I would paint them with those wood paint shield, which comes in variety of colors, since it's light wood color. Something like Sadolin etc..

i wish i could find the photo but i saw this style of staircase painted. it didnt change the world but it made it a little bit better.

you should also get a quote on rebuilding it to one of your liking.

A lot, a lot, a lot of work . . . sanding, taping, priming, multiple coats, working on a tall ladder, working on stairs, hauling paint up and down, bending, twisting, oh my back! If it were me, I'd wait until I could afford to replace it. It's not that bad . . . at least it's a simple, clean design.

I had mine disassembled, stripped, restrained and painted. Much cheaper than replacing.

Agree with Maggie. I had exact same set up in my home many years ago. Refinisher took apart, sanded, stained a dark cherry stain, and finished with a satin polyurethane. It was beautiful. I had cherry furnishings so I would recommend keeping color to complement your furnishings.

I never thought about having it disassembled and stained. I think I am going to get a quote on that and what it would cost to build a new one.!!! thank you everyone.

It looks like you enjoy contemporary art. When considering the disassemble option, perhaps you could explore replacing some spindles with plexiglass.

Do you love the staircase design? If so refinish it. If not, save your $ to have a new one installed.

I think staining it or using cables would be awesome if the quote is right! Also, it looks like you have a nice crisp white trim, so if you wanted to paint, I would be sure to check that you choose the same color as your trim or even go wild with an accent color. :) Good luck!