My advice is:

1. Drywall over the brick and paint the same color as your walls.

2. Similarly, drywall the recessed part of the railing wall to align with the wall at the upper part of the stairs. Seems like a really funky transition and I can't imagine why they did it that way to begin with.

3. Once that's done, you can install a new handrail. If budget allows, replace the spindles on the railing on the landing/lower staircase to be a bit more modern and clean-lined. Paint out the wood to white.

Though I agree with Sabrina for the most part, it appears you may have to remove the brick as it's even with the wall now. Maybe just painting it to match the wall would be enough to make it fade into the background.

I would remove the brick or paint it. I would paint the support portion of the hand rail and the spindles white. I think you can't drywall over the indent, since it is on the sample plane as the lower level room wall.

Do you have access to the original owners to ask if that brick is functional (I can't imagine for what) or just decorative? I'd simply take it down. Is that a closet below? What can you see when you look at the inside top of closet -just sheetrock ceiling? If you take it down, layer by layer, and you run into something that can't be removed, you could at least have most of it gone so you could sheetrock that space.

After my previous post, I thought that you could plant plants in the stair planter, as long as it it lined. I have this plant and it doesn't need a lot of attention, but it would look good.

I’m thinking they used it for plants?? I have no idea. It’s above a closet and isn’t concealing anything. It is flush with the wall. If we remove it- would it look horrible just having it be flat there with nothing? We have totally avoided this room and have been using the family room as I’m at a total loss how to make this look right.

Another option.

I tried to show the bricks, but I don't have Photoshop on my new computer so I did the best I could covering them up to show what it could look like. Maybe you can fill the grout areas with drywall mud for a smoother look.

I like the plants but feel like hey might add to the retro vibe of the house that I’m trying to get rid of.. I really like the idea of raising it to the ceiling and perhaps having it be an open shelf as you’re going on the stairs on the other side...

I agree with Pam. It also adds extra light during the day to the stairway.

The house is what it is. Either you celebrate that retro and work with it, or you spend a bunch of money to try to erase its bones. And still fail. And have it look worse by trying to erase its identity.

Remove planter, maybe replace with a decorative basket that adds a nice look from both far and near.

If it's the two-part railing you hate, have it replaced with a continuous one that bends to match the wall line -- they're used all the time. Can get in wood or metal.

It is strange-but I can see how they did probably use it for being an indoor planter..so you can put smth like pothos in it..doesn't demand much light..grows like crazy..you won't even see that brick soon-you'll see greenery..it can be interesting and fun, rather than eyesore.

Sophie- we bought the house as a flip in a “modern farm house” style. They updated and upgraded everything with the exception of this detail.

You mean they downgraded the mid century charm and filled it with cheepchinesecrapola.

Restore it.