My turn for a house remodel question. Redesign this odd stair landing for me.

We bought a house earlier this week, knowing it needs updating and redesign. Luckily it won't be a time crunch so it can be thought about and done the right way. One of the main issues to me is an odd dual landing (for lack of a better description). I have 2 thoughts, but know people here come up with great ideas. One thought is convert it to only face front, and change the left wall to open it up more. Second thought is redesign it completely to come down on the right, blocking the passage on the right and open up the left a good bit. I hope these descriptions make sense. Here's a photo. 

Hard to tell the depth but could it just come down on the left like this?  Then open up all the middle?  

It's hard to tell depth, but can you remove all the steps and just put in a fireman's pole?

Do you have any layout drawings?  It would help to know what is around the three sides and how much room there is to work with, plus the flow.  

In reply to Stampie :

Middle is 1/2 bath and I "think" is a supporting wall, so instead of left I was thinking right, and remove the circled area, the depth is there on either side.

In reply to Sonic :

I'll have some next week. All 3 passages go to the same area, which is why it's odd to me. You could do laps around the middle area if that makes sense. 

WonkoTheSane said:

It's hard to tell depth, but can you remove all the steps and just put in a fireman's pole?

I giggled 

One could place an entire room above where the photographer stood. Any thoughts of that?

It kind of looks like the entrance to the house. Would it be appropriate to have a "grand staircase" that went right up the middle and then open up the sides and eliminate the little 4 step case on the left. 

Does the house have a basement and if so, are the basement steps located directly under the 2nd floor stairs?

Stairs are tricky. There is a lot of math to them. I'd need to see a few dimensions before I could answer the question.   It comes down to rise and run.  
 

A floor plan with a few dimensions, plus the overall height from the first floor to the second floor.

At a glance, it looks like it might be steeper than is currently allowed. That's not a problem until you remove it and start rebuilding it.  It may need more steps than it has. 
 

Without dimensions, the fireman's pole is your best solution! 😂

(EDIT:  The math isn't actually hard, but there are a lot of different guidelines and rules.)

I feel like it was done this way as a cost savings measure that allowed them to avoid a more complex, originally intended, curved staircase.

Could a curved staircase be the solution?

Generic sample

I agree with John.  It looks like a 1980's attempt at a grand entrance.

Do you want a traditional grand entrance, or do you want to modernize?

Stampie said:

Hard to tell the depth but could it just come down on the left like this?  Then open up all the middle?  

If there isn't a basement stair under the existing stair, I would move the powder room and combine Stampie and Skobie suggestions. Open it up.
 

I know people like to have a "grand stair" and high ceilings but increasing useful square footage within an existing footprint is tangibly beneficial.

In reply to OHSCrifle :

I would never give up a volume ceiling in a living room to gain a few feet of oddball square footage, but that's just me. 

This might get expensive...

SV reX said:

In reply to OHSCrifle :

I would never give up a volume ceiling in a living room to gain a few feet of oddball square footage, but that's just me. 

Living room ceiling volume is nice to a point (for me that point is around a story and a half.. more is pointless) but this looks like a foyer.

In reply to OHSCrifle :

Ok. I agree. 
 

But there may be a pitched ceiling up there, or dormers, or tall windows which would make the upper level quite worthless.

I like volume ceilings, and think they add value and appeal at the front entrance (whether it's a foyer or a LR)

Looks like the lens used in the photo might be wide angle. Just looking at it, it doesn't look like you have room to go side to side. If you did away with the outward jog at the top in the middle and tried to go fore and aft, it still looks like you have a lot of rise for the amount of run you would have. How much distance is behind the camera?

The starting point of this really is if you want to maintain a traditional look or modernize.

Then the floor plan dimensions.  
 

If there  is a powder room, pantry, or basement stair under that stair it gets more complicated (and pricey)

I'll try and answer a bunch at once. Yes it's a foyer, yes it's a 1992 attempt at something. The basement stairs are under these, but can be moved if needed. The bathroom can be moved if needed. I like modernized vs grand entrance. No need for an extra room vs the 2 story foyer (house has enough rooms). It's a matter of reasonable fix vs $$ fix. I think the $$ fix is move everything, stairs on one side, open to back. I just think that could be $$$$ fix....

Easy and $ fix is just fill the back landing step like this, which might be close enough. I'm just wondering if there's a middle?

SV reX said:

The starting point of this really is if you want to maintain a traditional look or modernize.

Then the floor plan dimensions.  
 

If there  is a powder room, pantry, or basement stair under that stair it gets more complicated (and pricey)

I'm not a grand staircase person, so modernize is the goal. Basement steps are under the step part, but can be moved. Powder room is big square 0n the non railing side of the steps (hope that makes sense). I'll draw up the plan next week vs trying on an iPad. 

In reply to Steve_Jones :

There's not really a middle.

As soon as you move the stairs it becomes more complicated. Move the lower stairs, deal with headroom issues on the lower level, ducts, framing spans, etc.  You also take on all new flooring in the foyer, drywall work, possibly flooring in the room beyond, electric outlets, etc.

Closing up the rear stair to the landing is simple, and the look can be modernized with new railings (for example glass panels, or cables).

I think it's all or nothing.

First dimension is simple. What’s the overall height from the first floor finished floor to the second?

SV reX said:

First dimension is simple. What’s the overall height from the first floor finished floor to the second?

9 feet from what I remember. I'll be back at the house Tuesday.