If a staircase were a room, it would probably be one of the must utilized rooms in a home.  Well, at least in my home, where dogs, kids and even myself are constantly on the move from one floor to another.  A staircase does not have to be strictly utilitarian these days.  Rather, a staircase can be as much as a statement piece as a work of art.  The following staircases are prime examples of the variety and ingenuity of the modern staircase.

These next few staircases were featured in Chicago Home + Garden.  All are from Chicago area homes that really take it to the next level.

And here are some examples of staircases from projects of our own at Buckingham I + D.

Here are some other interesting examples I found on the Elle Decor/Met Home website.

This is actually from a Chicago area home I featured in a post a few months ago!