A Second-Generation Family-Owned Business
50 years, from 1969 - 2019

We are a second-generation family-owned business. Bob DuCharme started Designed Stairs in 1969.

Like most stair companies, Designed Stairs was initially focused on installing stairs, and parts were purchased from other companies. After many incidents of parts coming in late, or not meeting our quality standards, we started manufacturing our own. Today we are a full service custom mill manufacturer. Each part is made to the highest level of precision, which was our first step in improving stair parts.

In 1981 we incorporated under the name of DESIGNED STAIRS, INC. (DSI). The name was chosen to reflect the fact that we RE-DESIGNED stairs as we knew them. If you look outside the Midwest you will still see companies using inefficient or outdated methods. DSI continues to lead the development of the stair industry in the Chicagoland. 

We are the largest stair builder and manufacturer in the Chicagoland, and the leader for high-end stairs. We employ 40 individuals who have a combined stair experience of nearly 700 years. Nowhere else in the world can you find the level of stair expertise that is under our roof. 

From the beginning, Bob DuCharme instituted a culture of learning, growth, and problem solving. Whether we are making custom parts or designing stairs, our focus is always on how we can do this efficiently, to a higher degree of accuracy, and with the greatest aesthetic appeal. The foundational principles that Bob put in place 50 years ago still ring true today. These principles are what continue to set us apart.