Exposed horizontal surfaces with brick are usually not a good idea in areas with snow and freeze/thaw cycles. While there are good quality bricks which don't absorb much moisture, it's the numerous joints that cause a bigger maintenance issue. That's the reason (besides decorative) that the tops of brick walls, etc. have capstones. If you want to do it and live in a northern climate, make sure you select a very good quality brick and keep a good number as spares in your garage for future upkeep. Another option is to combine the materials. For example, those beautiful southern brick stairs pictured above would be northern-fied in the Chicago area by capping the sweep coming down, the top of the posts and the stair treads with Indiana limestone, Lannon stone or similar material. Then there's granite, etc., too. This post was edited by DreamingoftheUP on Thu, Feb 20, 14 at 9:43

LOL. I have a sixteen year old schnauzer male who 'marks' occasionally. I can't tell you how many floor renovations this has cost us, not to mention an antique china closet he has removed the veneer from. It works better than paint thinner. I'll miss him when he goes, pee and all. I can't wrap my mind around solid metal stairs (have seen the open ones), but you know, I think I wouldn't mind it at all. It's one of those things sometimes you're better off highlighting than trying to hide. I am thinking jet black lacquer type enamel. Even old wooden farmhouse stairs have been featured on home decorating magazines done this way with stencil work done on the risers. If you have baseboard trim, don't paint it black. You can buy some decently attractive grit or rubber treads to match and secure with adhesive. Much safer than tred rugs, and the dog won't be so interested since they're not fabric.

We don't have any plans to put a rug in where the transition area is. The area rug we had in there before was on the old wood side. There really won't be anything covering that space. On the step up area (which you don't really see in the picture), we also had some new wood laced in with the old (from the removal of a pony wall). The wood flooring extends from the end of the tile in the kitchen through the rest of the house. There are 2 boards width plus the step down edge and they actually blend a bit better. I assume part of the problem is the large space. @Jan Moyer - this is a great room, and other than the tile kitchen, the rest of the house is wood flooring (sans bathrooms). The step does suck, but we're living with it. The potential to change the stain on the great room floor would accentuate that there is a level change. There are, what I believe, are sander marks anyway, so re-sanding probably needs to happen. Going with some test stain patches is the best way forward I think. At least we'll have a better idea of what we'll have to live with. I'm just hoping we can get some warmth in the floor color without the more dramatic transition change (it is a bit more than what the picture shows but the picture does demonstrate the change).

Thanks everyone! I really appreciate the feedback. I am putting a whole bunch of new photos here. Would love your thoughts on painting all the brick that seems to be questionable. Old pics are first.