I’m not sure I quite get why a different finish in that spot than the rest of the wall board that’s there. I would not do oak stained to match flooring. I just can’t visualize as a good idea & think it would look odd. If the section ended inside the circle maybe I’d paint the same color & finish as the baseboard but it would require a very smooth finish - maybe a skimcoat over the wall board. I would do your last option - paint to match the rest of the stairway apron which should be the wall color that goes up the stairs.

Would LOVE to hear one other weigh-in: Would ANYONE reading this ever change out the starting newell post here (see pic, it's the traditional "volute" style with spindles around) with a large square farmhhouse/mission style that is currently "in", but leave all the remaining newell posts (there are 3) in the current colonial style as showing/installed? I am arguing with my husband about this. I say THAT would look very odd. But, to otherwise replace ALL of the newell posts to match would likely cost as much as just ripping out everything and buying a whole new staircase system I am told.

I would not put in a newel post that didn’t match either the railing support posts or the main corner, stop/ start posts. I agree it would look odd. I get the wish for a dramatic post in the ’biggest’ attention getter spot but in this case I don’t think the attention would be about how great that one different newel post looks. Any way to have a visual created with the post your husband is envisioning? Maybe there’s a happy medium style wise. Maybe one large round newel post with the same trim finish? The big square ”farmhouse / mission” style I think of is very solid & sturdy square which would conflict style wise with existing railing as welll as overwhelm by its size.

white to match other trim in the house. the first picture is my staircase. cape cod style home. I would rethink the black. Black doesn't relate to any else we can see in your house.

Is this what you are thinking??

I would not do anything until you have inspiration pics of everything you are wanting to do. It sounds very risky. Every change made to a staircase has a big impact to the overall aesthetic.

Regarding the cost of changing out balusters, I have always thought that is much lower cost than replacing treads and stringers. I guess it depends on your installation.

I would like to see pics of staircases you are trying to emulate.

I can't seem to find ANY picture of exactly what I am planning, but maybe I can now say a few more things to give readers a better idea to vote on painting color options for my stairway:

1) we will keep all current honey-oak colored oak stairway parts as shown-- Even the current volute styled starting newell post. But we will NOT be refinishing ANY of this honey oak wood, only painting it. Either black or white.

2) we are installing NEW oak/oak veneer finishing over the inside rough stringers ( see my pic) and plan to stain these the color of our oak floor ( it is medium brown Duraseal). We are also finishing out the last 4 stairs with oak/oak veneer and staining all these to match the floor.

We HAVE to paint the rest of the stairway system. Either black or white. So, AND/OR, my new question follows:

See the pic I embed below (sourced from Houzz)....it "seems" to show 3 different "colors" - a cherry reddish floor ( I think), a medium to darker OAK on parts, cherryish newell posts, and black painted ballusters/spindles!!....So, do you think it could EVER look good on MY stairway system to LEAVE my current honey oak top railings & newells and lower plates color as is, mixed with the darker oak I am staining the NEW veneering going on the other parts, and just paint the spindles/ballisters?? If so, BLACK? Or White? If not, what color to paint ALL the current honey oak, BLACK? or White?

THANKS FOR any thoughts!

<div><a rel='follow' href='https://www.houzz.com/photos/the-big-house-traditional-staircase-atlanta-phvw-vp~157206316' target='_blank'><img src='https://st.hzcdn.com/simgs/pictures/staircases/the-big-house-carl-mattison-design-img~d181b47e0e91ddec_8-9850-1-a8fd968.jpg' alt='' border=0 width='500' height='334' nopin='nopin' ondragstart='return false;' onselectstart='return false;' oncontextmenu='return false;'/></a></div><div style='color:#444;'><small><a style="text-decoration:none;color:#444;" href="https://www.houzz.com/professionals/design-build-firms/carl-mattison-design-pfvwus-pf~914474112"; target="_blank">Photo by Carl Mattison Design</a> - <a style="text-decoration:none;color:#444;" href="https://www.houzz.com/photos/staircase-ideas-phbr0-bp~t_745"; target="_blank">Browse staircase photos</a></small></div>

I’m not an interior designer so I have trouble visualizing this from text. Here is one visualizer you could try if you want. There are others but I don’t know which ones are free.

https://www.staircon.com/product/staircon-online-designer#:~:text=With%20Staircon%20Online%20Designer%20your,such%20as%20material%20and%20finish.

Are you unwilling to paint the spindles white? I take it you're not removing the carpet because the stairs would be unfinished? The way they are carpeted is dated. I would not do black it is modern and I don't think it would look good with the carpeted stairs.

I would go with white, the same color as the trim. If you are open to painting the spindles white I thing that would look even better with a black finish on the rails.