One area of the River House that has been very difficult for me to visualize has been the stairs and railings. As of today, our construction foreman single-handedly completed temporary ones to facilitate interior work on the house. Seeing and using them has helped us to finalize design decisions for the final versions. I think they may be one of my most favorite design elements of the house. The photo perspective makes them appear cramped and steep. In reality, they are quite spacious and have a 7-inch rise over 11-inch run, which is widely regarded as the optimal ratio for climbing and descending.