I think it really depends on the architectural style of your home. Ten, fifteen years ago EVERY custom home in my area had those Tuscan-looking iron balusters. We designed and built our home 8 years ago and many people still used them, but I instinctively felt white wooden balusters would be more appropriate in our traditional home. I am very pleased that I made that choice because not only is it more appropriate architecturally, I feel many styles of iron balusters are not a current, fresh look. (Plain ones can look very nice in a modern setting.)

Not sure which is more stable...I would think a well-built staircase of either material would be sound. We’ve has no problems with our wooden balusters becoming loose.

Rather than "the way to go these days", design the stairs to reinforce the design of the house. There is no reason to think one would be more stable than the other. My wood stair railing is 127 years old and doing fine.

If you want input on your particular situation, you need to give us info on your home. Photos or architectural drawings of how the stairway fits into the surrounding spaces and what the interior and exterior look like as far as style are both important. Iron spindles would look silly in my 100+ year old farmhouse, but iron looked fine in the generic suburban 50’s house I grew up in; we don’t know what you have. It is the style of the home that matters most rather than whether the age of the building is new or old, or what is popular. Structurally, as long as both are properly installed, they will be fine.

Obviously both are done now and have been for many years. I do think wood is more in style now. That should not really matter of course.

There are vastly different styles and flavors in BOTH materials,, Nobody can hazard a guess minus information /photos as to the style of YOUR home, and your plans for that home. Know this: appropriateness matters: ) Which is why nobody can answer minus much more information.

OK, Jan makes a good point...but...I'll simply close my eyes and suggest...

White wood balasters and a dark hand rail. Timeless. Always in style. Always admired. Strong.

Don't fall for the metal stuff.

Virgil makes a point Sort of. But faced with a selection of possibilities....................one will seem more suitable than another. Hits and misses if you will, as any design of anything is a compilation of cohesive elements.

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Well the house is in the process of a remodel, older home say about 100+ years transitioning to a open floor plan. As shown in the pictures below, the run isn't too long but there were wooden balusters there previously.

Wood. Simple shape.

any of these styles would work.

black on black, w/black risers, wood treads

more industrial/modern

this would look nice. I like the tongue and groove planks for the wall behind, and right in front of the stairs.

Interesting. The iron we had was way harder to dust than simpler wood. Only 1 child but he will be the one painting the balusters if he somehow creates an issue.

Obviously stained wood would be more durable.

I think I'm leaning towards the wood look, the next question would be round or square spindles? Any suggestions, pros/cons?

Simple round or square would be fine. With the brick wall I wouldn’t want any elaborate balusters.

Wood or metal? My husband and I had that question when we were planning our stairs. I looked through Houzz and saw a couple of examples of balusters that used both, so that's what we did! It wasn't so much what was in 'style,' but more, what would make it like the rest of our home - it was very US.

It was the firs time he had made a stairway, and it was made in such a way that we can take down the railing, newel posts, and balusters to stain them, and stain the stairs too.

We live in a 1915 house, with Craftsman tendencies.

Should never do what you perceive to be "on trend" or what HGTV says. Trends are cyclical, short/long, good/bad. To make it worse, people's opinions differ because 99% of this these decisions are subjective. People will be much happier and make more timeless decisions of they went with their gut and stayed consistent