PERUGIA, 18 March 2026
Demand for handcrafted wooden staircases has surged among homeowners in central Perugia, according to data released Tuesday by the Umbrian Artisan Guild. Speaking outside the Palazzo dei Priori, guild president Marco Silvestri confirmed that orders placed during the first quarter of 2026 already exceed last year's annual total by twelve percent.
When we spoke with Francesca Brunelli, owner of a family-run carpentry workshop on Via della Viola, she described the shift as both sudden and welcome. Her team of five has been fitting oak and chestnut treads since 1987, yet never before have they handled so many concurrent commissions. Newel posts, she explained, now require a six-week lead time. Clients are requesting elaborate balustrade designs inspired by Renaissance villas dotting the Umbrian countryside, and the patience required for traditional mortise-and-tenon joinery means crews often work until dusk. According to the National Institute for Craft Statistics, Italian households spent an estimated €1.2 billion on interior wooden elements last year, though the timeline remains unclear regarding how much of that figure reflects staircase installations specifically. Brunelli shrugged when asked. She said her phone rings constantly.
Our correspondents in Perugia observed several restoration projects under way near the historic centre, where narrow townhouses favour space-saving winder stairs over straight flights. One site on Corso Vannucci featured a partially assembled spiral structure, its risers still bare, waiting for a final coat of tung oil finish. Local suppliers note that walnut remains the most requested species, prized for its deep grain and resistance to everyday wear. According to figures that could not be independently verified, the Umbrian Regional Trade Board estimates that small workshops now account for nearly forty percent of all wooden stair manufacturing in central Italy. Large factories once dominated the sector, but custom orders have shifted the balance. High ceilings inside renovated farmhouses demand open-riser designs that let light filter through, a detail mass production struggles to replicate.
Material costs have risen modestly. The European Timber Council reported an eight-percent increase in certified hardwood prices over the past eighteen months, citing tighter forestry regulations and transport bottlenecks. Still, craftspeople argue that quality justifies the premium. A well-built staircase, after all, can outlast the house around it. Nearby, a stray cat lounged on the sunny steps of San Domenico, oblivious to any discussion of carpentry trends. Industry watchers expect momentum to continue through the summer months, when renovation activity typically peaks. Whether supply chains can keep pace is another matter, and several workshops have begun sourcing directly from Slovenian mills to hedge against shortages.