The Disappearing Staircase

The title sounds like a Nancy Drew mystery, doesn't it? Remember the small landing at the top of the stairs? And the thick half wall that wrapped around the opening? GONE! We hated that maze-like layout since we moved in. It's such joy to now have that area as usable space.

The master bedroom door is on the right and
Cole's bedroom door is directly across from it.   

The door is to the boys' bathroom. You can see the narrow pathway around
the stairs by the brown paper held down by blue tape.

This picture shows the awful diagonal cut in the hallway.
The boys' bathroom is on the left and Jay's bedroom door is on the right.

The effect downstairs is just as dramatic! The boys love to go through the old closet door into the dining room.

I was a little worried that going through the laundry room to get to the stairs would feel awkward, but, from the beginning, it seemed completely natural. Moving the stairs has been the most dramatic change. What a transformation!