Staircase Vastu: direction, steps and space under the stairs

This guide is for anyone building a house, planning a duplex or checking an existing staircase. It covers the direction, which way the stairs should turn as you climb, the number of steps, what to do with the space under the stairs, spiral stairs, and why stairs in the centre of the home are avoided. If your stairs are already built, the adjustments at the end are non-structural.

Which direction suits the staircase

Vastu treats the south and west as the heavy, closed sides of a home and the north and east as the light, open sides. A staircase adds weight and height, so it goes where weight is welcome.

The clockwise climb and the number of steps

The most common advice is that stairs should turn clockwise as you climb. In practice that means you climb from north to south or from east to west, and at each landing you turn right. Stairs that turn anti-clockwise going up are commonly avoided.

For the number of steps, an odd number is commonly preferred in each flight or in total, so that you step onto the floor above with the same foot you started with. Many consultants simply ask for an odd count rather than a particular figure. Steps should be of even height and depth, firm underfoot and well lit, with a sturdy railing.

What to keep under the stairs

The space under a staircase is low and sloping, and Vastu treats it as a place for things, not for activities. Storage is the usual answer. These are the common dos and don’ts:

• Good: storage for luggage, seasonal items, tools and cleaning things, kept tidy
• Good: a shoe cupboard, if it has doors
• Avoid: a pooja space or mandir
• Avoid: a kitchen or cooking area
• Avoid: a toilet
• Avoid: a study desk or a place where someone sits for long hours

Spiral stairs, stairs in the centre and near the door

Spiral staircases are commonly avoided inside the home. If one is needed for space, many consultants suggest placing it in the south-west and making it climb clockwise. Outside the home, for roof access, the same rule about direction applies.

Stairs in the centre of the home, the Brahmasthan, are traditionally avoided because the centre is kept open and light for the whole house. A staircase that starts or ends right in front of the main door is also commonly avoided. In a duplex flat you rarely choose the stair position, so the adjustments below are what most people use.

Adjustments without rebuilding

• For stairs in the north-east, many consultants suggest keeping them light in colour and weight, well lit and completely free of storage
• A heavy cupboard or planters in the south-west of the home are commonly suggested to balance stairs in a light zone
• Where stairs face the main door, a screen, curtain or plant between them is often suggested
• Good lighting on every landing and a clean, uncluttered stairwell are commonly suggested for any staircase

These are traditional practices that many families follow. They vary between Vastu schools; for your own home, a consultant can say which matter most.

Related Vastu guides

• Vastu directions: Deity, planet, element and the right rooms for each of the eight directions, and how to find them at home.
• Plot Vastu: Plot facing, shape, slope, roads and soil: what Vastu commonly checks before you buy or build.
• Pooja room Vastu: The best direction for the pooja room or mandir, idol placement, and a pooja corner for small flats.
• Vastu remedies without demolition: Room use, colours, light, clutter, mirrors, plants, salt and yantras: traditional fixes, and when to rebuild.
• Main door Vastu: The best directions for the main door, where it sits on the wall, and what to keep out of its way.

Your personal best directions come from your Kua number. Check your whole home with the house Vastu calculator, see whether your house number suits you, and find your lucky number. More tools: all free calculators.