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Architect's Toolbox: Aim High with Interior Railings
Expressive, evocative railings can take your stairs to new heights
Stairs, balconies, porches and more all have railings to protect people and to make it easier to climb a stair or to lean when taking in a view. These are the functional needs of an interior home railing. And building codes will dictate the minimum standards for how a railing is to accomplish these functions.
Yet railings are so much more. A well-designed, well-made and carefully considered railing adds charm, whimsy, craft and style to a project. And though there's nothing wrong with selecting standard parts from a catalog, developing a unique railing that evokes something about yourself and what you like, whether it's made of wood, metal, glass, plastic or another material, is rewarding.
Just remember to make sure your railing complies with your local building codes. No sense in having fun if you're not being safe too!
Yet railings are so much more. A well-designed, well-made and carefully considered railing adds charm, whimsy, craft and style to a project. And though there's nothing wrong with selecting standard parts from a catalog, developing a unique railing that evokes something about yourself and what you like, whether it's made of wood, metal, glass, plastic or another material, is rewarding.
Just remember to make sure your railing complies with your local building codes. No sense in having fun if you're not being safe too!
Wood spindles are a really common rail choice. A nice thing about wood is that it can be cut into so many shapes and forms, like a paddle. The owner of this home must be a boater, or maybe the house is located on a lake. Whatever the case, this railing isn't typical and is all the more appreciated because of that.
Simple wood slats in a frame make for an easy-to-build and economical railing. The small cutouts provide that little touch of detail that makes the railing special.
This rail makes me think of Duchamp's "Nude Descending a Staircase." The shape and form of the spindles really give a sense of that cubist figure winding her way down the stairs.
Metal is another great material for a stair rail. These metal rails are so expressive of movement, creating the feeling of waves cascading down the stairs.
This metal rail also gives that sense of movement.
Rather than expressing movement and energy, these metal rails celebrate the connection of part to part.
Here's a rail that really marries the possibilities of wood and metal in a cost-effective way. The perforated metal screen enriches what would be just a plain railing.
Another favorite is the metal pipe rail. These types evoke images of the decks of great cruise ships.
For contemporary interiors the glass rail seems to be the norm. The light and transparency allow the geometry of the stair itself and the space all around to come through.
The stair can now be one large sculptural element floating in the space.
All those hands grabbing at the railing will certainly leave a few smudges. I'd have to be constantly wiping down and cleaning the railing like it's my iPhone.
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All those hands grabbing at the railing will certainly leave a few smudges. I'd have to be constantly wiping down and cleaning the railing like it's my iPhone.
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Maybe a more forgiving material, like a translucent glass, would be more appropriate for folks like me.
Translucent glass works especially well in an application where the overall feel is more about light and not transparency.
Another approach to building a rail is to let it rise from stair to ceiling. This encloses the space of the stair, making it into a room.
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See more of this house
The room created can be more open. The metal screen here is a thin, gossamer-like material that defines the stairs but doesn't block them off.
Railings can also be made of found materials that were collected onsite.
More Architect's Toolbox: Scale and Proportion
More:
10 High Designs for the Handrail
Keep Your Balance: Cool Railings
More Architect's Toolbox: Scale and Proportion
More:
10 High Designs for the Handrail
Keep Your Balance: Cool Railings