The second picture - wood handrail and end posts stained the same color as your floors with metal balusters. Judging by the kitchen which is in your picture, the rest of your house is not contemporary enough for the horizontal railing style. If your home is indeed contemporary and you have plans to remodel the kitchen before you sell, then my answer would be different.

You can put modern furniture in a traditional house or vice versa. But adding a modern staircase in a house with more traditional fixed features is not a good idea.

The one staircase with vertical spindles is acceptable with this house, but i wouldn't be using black spindles if there is no other black feature.

I woudln't be surprised if, in the next couple of years, these more traditional staircases come back in style. They are timeless.

What I would consider doing is painting the railing, I am not seeing anything that it relates to color-wise. I would consider painting the banister the color of your floors. This would really pull things together.

Then spend the extra $ on other things you might need for the house.

Appreciate the comment. The color tied to our cabinets, which have since been painted. I don’t consider shaker cabinets, quartz countertops, and marble tile traditional, and it’s already been updated.

The black spindles are throwing me off, too, though we do have iron legs for our kitchen table, black metal bar for our coffee table, and black in our fireplace. I’m looking for something simple and clean.

The exterior of our house is brick. It’s a Denver square. There are a lot of bungalows in Denver with the metal railings and it looks great.

So the horizontal railings are not to code in many places so to me that would leave the vertical ones and I think they can move in the traditional style or modern your decor at the moment is not either totally .I do not like the original ones at all.

Shaker cabinets fit in with almost any style. The mantle is really throwing things off. What you could do is to go with the below style and change the mantle to something simpler to work with the style of the stairs. I'd paint the stair wood sections white.

For the stairs, an oil rubbed bronze or gunmetal spindles would be less harsh.

Then, I would consider changing the cabinet hardware to the same metal as stair spindles.

Here is a photo of spindles that are more gunmetal than black, which would pull in a softer tone.

If you want to bring in wood in the banister/newel post, I recommend a tone like this that would work with your floor.

What I am trying to say is make sure you don't pull in random tones/styles without repeating them in other elements in the home.

Kitchen/great room style appears transitional so the modern horizontal railings are a style mismatch to me. CDR Designs's suggestions are great. Wood railings and plain metal spindles if you want to use metal as an updated material.

CDR Design, LLC Yes, the intention was to stain the posts/bannisters to better match the floor/other wood tones in the house. Is there a wood choice that you would recommend. I've been quoted for white oak (beautiful, but expensive), red oak, and maple. I've also considered keeping with white spindles, either circular or rectangular, but not both (which is the current ones that the builder put in).

You mentioned that the mantle was throwing you off. What changes would you make? Appreciate your suggestions.

" I've also considered keeping with white spindles, either circular or rectangular, but not both (which is the current ones that the builder put in)."

Can you explain the above? Are you speaking of considering keeping the existing railing?

I can't reiterate enough:

What is important is that you have an overall plan. Where things get cobbed up is when things are done piecemeal: "Oh, I like that, let's do that.". It sounds like you understand this, which is a good thing.

The fireplace feels transitional-formal to me. The marble reinforces that. Here is a fireplace that has the same squared-off look that then new stairs you posted has.

I would spend the money you think fits the home, unless for some reason it is really important to you. The key will be to get the color you want in the stairs.

CDR Design, LLC No, not considering keeping the existing railing or spindles, but perhaps using white wood spindles to keep a more open feel instead of black. The current ones are builder grade and I don't like that they're round on top and rectangular on the bottom. Looking for something simple and clean.

I really like the mantle you have below.

Thank you.

Your inspirations have light treads and no carpeting (you mentioned you will still be carpeting). It could be very disappointing, especially given the costs and having to live with if not what you envisioned.

My sister recently changed only the spindles for budget purposes but also per advice from the pro (restained banister instead). She close metal but with a touch more classic design, to better complement the banister’s style and her home, similar to below.

I really feel carpeting is a big negative, both in achieving the overall look you are after and suiting the modern design. The money saved on keeping banister could go towards treads and you can save money by painting risers yourself.

Vs

If anything, still add treads but a runner.

$4,000.00 is unrealistically low. 14K maybe.