If it wasn't done exactly as you specified it, I'd have the contractors replace it or otherwise fix it to your full satisfaction. It's not being "overly picky" to expect to receive what you stipulated.

If it's not what you want and they didn't have instructions to paint the banister, I would have them replace it now; it will be much easier than deciding down the road that you can't live with it and having to replace it then.

I'd just paint the banister black. I wouldn't do brown bc you are right...it looks like the wood is trying to "get out" but it can't, lol! I see black banisters with white balusters and newel posts (sp?) all the time in historic homes & think it looks great.

Thanks for the responses! I'd love to paint the banister black -- that looks gorgeous! However, this is a beachy house. Everything is painted white except the front door (CGI Walnut) and the windows (CGI Bronze). I feel like black would be too much, especially since all three dark points would be visible in one view by the front door. I could leave it all white, like the next pics, but I feel like that may be too plain. They want to try to strip the paint and then stain, but the stain guys here said oak would soak up too much paint for that to look good. What do you think of the white paint, besides the obvious difficulty in keeping it clean? The shiplap will be painted Simply White.

Well you can't just paint something brown and pretend it's stained! I would let them try to strip it if they understood it would have to be replaced if a speck of paint remained, and it will, because oak does not give up its paint!

White isn't great for a banister if anyone touches it. And I'd probably hold out for the unpainted posts, too, but they might be okay white. I just think that you were after a smidge more contrast.

I don't have an opinion either way white or oak, both sound pretty, though considering the slap boards will be white, that is a lot of white.

My advise? Follow your intuition. You obviously want them to be oak because you wouldn't have posted otherwise. You've been advised against stripping the paint because it's a fact that oak is hard to strip. You're paying for the end result, the errors made along the way are owned solely by the painter. Make him replace everything you wanted stained originally and redo it. Maybe he'll be able to use those posts on another job so it's really not to much of a loss for him but even if he can't, you need to get what he was commissioned to do and what you are paying for.

What has been proven over and over in this forum is that if you don't have it done the way you really want it now, you will most likely regret it later.

Thanks so much, everyone. The builder has agreed to try sanding and staining a small patch, and if I am not happy with the finish, he will replace them. Really appreciate the time you all took to reply. Have a great evening!