up and paint the front of the house as it is, including the garden wall and front gate etc. You'd see an immediate result and your surroundings would look and feel much better. You can re-render the house later, because maybe that's years away anyway.
As far as the entrance goes, I quite like the staircase, and that too could be fixed up and painted as it is.
The visual problem with it, longer term, is the straight line and steepness of the climb, so a 90 degree turn would be good.
You could also break up the look by adding a modest wooden veranda at the front door level, heading left across the house as you look at the front door, knocking out that bit of bannister/wall. That's then more of a 'landing' and a welcoming feature, as you reach the top of the stairs.
For sure, in the longer term, wrought iron railings and bannisters would look posher and smarter. But where does this project end, haha? Keep going!
Maybe some natural stone or terracotta anti slip tiles at different depths, you can use the thinner ones on the big/taller steps and the thicker tile on the smaller steps, which should level them out a lot and nearly the same depth. Use their unevenness to your advantage. I would tile the vertical part of the step (name escapes me) in a traditional Portuguese tile (paint door and porch wood in a colour that is in this tile). I would then nick the idea further down and add terracotta flower pots with flowers in . Rerender the sides and paint in house colour. the porch using traditional half circle tiles in terracotta and wood. The terracotta theme is then going through and links it all together. The wall and the ballustrade could also be topped with the traditional half circle roof tiles
Kitewinder steps look cool, but are more difficult to walk up. We used them on the stairs to our master suite to use the space we had. They fit the age, 172 years, but remind us daily of our age.
Also, you could possibly correct your step height with different thickness stone treads.
Just paint the stairs taracota color. It looks okay.
If you fit metal rail, you could cap the steps with tiles & level out the steps as you go?? I like the 90’ idea 👍👍🇬🇧🇬🇧
Yes black iron would look great. Love your property.
Use concrete spindles then top it off with a concrete handrail. It'll make it look regal and it is very often used in roman and Portuguese architecture.
I love those staircase curved walls. Would render and paint same colour as house. Make steps even and cover in either Portuguese limestone, terracotta tiles or Portuguese tiles. You can get really nice terracotta tiles just for steps with curved edge that would look lovely.
Level the stairs to where they are all even and go back to the lime quarry you should be able to do wonders with it.
Thanks for info regarding the staircase … plenty of suggestions for you to consider… definitely getting the inside ready for winter takes precedence for now … things usually become clearer when the time is right.
Durban SA 🇿🇦
*Kia ora (hello) Kylie & Guy, I like the idea of keeping the steps and doing them up. But at the top of the steps, can to add to it, by doing a wrap around deck around the house somehow... cos what an amazing view you would have from the deck upstairs overlooking your gardens. That way you can then sit out on it having your meals and drinks. Yep it will be costly, but for your future plans.*
If you can terrace the front area you could lift the bottom landing level say 350mm and create a bottom terrace. That would allow you to fix the stair tread levels to be the same and potentially increase the length of the upper landing as well. At the bottom landing you can then create a steps in the bottom terrace similar to the stairs in the top terrace to the fruit orchard which is only a few metres away. This would probably require almost total deconstruction of the staircase but it would be a very functional layout and keep the same footprint. If you are changing the aesthetics of the balustrade to wrought iron this would require a half deconstruction anyway. The upper and lower terrace could be in exact alignment from the front gate (I think). The whole front area could be landscaped like an internal courtyard. Nice place for cool drink in the summer months too. 😊
I love the old fashioned charm of the stairs and awning, and especially the gate! I’m sure you will do an amazing job as always.
You can do T stairs. At the bottom split to two sides one out and other to garden ...
Buzzing concepts and ideas. Learning from what others have successfully done. Then blending those concepts with your design characteristics. Which are not cast in stone but can change.
I prefer lowering the wall. Adding a metal railing that mirrors the gate pattern. If or when wholly feasible, widen the entrance door landing. Maybe a shaded wall to wall balcony or decked area.
It looks as if there may have been a single wooden post just below the centre of the old canopy, which probably used to serve as a suspension point for a pulley to lift hay or other things to the first floor level, before the concrete stairs were added.
I think the wrought iron balustrade would be a good feature, using local ironworkers to make in the traditional style, and the step difference issue could be overcome by using the highest riser measurement, tiling the step with a traditional clay tile, and then tiling the other steps with sufficient mortar bedding to match the highest riser measurement, thus equalising all the risers/steps.
Even before you mentioned it, I thought replacing the cement bannisters with wrought iron railings would looks so much better. Another poster described the present stairs as "brutal" (referencing brutalism in architecture), and I agree. A turn in the stairs would look good, but it would make the project more time-consuming.
I saw a home not quite as high, but with the same type of staircase and those people made a semi-circular awning over the entrance. Personally I thought it was outstanding for aesthetics and the sheltering of the door.
Welding huh? It's a very good skill to have, id either of you go for it, you might find a local welding shop and take a few days like you did with the flooring to understand how to do the welds right the first time. Redoing, ugh, it's not easy, but doable.
Boa noite.O seu muro não precisa ser deitado abaixo por ser de tijolos vermelhos,Posso dar-lhe a minha sugestão de o forrar a pedra .Vende-se nas lojas de construção pedra natural em paletes para forrar paredes .Foi o que eu fiz cá em casa.Espero ter ajudado.
Lots of good ideas. Another fine video from MDG....thank you.
The original gate is beautiful. Will be nice if you reuse it.
Very pleased to hear your plans to make the stairs less hideous! Like your idea to use wrought iron but would vote to demolish the stairs and have a wroght iron railing on a balcony instead!
Great plans for the future. You both could do with a break to do the fun things. Crack on.😊❤
Make stairway railing to match the iron gate. That's a designer's MUST DO! Do you hear my fairy-wings fluttering? LOL... Doing a scrolled flare at the bottom of the stairway would be nice. More fluttering. ;). Quite honestly, step back and consider the scale of the stairway. Does it match the scale of the house? It looks a bit demuitive to me.
While I look forward to the exterior renovation, I can't help but think that even after moving in, making the interior "not a building site" would probably take precedence over aesthetic improvements outside. But if you're not so bothered by that, then I'll look forward to the exterior transformation. This is going to be such a beautiful home at some point in the distant future.
Paint it white and put Portuguese tiles on steps. If you can take sides off and put black metal rails.
It's called a site plan in English. I'd be circumspect about removing the concrete render, its a huge job for minimal gain once you have to stabilise and re-finish the structure underneath. If the stair riser issue is genuinely difficult/dangerous then perhaps remedy it by tiling on top of the existing treads/risers. Finally, the stair is probably acting to buttress the end wall structurally - so there'll be engineering issues. But ultimately wasn't the point of buying on old vernacular house the charm of its imprecise character? Whatever you choose, good luck.
You have lots of projects ahead!
Hi,
when you get the banisters out and remove the concrete from the sides, also try to remove the concrete on one of the steps.... i think that concrete on the steps/threads is not original, and beneath may be the original stairs, that can maybe even have the steps with less diference between each other!!
That reclaimed wooden door looks nice. A bit of a sanding and paint/stain and Bob is your door.
I love the staircase
Go for the planning permission! You have time.
keep a eye on the lild parkside semi-automatic flux welders
Free stone, we have tons of it cut from an excavated cellar. The pieces are irregular but there's lots of it.
I love your staircase
Is it the planning permission cost that hold you back? If not, maybe it's worth putting in the effort in re-thinking the design of the stairs and add a large balcony? Then when the planning permission is approved, you might be in the "let's do fun projects"-stage? since I'm guessing the approval-time could be quite long.
Depending on who, where etc the planning approval can take years due to regulations regarding older stone buildings. 🙄
@@ninemoonplanet ah, I see. That definitely sucks, but then it might be good to start the process now. They can still go through with some of the current plans as a middlestep. Depending on where the new main entrance is going to be, the stairs could be quite an eyesore.
Hi, good morning dear. I'm watching your video it's really good❤❤❤
Standard steps are 9 inches deep by 7 inches high (23 by 18cm).
Hi guys, I m on holidays in Portugal and yesterday I visited Sertã. Always trying to find your house... but hey oh, impossible.
Search for stone and marble in Montelavar near Sintra.
Iron railings would suit the house so so well... wonderful Idea. I also support Kylie's welding ambitions!!
So if welding is going to be learnt then along with that would be blacksmithing. One of your outbuildings could be turned into a forge where you can smith and weld all day long. Steel railing should have some scroll work incorporated into it, hence the forge. So the fun project would be fixing up one of your outbuildings ready to become a forge and the skills could be learnt over the winter. Oh dear I have said too much. Thanks for posting.
It will be a huge improvement.
I haven't read through the rest of the comments but, wrought iron or 'the welding learning' project would be lovely but, would also get very hot in the summer so maybe wood on top? Just a thought. Love watching your videos and also enjoying the twice weekly thing! Kylie, bloody cold in VIC Aus at the mo but it's looking promising for Thursday we'll have 20'c so, spring is springing lol
Great suff to look forward to as always and the ideas are always the fun part... I also like the sound of getting some welding skills as in an old house those tools and skills are invaluable! 😊😅
you can make a beautiful staircase with red tiles and azulejos (portuguese mosaci tiles) , it basicaly needs just a cosmetic upgrade
I love your projects! Thank you for sharing ♥️
Great ideas for the front area, whenever that happens. I wonder if instead of having to learn how to weld (you guys never go half way) you could look for a used railing at a building surplus or wreckers yard. You might have to still weld a little, but save a little time, too.
In many countries those stairs would be illegal. A break with a landing is required to prevent a fall all the way to the bottom. 90 degree or 180 degree turns are usually expected in the middle.
If you face the steps with stone or tile, can you layer the grout (if that's the right term for whatever glues the facing to the tread) differently such that the steps are evened out a bit? And I'm a big fan of bougainvillea on old masonry houses like yours...maybe on an arbor over the ground floor entrance and up the stair balustrades?
Could you put an arched corridor under the stairs to the garden? Moroccan tavern vibe?
Half the fun is planning...... If you just need to keep the footprint of the staircase I guess you could demolish it and rebuild one in the same space to your liking? Happy planning.
Like idea gut half stairs turn other half following contour of home.easier walk.less chance of slipping.looks nicer.alot work tho.see ya nxt.wk.thnx
Could you flare out the last few steps? It might make the staircase look royal?
Looking so forward to watching this renovation on those front steps.
Timber stairs 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
If you do reface the treads and risers on the staircase...You might want to investigate using mortar to even your step heights. You would need to make an accurate drawing of each of the step heights to see if adjusting the heights is possible. So you don't end up with one tiny step or one giant step. If you're going to invest in a welder, might as well get a cheap metal bender to make those fancy curly spirals. Make your own porch posts with spirals that match the gate!!! Good luck and thanks for your time.
Great ideas, wrought iron, yes! Decorative tiles, yes! Even size steps, yes!
Treads and risers tiled with reclaimed red quary tiles!? 🤔 That would give you the opportunity to even up the difference in the tread heights.
Did you know you can freeze tomatoes whole without washing them and when you take them out, run under water and the peel comes right off .😊
I'd love to see more landscaping/hardscaping.