Just because you love something doesn't mean you need it in your life. In my own build, I've had to surrender a lot of individual elements that I like for the sake of the overall look and harmony of the space. I think the beaded doors and wide plank floors are fine, but the metal ballusters will strike a dissonant note unless they are very carefully chosen. BTW: I'm in the same position as you: building a new home on a cattle ranch that's been in the family for over a century. My design scheme was [or is, still not finished] was to create an exterior that looked as though it could have been built at the turn of the last century, which in my part of the world means a blend of rustic and elegant materials-- arch top windows in cedar gables, for instance. For the interior, I want it to look as though it could have been decorated pre-1930, with only a little updating since. So basically, it all has to look as though it could have been purchased in that sort of time frame-- bathroom sinks and faucets, light fixtures, railings, floor. So far, it seems to be coming together very nicely.

We're building and doing no carpet. I've thought of putting a runner down the middle of the stairs eventually if we need the softness. But we're starting off bare. We're doing the balusters directly on the treads. Our friends had carpet on their stairs for a few years and just spent a lot of money to have their staircase redone so it's all wood and no carpet. Their carpet had been wrapped around the entire tread and riser, etc. so the baluster was directly on the carpet. They grew to hate it because of the wear and a family member that developed allergies. It was not an easy process to have redone.

Wow, newhomebuilder, thankyou! I love your home and mine can't even compare to yours. I actually posted a photo of the outside recently..something tiled "need help with exterior trim" I think if you click on the photo above it will bring you to my photobucket photos. It was a dump when we bought it and my husband re-did everything..kitchen, 4 baths, porches, basement apt. for my mom. It's hard when you try to redecorate with what you have. Change one thing, and it throws off everything else.It's like the domino effect! I am trying to do the best with as little money as possible. I finally got rid of the old owner's navy blue with rose colored flower runner. It was hideous and went with nothing, but my daughter's upcoming wedding was a good excuse to talk my husband into getting rid of it.

I encourage you to live with it for awhile before you decide on anything. I had the same situation in carpet against my marble when I built 14 years ago but I lived with it until just last year when I tore out the carpet and got laminate. I would hate to see you paint the stained wood on your stairs. I think the balance is striking against the white and once it's painted it is VERY difficult to go back. As suggested, when you replace the carpet, that would be the time to use get a closer match to flooring which I agree would look nicer. Since the floor appears darker, a good sanding on the rail and stairs with medium grit paper would remove the varnish/poly and some stain and you could then darken it to match the flooring. Until then, consider adding some accents that bring out the golden oak color and "justify" that wood color in the foyer. Perhaps a small table or bench or anything that compliments the color of the stairs. Over time, I can assure you that it will become less predominant (as you have found) and your eye will focus more on the total impression. Also, you could provide a more spectacular focal piece in that area that draws the eye in a different direction. JMHO.