Create an ideabook for your next remodeling project!
Browse more than 1,000,000 photos from top designers and save your favorites
Keep Your Balance: Cool Railings
I'm a design and food-obsessed freelance writer and market research analyst, and a stay-at-home mom.
I'm a design and food-obsessed freelance writer and market research analyst,... More »
Railings are a detail that can make or break the look of a room or even a whole house. Sometimes choosing the right railing gets lost in the shuffle of the construction or remodeling process, but it’s a design element that deserves careful attention.
I’ve learned this the hard way. After months of construction, in a moment of fatigue, I agreed to use my contractor’s stock railing recommendation. I’ve spent every moment since regretting that instant of weakness, as I look out on garish white plastic that completely clashes with my modern, mahogany deck.
I have to live with my mistake for a little while, but in the meantime, I’m busy picking out my next railing look. Here are some of my favorites:
I’ve learned this the hard way. After months of construction, in a moment of fatigue, I agreed to use my contractor’s stock railing recommendation. I’ve spent every moment since regretting that instant of weakness, as I look out on garish white plastic that completely clashes with my modern, mahogany deck.
I have to live with my mistake for a little while, but in the meantime, I’m busy picking out my next railing look. Here are some of my favorites:
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
This plexiglass is modern and unobtrusive - but also safe. I love how the glass on the stairs echoes the wall of windows at the back, and how the combination of wood, concrete and steel works together.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
My favorite thing about this railing design is the slight curve. It evokes a naturalistic, art nouveau feeling - next stop, Paris? - without being overly ornate. It still feels clean.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
Sometimes no railing makes the best statement. In this case, open stairs are protected by thin metal poles. I love the clean, sophisticated look (even if I wouldn't let a baby crawl up those steps).
In this traditional home, stained glass is complemented by a detailed, heavy wooden rail with Mission overtones. I like how the lines of the railing draw attention to the pattern of the glass.
This bright, fun, Deco-inspired interior lets the wall do the heavy lifting, railing-wise. I love how the yellow of the wall contrasts with the bright blue, and the way that the railing wall creates a cool geometric shape.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
In another great example of using the wall to great advantage, this outdoor stairway uses a simple railing but adds interest with a stepped wall. The effect is simple but interesting.
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| This shaded deck is cool for a lot of reasons - the tree is definitely one of them - and the railing complements the overall look. With a combination of wood to match the house and metal, the rail is unobtrusive and matches the woodsy modern look of the house. |
The railing is an unexpected detail in this traditional home. The geometric pattern of the wood rail is different, but still in sync with the conservative overall look.
| Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| This railing remindes me of a cross between a stained glass pattern and champagne bubbles. Either way, it's cool and adds something unexpected and interesting to a standard stairway. |
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
I love this combination of black and white. In a clean, white interior, spotting simple black rails adds interest and an artistic element - it's almost like a Franz Kline painting come to life.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
Sometimes just a simple wall is most appropriate. On this deck, the rail is simply an extension of the floor, which keeps the focus on the real attraction: the view.
Ideabook updated on Sept. 6, 2009.
What are you working on?
News From Our Partners
Latest Ideabooks
People found the photos in this ideabook after searching for:
I actually think my husband might build the railings out of mahogany. Our architect (who we should've listened to about the ugly white plastic) has sort of walls around her deck - vertical boards that are slanted outwards. Since they're angled out, the deck doesn't feel closed in and the whole thing looks cool. I wish I had a picture of it!