You are the designer. Not the contractor, not even the carpenter.

What did you ASK for? What if anything did you communicate to either? Did you ask for a drawing or plan? Show a picture?

I should ask what is the plan for the cut out chunk of flooring: ) and the entry door which no longer suits the stair and look you are going for.

Thank you. The photos that you included are un fact some of the same ones that I showed the contractor. We are getting the downstairs floors re-stained next and hard woods added upstairs. Should we have left the bottom stair larger? The carpenter began with a larger bottom stair and we said no to that- it seemed to jut out into the entry hallway pointlessly?

How did this. or close become "Jut out pointlessly" You have a mere couple of odd inches of stair as it is now.....hanging out on one side at the post.

Probably courtesy of stock purchase at a lumber yard?

This is communication/confusion at your end. They can't read your mind. You must clarify to them what you WANT.

Should have clarified- the contractor initially built the first step about 6 inches wider than the rest of the stairs. We asked for that to be fixed during the first day of the project. I was asking if perhaps we should have allowed the first step to remain larger. The carpenter was contacting someone - presumably the contractor- all day for step bt step instructions , working with airpods in all day literally getting instructions on the job he was doing. He did not seem to have plans or as it turns out the correct materials.

The carpenter works for the contractor. The contractor works for y.o.u.

Unless you have a designer, tag, you are it.

Call the contractor back, along with the carpenter, and ALL be present at the site.

Nobody here can tell them, but you.

There is one issue - "seems there was no something......."seems not to have been any plans, seems not to have been a drawing", etc

You live and learn. There will be major YELLING at me for what I just this second typed. I care not.

You wouldn't go to surgery on your knee, or even get a major hair cut style change without more conversation and clarification than went on here.: )

Now.......everyone start screaming at the meanie , moi.

IMO if the front door is your style the old staircase suited that much better than what you are doing now. All of this should have been designed before one thing was done. Not by your contractor for sure .The fact is that the bottom step should have been wide to support newel post now youwill need some real work to get this right not to mention patching the floor . If possible get the bottom step wider post the newel post where it belongs and what exactly was the paln for this change?

Thank you for your input. We are renovating the stairs because they and the upstairs were covered in carpet that has to go and we decided to put hardwoods upstairs and re-stain the downstairs in a more traditional (non-orange) medium brown.

Yes, the scale is off for that post. I would put a stop to the work and get a design together with detailed measurements. You may also want to ask the GC to send an experienced finish carpenter to do the job. Sounds like you’re working with a rookie who should be apprenticing with an old pro until he knows what he is doing. There are a few choices for where to start the post. It doesn’t need to be at the very edge of that first step. You can bring it up to the second step, as shown in the photo below (lower step), while still straddling the lower step. Or you can keep it entirely on the first step.

As far as measurements, find some photos you like and estimate the sizes by comparing them to the step they’re sitting on. In this photo, I’d say the post is 6” and the lower step is about 10”. Stairs are actually a bit complicated to work on. I’d get someone in there who has better experience. But get a DETAILED design plan first.

That's probably the easiest, good looking fix, just above and solves the flooring issue as well.

" You may also want to ask......."

why your contractor is not on site SUPERVISING his sub?

If there is no plan you get what ever is easiest and fastest or makes the most sense structurally. No offense but this will be the second major change- first you changed the bottom step after construction started now you are changing the newell. Stop construction and take the time to put together drawings and images of EXACTLY what YOU want. You need to invest the time and energy in this. What has been built round two is perfectly fine- it’s just not what you pictured in your head. The builder built what’s in his head. You need to eliminate all confusion for round three.

You had a Cadillac and went to a Chevy. Youi've got a lot of variation in your floor, so the patch may not look too conspicuous.

Thank you everyone. We are trying to get rid of all of the orange- honey cokored wood in the house, and with it the curved post and handrail. Is this style becoming desirable again?

Orange is a color. Honey can be a color.

Don't confuse either color with the style, shape, size, proportion, scale, material of the item or surface onto which that color is applied.

You need no reason to change something beyond the fact you want a change. You want the 1990 builder look out of a center entrance colonial?? To what? Does the new newel suit the REST of your home? Are you changing interior doors from a six panel to a simpler two panel? What about the very obvious time stamp on the entry door?

See what I mean? You pull a sweater string and..........it keeps going and there's the hole.

Simply put just as a stair has "parts" , no element in a home is totally isolated from another.

The first example Jan posted, to the left of the pic of your new stairway, looks like it would be easy to replicate and work on your stairs. It almost looks like the carpenter misunderstood the ipod instructions and should have installed that post around the corner on the tread. But if you want a larger one, get one and see if the example install can be done (if you like the look). I loved the curved banister, but if you don't then get what you do love.

Maybe take a look newel posts offered by staircase suppliers to get an idea of proportions and help with your discussion w/the contractor…

Thank you!

Hindsight is always clearer. My husband and I were the General Contractors for all our numerous home renovations. We interviewed all craftsmen and reviewed their portfolios. Most came with fabulous recommendations. We chose a talented carpenter, who specialized in staircases to install a new oak staircase. He had quite an extensive portfolio. He worked alone; said he was the “quality control”. He offered for us to even call some of his clients reguarding his craft! I showed him pictures of the type of classic oak staircase that I wanted. He drew up plans with specific parts of the staircase prior to any work being done; and it was all planned according to “code”. We were quite pleased with all the preliminary work. We knew exactly what we were getting. He took a lot of time matching the staircase stain to our Italian porcelain wood look tile flooring. We are quite happy with our staircase. Best of luck on your journey!

Grateful for recommendations for a traditional medium brown stain color for red oak floors. Replacing carpet with new red oak upstairs and sanding and restaining floors on main level. Trying to achieve a traditional medium brown while getting rid of the honey orange color on the existing floors (shown in pictures). The wall colors are staying as is for now.

You will have to test the stain on your floors but provincial and special walnut are good nutty tones that work well

Did your flooring contractor give you information on what brand of stain they use? This is Bona's Drifast stain. I would stick with the Classic and Essentials and test some of the browns in the mid-tones, such as spice brown, medium brown, provincial. Jacobean and antique brown are pretty also, though may lean too dark for you (worth testing though). I would stay away from the reddish tones -- you already have plenty of red in your wood.

These are my stain options thus far. Appreciate any input on these colors. I think the first is too light and too red. Thank you.

To be honest, I think the darker stains look dirty.

You have your question on TWO threads

first on left, pic below, for all the reasons I stated on your other thread. Yes to the "dirty" factor mentioned just above on the remaining three. Add dreary: ) as they are the cold side of brown, lacking any warmth

Top one in the pic below.... so there's no confusion.

Thank you!

Thank you everyone. Should I be concerned that the installers seem to only have minwax stains? Since the beginning of the project I have asked the contractor repeatedly about stain color choices and the repeat response was "you pick that with the installer". Do installers use minwax not specifically designed for use on floors to save money/cut corners?

I live in a market where more than half the installers still use minwax. It’s fine. Yes there are better products but minwax isn’t bad. It’s like behr verus Benjamin Moore- the latter is better but behr isn’t bad

None of your first four appear to have a finish on them which is contributing to their blah look. What colors are on the floor now?

Thank you. I do not know what colors are there now. The installer put the samples down and was supposed to speak with me about thisbfirst group but packed up and left without checking back on this. I assume they will want to stain today. I have already contacted the contractor to discuss.

The darker stains not only look dirty, but they don't really look like wood. Of the four you show, the only one I would consider is the one you think is "too red." But I'd keep looking. Try Special Walnut or Provincial. The two photos below are Provincial on white oak, and yours is red oak, but you might want to consider it.

Provincial stain on white oak · More Info

Provincial stain on white oak · More Info

Don't sample so close together , please. Go do the one you think "is too red" near your hearth. You see color by comparison. Putting the classic warmth, right next to the "dirt"? Don't do that : )

Isolate it near something meaningful.

Thank you!

@Diana Bier could you please tell me if the stain used in the photos you included is duraseal or minwax? Thank you.

I'm sorry to say I cannot. This was for a client and she dealt with the floor refinisher directly. I just advised on the color.

Thank you!

It's gorgeous--great choice!

Thank you!

New newell post and landing posts installed today. However, the bottom return is curved with 90 degree transfers up top. We went over with the contractor and the carpenter these details and very clearly said no curves at all just angles. The carpenter is trying to tell me its a safety issue to have a sharp angle at the bottom of the steps. Does the curve at the bottom look mismatched? We love the angle return at the landing. Thank you.

Thanks to all who provided input on this post. The photos show the final product which we are very happy with.

Thanks to all who provided input on this post. The photos show the final product which we are very happy with.

Thanks to all who provided input on this post. The photos show the final product which we are very happy with.

Looks great!

Beautiful--you made very nice choices!

Thank you!