Wondering what styles to choose for your indoor railings? Let our convenient guide and gallery help point you in the direction of some creative inspiration!
One of our specialties here at Pinto Carpentry is creating custom indoor railings and handrail pieces for our clients. We love working with you on your railing design to match your current home aesthetic, or perhaps even crafting something that will stand the test of time through multiple style trends! Interior railings are of course a functional part of your home or business’s safety, but that doesn’t mean they have to be boring! Turn that safety feature into a modern work of art, or add a touch of historic charm with more traditional styles; whatever you choose, thoughtful railing design can transform your home from basic to architectural masterpiece.
This year, we’re seeing an uptick in trends of client’s selecting modern style railings and mixed materials. We’ve installed quite a few railing systems with wood newels and handrail mixed with satin black balusters, the most popular being the very versatile yet timeless plain round or square balusters. For some additional visual interest, you can select square or geometric design panels interspersed throughout, or add single and double knuckle balusters for more texture and creative flair.
Combining the natural wood handrail with modern black elements creates a two-tone contrast that makes a real statement, while matching painted wood and coordinating color metal creates a visual textural contrast. Mixing natural textures and warm toned wood handrail with horizontal black metal balusters can create a rustic look. Whereas adding stainless steel and a lighter wood handrail can create a more modern feel.
If you prefer a more traditional look, an all-wood railing system is a great choice. Wood is a very flexible option for those who change their home’s interior frequently. It’s very easy to paint or stain to match your current interior design look. Spice up the vibes with a decorative finial, or mix turned wood newels with contrasting squared balusters. Consider mixing in some rich and dark stain colors with white painted elements to bring in more light, or take a page from the Rolling Stones and paint it black to add more drama with a black railing.
Do some Homework!
It can be a good idea to browse different interior design sites, leaf through architectural magazines, or visit your local hardware store to get a better feel for what you want. If you have a historic Victorian home, you certainly don’t want to add a modern horizontal railing, rather you’ll be looking for something like a paneled post stained to match the handrails, with a possibility of painted balusters to brighten things up. Likewise, if you are working with farmhouse chic, you won’t likely be adding geometric panels or scrollwork designs. Being able to look through photos of homes similar to your style will help guide your choices. Having a visual idea of what you’re looking for can help them point you in the right direction of materials that will match your desired look and stay within your budget.
It is always helpful if you are able to bring style reference photos to your railing contractor. Perusing the portfolios of your local railing installer’s website and social media is another great way to gather inspiration. Seeing the creative ways others combine modern and classic elements can really kickstart our own unique vision. Feel free to save reference images of design elements you enjoy in other people’s homes or businesses, or close-up shots of the texture and detail you’d like to add to your own indoor railings.
Ask for Help and Guidance
Of course, if you find yourself overwhelmed with the many choices, you can always look to your railing company to help guide you and narrow down your options!
They have years of experience under their belt, and can explain the practicality of certain choices for budget and functionality versus style, and help you find a great middle-ground of stylish options that won’t empty your wallet!
We’d love to help create the indoor railings of your dreams, and update your railings from simply functional to truly fabulous!
Here’s a small gallery of some recent installs and custom railing designs we’ve created for our clients in the last year, and if you see one that sparks your interest, feel free to give us a call: