Happy New Year Houzzers.

We recently received our preliminary plans and there is a post between the up and down staircases. Is there any way to make this post look decent? I really don't like posts to begin with and this one seems in an odd spot.

We thought about making it a large wood post and adding two ceiling beams perpendicular to one another, meeting at the post? Would that look crazy?

Any ideas?

Thank you!

Edit to add - there was originally a door to the basement and a wall between the up and down stairs but we asked for it to be removed which is why there is now a post.