Staircase Balustrades as Design Features
Up until a few years ago, most people considered balustrades as little more than a safety feature: something to hold onto when ascending ordinary domestic stairs and to stop you from falling over the side when you were feeling a little the worse for wear. Nowadays, however, many industry professionals and homeowners consider staircase balustrades as a bona fide design feature in both new and refurbished properties.
A traditional balustrade is comprised of a base rail and a handrail, in between which are the balusters, which are fixed to the base rail and support the handrail. Over the last few centuries they have mainly been manufactured from wood, with various types of stone used in grander residences and outside staircases. As we move into the 21st century, more innovative designs are coming onto the market, some of which do not even feature separate balusters as such. Glass balustrades, which are often just comprised of large glass panels with posts in between, are becoming very popular with fans of contemporary design, and wire balustrades, which do feature individual balusters, are also gaining traction among fans of modern design and architecture.
Choosing Staircase Balustrades for Your Home
Whether you should be looking for something traditional, something completely modern, or something in between – perhaps a modern twist on an original design – will depend on a number of factors, including your personal preferences, the type of property in which you live, and the type of interior décor you have in your home.
- Standard Contemporary Interiors – A modern home with a relatively standard décor lends itself to a number of different balustrade design choices. Glass panels topped with a solid wooden handrail would blend in very well in such an environment, as would modern wire balustrades, with handrails made from marine grade stainless steel. Another option would be to combine the two looks and install glass panels with quality stainless steel handrails.
- Period Properties with Authentic Interiors – The only sensible choice for an Edwardian or Victorian-style home is traditional wooden balustrades, with shaped balusters, a base rail and a handrail.
- Ultra-Modern Interiors – If you are aiming to create an ultra modern look and feel in your home, glass and steel balustrades are both excellent choices. You could also mix the two, as outlined in the section above on standard contemporary interiors. If you have a spiral staircase, you might like to consider one solid sheet of metal or plastic, moulded into the perfect shape for your stairs. No handrail, no base rail, and no balusters to speak of.
Financial considerations
Cost is always a concern when decorating a new home or refurbishing an older property and when it comes to balustrades, glass has the edge at the moment, thanks to the recent fall in the price of this ubiquitous material. A balustrade constructed of wide glass panels, with perhaps stainless steel fittings to add the finishing touches, is a very elegant solution that is surprisingly affordable nowadays. While steel is more expensive, there is relatively little of it in such designs when compared to the amount of glass used, making the overall cost rather more palatable than it would otherwise be.
The cost of wooden balustrades depends to a large extent on the type of wood that you choose to use and whether you opt for a custom made balustrade or a mass produced one from a local megastore. Higher quality timber is of course more expensive but it will last much longer than cheaper alternatives and can always be refinished in a few years’ time if it starts to look a little shabby.
Stainless steel, as mentioned above, is typically more expensive than glass these days but for durability and longevity it is hard to beat. The fact that marine grade stainless steel will probably look just as good in 20 years’ time as it did on the day it was installed makes it a great choice as far as value for money is concerned. Wire balustrades manufactured from high quality steel are also a very attractive design feature in modern properties, both residential and commercial.
Making up Your Mind
If you are finding it difficult to decide which type of balustrades to install in your home, please feel free to call or email us with any questions you may have or simply to have a chat about the various options available to you. We can also prepare a competitive quotation for you to evaluate, once you have made your choice.
