{"id":10154,"date":"2024-05-03T15:09:23","date_gmt":"2024-05-03T15:09:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/?p=10154"},"modified":"2024-05-03T15:09:23","modified_gmt":"2024-05-03T15:09:23","slug":"anyone-knows-what-this-could-be-we-moved-into-our-new-home-and-discovered-these","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/?p=10154","title":{"rendered":"Anyone knows what this could be? We moved into our new home and discovered these."},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/IMG_0695-257x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"257\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-10155\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/IMG_0695-257x300.png 257w, https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/IMG_0695.png 343w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 257px) 100vw, 257px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>A distinctive architectural feature known as witches\u2019 stairs gained attention on TikTok a couple of years ago, sparking curiosity due to its unusual design. Despite its intriguing name, the history behind these stairs defies superstition, proving to be both functional and visually appealing. Contrary to popular belief, witches\u2019 stairs aren\u2019t rooted in superstition. They serve a practical purpose, especially in homes with limited space, often found in attics, lofts, and tiny houses. Architects refer to them as \u2018alternate tread stairs,\u2019 designed to optimize space while facilitating movement between floors. Witches\u2019 stairs feature narrow steps staggered to save space, providing functionality without sacrificing safety. Additionally, they can serve as storage areas for books or decorative items. These stairs meet building codes and safety standards, with residential versions typically spanning 27 to 30 inches in width, narrower than standard staircases. In 1985, entrepreneur J.M. Lapeyre patented a metal version of witches\u2019 stairs, originally conceived as a safer alternative to ladders in commercial and warehouse settings. The design, also known as ship stairs or alternate tread stairs, found utility in various industries beyond residential use. Despite urban legends associating witches\u2019 stairs with 17th-century Massachusetts and the Salem witch trials, historical evidence contradicts these claims. The true origins remain somewhat obscure, but there\u2019s no basis for the belief that these stairs were intended to deter witches.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/IMG_0696-195x300.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"195\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-10156\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/IMG_0696-195x300.webp 195w, https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/IMG_0696.webp 634w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 195px) 100vw, 195px\" \/><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/IMG_0697-207x300.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"207\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-10157\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/IMG_0697-207x300.webp 207w, https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/IMG_0697.webp 707w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 207px) 100vw, 207px\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A distinctive architectural feature known as witches\u2019 stairs gained attention on TikTok a couple of years ago, sparking curiosity due to its unusual design. Despite its intriguing&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10155,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10154","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10154","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10154"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10154\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10158,"href":"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10154\/revisions\/10158"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10155"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10154"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10154"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10154"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}