A Mix of Modern and Traditional

Whether you are a traditionalist or lean more towards contemporary, there are stair parts to fit your design. But a popular trend is to mix the two styles, and although your gut reaction may be to turn away at the thought, it’s a misconception that it looks best to stick to only one style. When done properly and with purpose, the blend of traditional and modern can be an excellent option.

If you like the look of the traditional wood stairs but want a more modern feel, try having wooden treads without the risers. Eliminating risers will give your staircase an airy, open modern feel and look. It will instantly bring your staircase into this century without having to sacrifice the beauty and elegance of the wood treads.

Try mixing materials. Love wood and stainless? Use them both. Try combining wood treads with stainless accents like the handrail and stringer. Another trend is to keep the stairs all hardwood and accent with a stainless steel round bar railing. Stainless steel is a beautiful low-maintenance durable material is an excellent option for modernizing stairs. Another design that homeowners may opt for is a stainless steel glass railing. This design replaces the newels and spindles of wooden handrails with plates of frosted glass that create an effervescent wall leading up your stairway.

You can also quickly update your stairs with iron balusters. Imagine maintaining the integrity of the traditional hardwood but instantly modernizing your staircase. This option also allows for many more design choices as wrought iron balusters come in a variety of styles, designs, and finishes. If you prefer Contemporary Styling, let your imagination run wild with our Design Series wrought iron balusters. This series is used with everything from Mid-Century Contemporaries to the Contemporary Craftsman homes of the west coast. Check out a beautiful use of the Design Series wrought iron balusters in our Photo Gallery. StairPartsUSA.com has also introduced a line of Old World Wrought Iron Balusters. These balusters are made in Europe and reflect both Old World styling as well as more contemporary Euro styles. We offer a wide variety of styles, sizes and shapes in this exciting new lineup. The Old World Wrought Iron Balusters are available in new finishes like Classic Black, Dark Champaign, Warm Nickel, Midnight Bronze, Old World Copper, Shadow Grey, and Wrought Iron Black.

Switch up your newel posts. Box newels are a fantastic options as they are a perfect combination of old world craftsmanship and modern design. Again, this is another great option for updating and modernizing your staircase while maintaining the integrity of the traditional material and design.

Article by Amber Burkhart