Kyal and Kara’s Block ‘dilemma’ and their stunning statement stairs

The Block stars Kyal and Kara Demmrich reveal their brand new project and tell why a second appearance on the hit TV show has them feeling conflicted.

Former contestants of The Block Kara and Kyal Demmrich have a stunning helical stair at home.

Former Block contestants Kyal and Kara Demmrich haven’t ruled out a second appearance on the hit renovation show almost a decade on from their 2014 stint.

When asked whether they would do The Block again, Kyal says they’re in two minds.

“It would be hard with the kids, you think about your babies so much,” Kyal says.

The busy and thriving duo has been building and creating inspiring homes and interiors since their debut – with their Toowoon Bay property, called The Lagoon House, the absolute showpiece, and featuring a helical stunning stair.

Kyal and Kara Demmrich's Toowoon Bay home.

“The funny thing is, we didn’t originally plan a helical staircase, we had planned on something a bit boring and traditional, but we had the space to be a little more adventurous,” says Kyal, one half of the very successful team from the 2014 season of The Block, and now frequent guests on TV renovation programs.

Their statement staircase (above) is the centrepiece of their warm and wonderful home in NSW.

Of course, Kara is thrilled with the end result. “She’s stoked and the kids love it too,” says the very proud dad of two littlies aged four and six.

The curved stairs are a focal point.

“They literally hang onto the side of it with a slippery jumper and slide down.”

The couple contacted supplier Enzie Stairs and commissioned the staircase to be built in a modular fashion in Melbourne.

The couple is characteristically flat out and often seen buzzing around Toowoon Bay in their beloved Mazda B50 truck, piling on supplies for a massive new duplex build.

Kyal laughs at the reference.

“My BT50 is probably one of the most valuable tools in my kit!” says the builder, who

never stops looking for the next great idea.

Their build can be seen on their Kyal and Kara YouTube channel, including the hiccup with the paint choice for the staircase.

“I was like, no way! That’s not going on my staircase,” recalls Kyal.

A renovation of a semi detached Federation by architect Shaun Carter from Carter Williamson. Picture: Ben Guthrie.

Kara agreed and the two of them discovered a unique painting and trowelling technique that has resulted in a perfect finish for the stair.

But if not a helical stair, what would have been their second choice?

“It would have been something along the lines of floating treads, maybe with a structural stringer up the sides, but really nice, big solid timber treads straight up,” Kyal says.

“I think that’s a really nice modern look.”

The tried and true Hamptons style home has become a favourite in Australia.

TIPS FOR CHOOSING A STAIRCASE

Thinking of going up in the world and adding a second storey? Or doing a renovation? Or even buying a house with an existing but unattractive staircase?

There’s a lot to consider in designing and paying for a new staircase – in fact you could say (apologies in advance) there are quite a few steps in the process.

Early research will naturally lead you to look at staircases online. You may be seduced by floating staircases or the quirky spiral, but no matter which you prefer, your builder or architect will bring you down to earth with some home truths.

Stairs can really make a statement.

BE A STAIR MASTER

Staircase terms alone, such as ‘the going’, ‘the volute’ or ‘a cut string’, are like a foreign language – but you have to know the jargon to understand what you’re paying for, and to grasp the latest detailed National Construction Code that came into effect on May 1 this year.

Staircases must slope at an angle of between 20 degrees and 45 degrees, you must have a headroom at all times of 2m, the step has to extend the entire width of stairway and you have to be able to actually see the step.

For those of us who failed trigonometry, a flight of stairs presents a lot of dreary calculator work, and for those in the business, there’s a lot of work to go around.

There are many style considerations.

The Stair Factory in Sydney, for instance, installs one staircase every day, according to office manager Noelene Ticehurst. Of the very many timber staircases they produce, it is the Hamptons style that is the most popular at the moment – all timber with square balustrades and usually with the tread overlapping the riser.

“And they are dearer, so it’s not cost, it’s the look they’re after,” says Ticehurst, who agrees that pricing a staircase is very hard, but suggests in very general terms one should budget at least between $3000 and $12,000 for the job.

Kyal and Kara Demmrich's showpiece helical stair.

STYLE MATTERS

Every style, and there are plenty, all have pros and cons.

A tight spiral staircase takes the least amount of floor space, but also requires a certain skill to traverse. An ‘open’ stair has no upright riser, so appears to float, but blinding glare from upward ambient light should be considered as a possible con.

Lightly polished timber treads, with white risers (usually with a glass balustrade) are the epitome of easy elegance – but consider possible slips.

The stairs look like a seashell from above.

However, in every case, a staircase offers any room a layout anchor – a moment in the design of a house that has a chance to speak volumes about the owners.

A chance to make a design statement.

Kara and Kyal say their kids love the stairs too.

Originally published as Kyal and Kara’s Block ‘dilemma’ and their stunning statement stairs