Add a newell post? Switch to wood hand rails?
I could use some advice about the main stairwell of our 1970 development house! Should we replace its metal handrails with wood handrails, complete with a classic recessed panel newel post?
The other day, I saw that a neighbor's contractor had made this change, and now I can't get it out of my mind!!! Especially since I grew up in a 1920s house with a classic oak newel post...so it's triggering fond childhood memories. We'll probably sell this house in about two years, so I won't have long to enjoy this improvement if we pursue it, but perhaps it might also mean something in terms of resale to eliminate the cheap-looking metal rails, which seem like a detracting feature to me.
(I never liked them.) The exterior of our house is more or less Colonial, with a traditional, slightly transitional internal styling.
I'd probably want a recessed panel newel post stained to match the stairs and floor which are red oak, and handrails the same, with the balusters painted white. I am undecided about the baluster shape but the simple square ones seem cleanest and the best pairing with the kind of newel post I want. The current trend for white-painted risers is one we'll skip -- too irreversible for me! I've included three photos our our stairwell and a couple from the web.
Any advice is welcome!
Comments (8)
Karenmo
3 years agoPatricia, I wish I had snapped a photo to show how my neighbor's contractor used the newel post for the wood hand rail on the upper part of their stairway! Instead, I tried to sketch it in my photo; see below. They removed the entire metal assembly, including switching to wood spindles.
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User
3 years agoUnless your move date is iron-clad, for sure, etc., people often stay in a home longer than they imagine which would give you more time to enjoy the handrail and bannister you so clearly want. To help you decide 1) get a contractor’s quote to affine (you can demo and remove the current stuff yourself) and 2) here’s photos of an oak handrail to help you visual that section of your stairwell. And I agree, painting risers white would work well in your space too.
Karenmo thanked UserKarenmo
3 years ago
Patricia Colwell Consulting