I did a similar staircase in a modern (not farmhouse) home.

The spindles are mounted on a closed stringer rather than on the tread, which I think is a bit more modern. We also used Oak risers instead of painted which I think is also more of a MCM look.

@kristin Beautiful. I love that. I definitely like the closed stringer but I wonder how I would accomplish that on the stairs I currently have. I’ll include a pic (although I feel like I’ve spammed this site with picture of my stairs far too much lol) Ignore the railing currently there, it was a bad install and we’re redoing the whole thing and idea.

Also- we are removing the tile from those stairs. Unfortunately the risers are not stain grade so we would have to paint them unless we repair and make them oak. I’m wondering if that’ll run me a pretty penny tho. Might be worth it though to avoid the traditional look.

In your case, a closed stringer may not be possible and/or necessary for a modern design.

I always work directly with stair professionals. Google "stair installers" in your area and schedule a consult with one of them. A qualified firm will be able to help you to know your options. Staircases are one of the trickiest areas for me as a designer. There is a lot of engineering and code issues involved and a good collaboration is so important to work out all of the details.

@kristin I’m working with a really qualified stair and rail professional and an interior designer. Unfortunately, the rail guy is not as artistic/design minded as I’d like. He’s still great in terms of code, engineering, and install. My designer recommended the afformentioned rail but I’m hesitant since I’m trying to avoid the overly saturated modern farmhouse look and stay within the style of the original home. I do wish I started with a railing firm that has a wider range and is more design savvy like you mentioned but I’ve already given a deposit and he’s within my budget so I’m going to work with him and see what we can come up with:

I wonder how I can achieve a closed stringer because my initial reaction to the rail you posted was “ooh I like that”

I think a closed stringer would make the second flight of stairs too narrow to meet current code.

Can you post photos of your home? I think the railing would probably match a mid-century modern home because it is sleek and doesn't have much in the way of traditional ornamentation but, like I hinted at, we really need to see photos of your home and decor to give you a good opinion.

Any of these designs might work for a Farmhouse style.

Being that you have a long run of railing between your floor levels, I don't think the closed stringer will benefit the design and would likely be costly to add. It's just too small of a feature to invest in.

I think you've been looking for inspiration in the wrong places by referencing huge expansive staircases. Search instead for images of split-level modern staircases.

Given the layout of the long rail and short staircases, I think you would be better served with a design using newel posts instead of a continuous hand rail. This is an update we did with stainless spindles and a simple newel:

Or I think a horizontal baluster would work well in your home (they do meet code in my area):

The location of your railing is a wonderful opportunity to create a sculptural piece. I replaced my stair rail with one made by a local metal smith. I love it. I too was going for a midcentury look. It's hard to get a clear picture of it as it's not as front and center or yours, wish it was. The diagonal line is the handrail for the lower stairs, not part of the design.

Here's the original drawing.

I'm getting a strong prison vibe from many of these.

@Fori essentially railings are stair prisons designed to keep people in, no?

@tozmo1 its funny because originally there was a metal railing that we removed because it wasnt safe (height and big spaces). If it would have been tall enough, we would have worked with it and swapped the middle out. I actually created a whole thread about it.

@G E that railing is awesome but I understand the code restrictions. Mine was no opening wider than 4 inches. I see you have more railing than I thought so it could get pricey to have something custom made, but it would look great. Do you still have the railing you removed? Perhaps someone could modify it to meet code i.e. raise it, add a rail at the top or bottom, add more rows of the waves to fill in the middle. Love it.

@tozmo1 i still have the railing. i also didnt want horizontail ballisters brcause it could create sort of a ladder. would i be an idiot if i didnt modify the railing and somehow make it work?

I like the original metal railing. i would be inclined to take that frame and insert a different vertical midcentury baluster. i see several designs available on etsy and google searching. if you have a local metal smith i bet you can come up with a neat design together and have the original redone and reinstalled and painted in your color of choice. i have my original metal railings and they will never get loose or break, nor will they go off trend in a few years.

@Stephanie the problem is the height. They’re only 31 inches high.

@G E interesting dilemma. I wonder if you could keep the original frame, remove the waves and add vertical rectangular "boxes" like this. The top and bottom of the "box" would be above and below the top and bottom rails, adding height. Have you spoken to any metal smiths? You said you're working with a rail professional but do they do custom metal work? Retrofitting the existing might be more expensive than making a new one but you never know. If you go the metal smith route, speak to several. Prices vary widely I've found. If your current craftsperson doesn't do metal, maybe they'd partner with someone who does.

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No matter what you do, I'd keep the original rail and use parts of it as a wall sculpture. Maybe not exactly what I've shown but you get the idea. Lots of wall space to play with.

@tozmo1 I’m bringing the idea to a metal smith because my railing professional doesn’t work with metals. I’ll see what he says! It may just end up costing more. However, I do love the idea of using parts of the old railing as art!! That’s such a brilliant idea.

I think it does.