If you find yourself itching to upgrade your home or inject some of your signature style into your living space, but your budget dictates otherwise, know that you don’t always need to make a major investment to enhance the aesthetic appeal of your residence. Often, seemingly minor changes can make a major difference in the look and feel of your home’s interior or exterior, and one method you may want to consider utilizing is upgrading your balusters, or the vertical supports that fit between your staircase’s handrail and the steps, themselves.
Functional and exceedingly versatile, balusters not only provide much-needed support for your handrail, but they also give you an opportunity to jazz up what might be an otherwise plain part of your home. Before you upgrade yours, however, here are some key things to consider:
The type of material to use
Balusters are available in a broad range of materials, including wood and metal varieties, so you can choose some that complement the existing style of your home. If your house is elegant and upscale, consider wrought-iron varieties, which can add an element of class to an underutilized area. If wood balusters are more in line with your stylistic preferences, you still have near-endless options, because wood balusters vary broadly in terms of hardness, grain and color.
Whether you prefer a classic or contemporary design
Once you nail down the type of material you want your balusters to be, the next step involves considering exactly how you’d like them to look. If you opted for wrought-iron, you may be seeking a style that’s a bit more ornate in nature, whereas wood balusters can accommodate both classic and contemporary style preferences. You can opt for a seemingly simple design that is largely free from bells and whistles, or you can choose an elaborately cut or carved wooden baluster to create an increasingly eye-catching component of your home. You also have options in terms of finish – you can go for a more natural look, or you can choose a paint, stain or finish to ensure your vision comes to life.
Whether your stairs are inside or out
While your options as far as style are considerable regardless of whether you’re looking to upgrade an indoor or outdoor staircase, outdoor staircases may require some additional thought in terms of materials used. Why? If you’re looking for wood balusters, some wood varieties hold their own in the face of rain, humidity and other potential outdoor hazards better than others. Cedar and mahogany, for example, are often top choices among those seeking outdoor staircase support solutions, while oak, cherry, walnut, maple and pine are just some of the wood types homeowners often go with for inside use.
If you’re after an economical way to enhance your home, consider a baluster upgrade. It may surprise you just how much such a seemingly small improvement can change the overall appeal of your abode.