What is the style for railings these days?

[Anonymous]

We just had our contract accepted on a home. We are planning to do a few upgrades, one of which are the stairway railings. They are currently metal and look old. What's in style these days? Wood to match the floors? Wrought iron? The rest of the house is nice - I wouldn't say super high-end, but definitely very nice finishes. We don't want anything too trendy that will be dated soon, but we don't want to get something that's already dated. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Most new houses seem to have iron.

[Anonymous]

Here are the parts of a stairway:
http://www.designingyourperfecthouse.com/blog/2009/01/designing-stairs-and-steps/

More in than out:
All wood stairway either
* entirely painted white
* ballister and risers painted white, the rest wood
e.g.: http://jenduncan.typepad.com/whats_new/images/2008/06/13/staircase.jpg
or
http://www.sheilazellerinteriors.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/White-Hardwood-Switchback-Staircase.jpg

Mostly wood stairwell with pretty iron ballisters, e.g.,
http://iron-railing-parts.ironwroughts.com/images/wrought-iron-balusters-1.jpg


More out than in:
All wood (especially "blonde") country-style stairwell with no paint, e.g.,
http://steel-staircase-drawings.steelstairss.com/images/wood-stairs-manufacturers-2.jpg
OR
all iron, e.g.,
http://dighomedesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Wrought-iron-stair-rail-design.jpg
OR
"wall to wall" carpeting
http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/davidmartyn/davidmartyn1002/davidmartyn100200237/6447455-stairs-and-stair-carpet-inside-a-newly-modernised-house.jpg
OR
half or full-wall ballister drywall, e.g.,
http://img.ehowcdn.com/article-new/ds-photo/getty/article/83/47/AA037574_XS.jpg


Not for your average house--needs an artistic eye to pull off:
diagonal/horizontal ballisters, e.g.
http://cdn.lightgalleries.net/4bd5ec0a86209/images/applications_07-2.jpg
Acrylic/glass half-wall, e.g.,
http://cdn2.sulitstatic.com/images/2012/0706/053042368_052813736fb2f32cdca2d1c4306e503d102c6a29330b4e01.jpg

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here are the parts of a stairway:
http://www.designingyourperfecthouse.com/blog/2009/01/designing-stairs-and-steps/

More in than out:
All wood stairway either
* entirely painted white
* ballister and risers painted white, the rest wood
e.g.: http://jenduncan.typepad.com/whats_new/images/2008/06/13/staircase.jpg
or
http://www.sheilazellerinteriors.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/White-Hardwood-Switchback-Staircase.jpg

Mostly wood stairwell with pretty iron ballisters, e.g.,
http://iron-railing-parts.ironwroughts.com/images/wrought-iron-balusters-1.jpg


More out than in:
All wood (especially "blonde") country-style stairwell with no paint, e.g.,
http://steel-staircase-drawings.steelstairss.com/images/wood-stairs-manufacturers-2.jpg
OR
all iron, e.g.,
http://dighomedesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Wrought-iron-stair-rail-design.jpg
OR
"wall to wall" carpeting
http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/davidmartyn/davidmartyn1002/davidmartyn100200237/6447455-stairs-and-stair-carpet-inside-a-newly-modernised-house.jpg
OR
half or full-wall ballister drywall, e.g.,
http://img.ehowcdn.com/article-new/ds-photo/getty/article/83/47/AA037574_XS.jpg


Not for your average house--needs an artistic eye to pull off:
diagonal/horizontal ballisters, e.g.
http://cdn.lightgalleries.net/4bd5ec0a86209/images/applications_07-2.jpg
Acrylic/glass half-wall, e.g.,
http://cdn2.sulitstatic.com/images/2012/0706/053042368_052813736fb2f32cdca2d1c4306e503d102c6a29330b4e01.jpg

Wow, thanks PP! This is great. Are you in interior design?

[Anonymous]

[Anonymous]

White 1" x 1" wood pickets and dark wood or glossy black rail. Simple craftsman style box newel posts. Very classic and elegant and will not go out of style.

[Anonymous]

Who do you call to re-do a railing?

[Anonymous]

Why would you go from iron to iron? Money to burn?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here are the parts of a stairway:
http://www.designingyourperfecthouse.com/blog/2009/01/designing-stairs-and-steps/
[snip!]

Wow, thanks PP! This is great. Are you in interior design?

Nope, I just play one on TV.

Knowing the parts of a stairwell is so useful!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would you go from iron to iron? Money to burn?

No...they're older, metal (no idea what kind, but doesn't seem very strong, doubt it's iron?) and painted black. It's the one part of the house that looks cheap. The floors are a light blondish wood - could I still do blond wood top rail and iron vertical bars? Seems like the examples I see use a darker wood on top. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

When you say metal, I'm picturing the ones from the 70s. Right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would you go from iron to iron? Money to burn?

No...they're older, metal (no idea what kind, but doesn't seem very strong, doubt it's iron?) and painted black. It's the one part of the house that looks cheap. The floors are a light blondish wood - could I still do blond wood top rail and iron vertical bars? Seems like the examples I see use a darker wood on top. Thanks!

Yeah, here are some examples. Pretty!

http://www.iron-balusters.com/gallery

[Anonymous]

PS: One thing I would NEVER do is put light rug or runner on your stairwell. You will be CONSTANTLY cleaning it, or fretting over how dingy it looks. If you go with some sort of carpet, select something with a busy pattern or color that hides schmutz.

Or no carpet (which would be my choice).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

A bitch to clean and will soon be outdated!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

A bitch to clean and will soon be outdated!

+1 They already seem outdated. I would go with wood painted white, craftsman style as mentioned by a PP