Oh crud. All you practical people who don't like split skulls and broken legs had to chime in :^) You can't really see it from the pic that includes the family room, but the wood is a perimeter there with carpet in the middle. We like that look and don't really want to put carpet all the way to the step (to provide the visual clue). Also, that wood strip (the one just below the step) is a high traffic area between the back door and door to the garage. We have friends (who have the same model) with the whole family room carpeted and that path on the carpet gets pretty dirty. So, we aren't in favor of any plan that puts carpet or anything else (e.g. bookcase) on that wood strip. We are replacing all of the wood on the upper level with the remodel (if we don't replace, there is a lot of patching that needs to be done because the wood is not currently under the cabinets. It was only $800 more to replace and when the wood was installed by the previous owner, it wasn't properly acclimated and there are large gaps). We can easily do something like Chicagoans suggested: using the wood pattern or stain color to define the edge of the step. Any ideas or pictures of this? Also, I measured the area behind the chairs to the step: 3.5 feet with the chair pushed in. 2.5 feet with someone sitting. 1.5 feet with a normal push the chair out to get up. 1 foot with a bug push the chair out to get up.

Good thoughts so far. Yes, I was amazed at the English Chestnut - it's lovely. I will share pics below. @mclarke - yes, the stairs are high enough that occupancy permit not possible, as others have aluded to. @gmp3 - "high end". to me that's a comparative analysis & tough to say. we are suburbs major metro area - for this area it is average custom build, but compared to some areas of the country yes, it's "high end". I feel blessed even with all the last minute changes & mess. We have had SO MUCH STUFF ripped out & re-done, we are reluctant to ask them to do it again, by request at that. But that might be good idea. DH on his way to pick up small stain cans as we speak to help coordinate colors. If we paint the spindles, to me the red oak will be enough distance from the floor that a small change in hue won't be obvious. (example - manager went thru the other day & noticed that his trim crew had used the wrong base board for over 100 feet of triple-crown molding - so they're ripping that out for a re-do. They neglected to case one of the dining room doorways - so rip out & redo - which also involves moving another whole doorway. One whole door & doorway upstairs changed from 3.0 to 2'8" & moved on the wall because Draw person was clueless, and 3.0 door would not open 90 degrees after door hardware installed (this we noticed, and warned them, but they charged on to finish, rather than ask us "what do you mean by this?") Their garage stairs were not what we specified - so rip out & re-do. Back porch is a poured slab with poured stairs - and framing crew put the support posts per blue-print but did cement guys check the blueprints?? noo... so can't change supports 'cause it'll mess with roof, so poured cement stairs were ripped off & re-poured..... ) *sigh* oh that I could be on site 24x7! oh that people would communicate! oh that people would have actually consulted the plans!! And my GrandFather had a saying "if frogs had wings they wouldn't bump their butts when they hopped". LOL Oh - pics. All wall & painted trim so far Duron's Shell White. And we tried to plastic cover lights & fan motors to protect from wood-floor dust. Coming in the front door (chair rail not painted yet): View from the other side after they'd laid protection for other workers, but you can tell it's high enough for code that railing must be up: So as not to inundate you with images, but this probably the best example of color. Every room the floor looks different because of window & reflections, but it's a cool enough color that it allows the cider-on-cherry cabinets in the kitchen to keep their "cherry" look and not go 'orange':

Here's a pic of the dining room Here's the dining room side of the stringer, stained honey maple to match the baseboard and shoe (the cove base on the underside of the treads is not finished, was thinking making that dark to make it contrast, easier to see for older folks) And here's a really bad pic of the bottom riser that I finished, the shoe mould came out really light even with 2 coats of gel stain so I just poly'd this riser, no stain. Maybe that was a mistake. But all the other risers, and the foyer side of the stringer, haven't been touched yet. I got my rail brackets today and I love them! http://store.horseshoe-hardware.com/19530.html Thanks for the nice words about my "money pit". We built on 97 acres that's been in my family for 95+ years (my great-uncle says his father and grandfather bought it March 1913, but didn't move til end of April when he was 2 weeks old, so he wasn't born here but close). My uncle bought the neighbors' house 30 years ago, then his uncle sold him about 17-18 acres, my other uncle bought land across the street, my cousin now owns the 1743 farmhouse, barn and 5 acres. I ended up with the back acreage no one else wanted, no frontage, 96 acres in 1 town, 1 acre in another with a rightofway for driveway. So we're building hopefully to stay in the family, wanted it modern and comfortable but definitely "farm". We have so many (falling-down) stone walls in the woods, I figured I'd fill under the porch with rubble from ledge busted up where we built. Eventually we'll clear more and try to restore some of the stone walls that are close to the backyard. DH built some stone retaining walls and a staircase near the back slider, might have to move the top 2 steps since they're too close to the house but I'll post pics of those some time.

olychick, sorry I should have explained better. We are thinking of adding what I guess is called a railing bar??? Not really sure what to call it, but it would be a ledge big enough to sit and eat a small meal, have a snack or a drink. Maybe use your laptop or read a book. Thinking no more than 12" deep. Then we would get a few stools. People could sit and look out at the yard or turn and face the other regular chairs. DH could also stand at the bar with his coffee which is what created this issue to begin with, ha ha. I have never seen this in person. DH doesn't mind adding to the deck but doesn't want to deconstruct. Plus I think he is intrigued by this idea. As said both him and our son came up with this idea independently on the same day. They both will insist on taking full credit if we pull it off, lol. DH who built the deck and half the house said it is doable to put brackets that would support granite. Hoping to go look at remnants soon. We will certainly find some good chairs but I am less concerned as I was before. I envision going on the deck and sitting at the bar having a drink and then moving to one of the regular comfy chairs to chat. I get the view and comfort. Sometimes we are on the deck at night and there is nothing to see so I would not want to be sitting at the bar then.