I'd try to match the handrail with other woodwork in the house, not the floor. Think of the treads as floor and the railing as trim. I don't have pictures but my last home had lightish oak floors (and stair treads) but the rails, balusters, moulding, stringers, door trim, picture rails, etc., were all very dark something. Of course new homes usually don't have dark wood trim, and painted is more common and not a great choice for a rail. You might have to take inspiration from other things you have. Anyway, unless you have one of those houses from the 80s where everything that can possibly be wood is light oak, there is absolutely no reason to make your railing the same as the treads.

A-hah - that's a horse of another color! If you are doing this for sale, I'd recommend: White cabinets with brushed nickel hardware and glass doors in the upper cabinets on the far right and far left. Black quartz (Silestone or Cesarstone or the like) countertops. An oversized undermounted stainless sink. (If you're interested I have a great source for those). White subway tile with hardly any grout line from countertop to cabinet bottom on the stove wall. Mid-toned (cherry or maple stained) oak floors. Warm gray walls. Carefully thought out ambient and task lighting. I know - snore - but it's classic, fresh, attractive to virtually everyone, flexible, neutral, and clean.

Not everyone who is a painter/handyman is a good wood finisher. I have seen and repair many jobs by so-called painters that turned out just terrible. But there are some painters who will do fine. I have no way to know which you have. Whoever does this, make sure they can get it right. It is much cheaper to get it done right the first time than to have to re-do it. (As an example, a painter insisted he knew what we was doing and resulted in requiring the general contractor to strip out and rebuild an entire room of custom cut molding, doors, windows, and a wall of built-ins for a library.) I have no idea what "water-popping" is, unless they mean raising the grain with water then sanding down. I believe this is unnecessary and a waste of time, as you should be sanding after the first coat or two of finish anyway. In addition, Minwax 225 Red Mahogany is one of their darker stains that is quite heavy in pigments. So much so that the binders have a hard time holding it down. Read some of their cans to see that this color is singled out. If this does not make sense, just say, it can be tricky to get it to look right and not smear off with your top coats. We're also assuming that the woods used for each are the same or somewhat compatible. Is there no way you could get one of the more competent floor finishers to do a moonlighting job?

OK, you all have convinced me to eliminate the oak look of the risers. While I'm too conservative to paint them, I'm thrilled with the many options for stick on riser decals that can be readily removed, including one with the pattern I've been nuts about for ages! It's called Astra, here. BUT -- back to the newel post/handrail for the upper section of this stairway.....previous comments were that we don't have the open wall for the spindles and we have no place for a newel post. I need to understand if the change I want to make isn't feasible, when it seems to me like it should be...please helps!