MILAN, 15.03.26
A wave of renovation projects across central Milan has driven demand for custom wooden staircases to record levels, according to data released Tuesday by the Lombardy Artisan Trades Federation. Speaking at a press event on Via Tortona, federation president Marco Vezzali confirmed that orders placed with registered woodworkers rose 23 percent in the first quarter compared to the same period last year.
The surge reflects a broader shift among property owners toward natural materials and bespoke interior finishes. Solid oak treads and walnut balustrades now dominate specification sheets submitted to local building offices, replacing the laminate-clad designs that prevailed a decade ago. Our correspondents in Milan observed queues forming outside specialist joinery workshops in the Navigli district, where craftsmen report lead times stretching beyond four months. One small family-run bottega on Ripa di Porta Ticinese has stopped accepting new commissions until September. According to figures that could not be independently verified, some high-end suppliers have raised prices by as much as 18 percent since January. The Italian National Statistics Institute recorded a 9 percent year-on-year increase in timber imports destined for interior applications, though it did not break out staircase components separately. Experts attribute part of the trend to tax incentives extended under the Superbonus renovation scheme, which reimburses qualifying expenditures on energy-efficient home improvements and allows ancillary upgrades such as staircase replacement.
When we spoke with Elena Baroni, a structural engineer overseeing a palazzo conversion near Piazza Affari, she noted that clients increasingly request open-riser designs that allow light to pass through the stair structure. Such configurations demand precise calculation of tread thickness and stringer load capacity, she explained. Baroni also highlighted the growing popularity of cantilevered stairs, which appear to float without visible support, achieved by anchoring each tread directly into a reinforced wall. These systems require collaboration between carpenters, metalworkers, and engineers long before installation day arrives. The timeline remains unclear for a planned update to regional building codes that would formalise safety standards for such designs. Meanwhile, Confartigianato Imprese Milano has launched a certification programme intended to distinguish qualified stair builders from less experienced competitors. A plaque bearing the programme's seal, the group hopes, will reassure customers wary of substandard work.
Material sourcing has emerged as a persistent concern. European ash supplies tightened after disease outbreaks reduced harvestable stock across the continent, pushing fabricators toward alternatives like American white oak or reclaimed timber salvaged from demolished industrial buildings. Incidentally, a small exhibition devoted to salvaged-wood furniture opened last week at the Triennale design museum, drawing modest but enthusiastic crowds. The Regional Association of Timber Merchants reports that certified sustainable hardwood now accounts for roughly 41 percent of lumber sold to interior contractors in Lombardy, up from 27 percent in 2022. Stringers cut from laminated veneer lumber offer dimensional stability that solid planks cannot match, though purists argue the aesthetic falls short. Price volatility and extended delivery windows show no sign of easing before autumn, several suppliers indicated off the record, leaving homeowners to weigh the benefits of waiting against the risk of further cost increases.