New and Innovative Stairs
The balustrade is an essential and often overlooked part of stair design. It doesn’t matter whether your stairs are inside or outside, the balustrade will need to be carefully considered before you install the stairs.
No matter how stunning the stairs this will ensure it is fully integrated into the design. This has been true for centuries.
Of course you can install glass balustrades after the stairs are in place; you simply need to find the right system to lock it all into place. You can then appreciate these benefits:
Beauty
There is no doubt that a glass balustrade is a thing of beauty. A glass elegant will not always be fully visible, this adds to the elegance and sophistication of the balustrade.
In fact, because it can reflect light it will brighten and transform all of your interior space.
Light
No matter where your balustrade is a glass balustrade can allow light to flood through the house. This helps if light is low to lift your mood and make you feel like the outside is inside.
It can also ensure that you can see the stunning view from your own hoe, no matter where you’re sat.
Maintenance
The great thing about glass is that it is tough and requires virtually no maintenance. You will need to wipe it clean regularly, especially if you have children! This is much quicker and easier than some of the ornate balustrades you’ll find in houses and design shops.
You can even polish out scratches to ensure they look as good 5 or 10 years in the future as they did when first installed!
Space
Because light moves through glass and is reflected round the room it can dramatically increase the feeling of space inside your home.
This is not a benefit you’ll be able to appreciate if you use wood, metal or any other material for your balustrade.
Mixing It Up
The greatest thing about glass is that it is not a standalone material. You can have an entirely glass balustrade. Alternatively you can opt for a part glass and part virtually any other material. This can add to the aesthetic appeal and help it to feel in harmony with the rest of your home.
Strong
You’re first thought regarding glass balustrades is probably that glass is fragile and dangerous when it breaks. In fact, glass is one of the strongest construction materials currently available.
It also has the benefit of being extremely durable. Years from now it will have weather but look virtually identical to how it is today; that’s not something most balustrade materials can say!
Installation
Finally, glass is actually very easy to install. The panels will arrive pre-cut and with mounting holes already drilled into the right positions. All you need to do is attach them to the framework and enjoy. Alternatively, your supplier can install the glass balustrade for you. They’ll be in and out of your home in no time.
Take a look at some images online and you’ll be surprised at just how good a choice this is for your next balustrade.
Related:
How to Achieve the Industrial Home Design Trend
Basic Colors When Matching Interior and Exterior Design
Building and Designing the Perfect Home
I am literally at a conference for Annie Sloan stockists and retailers and painted stairs were one of our covered topics. So I think you are really onto something here, Kris! In addition to doing patterns, remember you could also just paint the backs of stairs an interesting color or series of colors….Just learned about Annie Sloans floor lacquer – which is a thin, clear coat that was developed to be compatible with her Chalk Paint making it now suitable for use on floors. HOORAY!
Hi Stacy, I really enjoy reading your blog and these have been some of my favorites this year as well. I am fairly new to DIY projects in general … We recently bought a house and are slowly repainting interior. I have done a couple furniture makeovers and I’m currently working on two dressers for my kids rooms. I noticed that you highly recommend the Home Rite paint sprayer. I’m wondering if it might be worth it for me to invest in that for furniture, the six panel interior doors that we have on each of our rooms and closets. I’ve also thought of refinishing the wood cabinets in the bathrooms and kitchen. Will the sprayer that you use and have recommended be good for these purposes? Do you feel that it is easy to use and easy to clean? Do you clean it in between each used or can you save it for the next coat paint?
I like that you mentioned how glass balustrades are tough and needs almost no maintenance. We are currently remodeling our house and we decided to include the stairs in that project. I think modernizing the design by using a glass balustrade would be good so we’ll probably go with that.
Hi Luke, I would love to have you write a guest post to include pictures and ideas, let me know if you are interested.
Thanks for stopping by!