Why do the columns not align?

Keep the newel post simple, but to show a little authentic pizzazz:

https://www.stickley.com/products/gus-newel-post-lamp

Mark, yes we have that as a question to our contractor also. Do you think that might present a problem of some sort?

Is your style Craftsman? Ataircases are reallt designed to work with your style so we need info sorry but not that one posted please even if you are going all Craftsman You show tons of staircases in your idea book none with those cheap looking spindles but lots with metal. IMO this staircase is the first thing you see so make it special

" Do you think that might present a problem of some sort? "

Optically it just makes it look like someone did not care, or an error.

Patricia, my ideabook is just a collection of single details I might like or want to refer to later, such as a handrail or a post, not necessarily the whole staircase. We are trying to keep the house minimal and modern. I agree the stairs will be the first thing to see, so want it to look thought-out but not overdone. I am not at all familiar with stair parts or designing a staircase.

Patricia, what kind of spindles should we use? We don't want metal.

I like the direction of your inspiration photo but without a lot of information about the style of your home, it's hard to say. If you do that style of railing, I'd go for a simple, painted Shaker style newel post:

Box Newel Post Stair Systems · More Info

Cape Style Home · More Info

One alternative would be to box out each column so the boxes line up, as long as it was constructed properly to shift the load from the upper column down to the lower column.

Another simple stair example.

Wow - that would really bother me that the columns do not line up - have you asked your contractor about it??

dani, No, I left it to my husband who is an engineer, but yea now I'm wondering.

What type of "engineer"?

Civil engineer, he said it's fine structurally, there are other facets to the beam structure, I don't remember now. Yes, we want the contractor to make them even.

Have him explain the difference between a 'beam' and a 'column' to you.

Fyi my husband, a civil and structural engineer says it’s a problem .

The answer to whether it is a structural problem or not lies in the loft's floor framing, which none of us know. So far so good. There would be less of a concern if the columns aligned. Once the stair carpenter starts their work other issues may arise regarding the location of the upper column.

I think the columns support the large beam that supports the roof.

Is there a column directly below the lower column in the level below??

Yes, there is a column in the level below, directly below.

Well, they got one right. I wonder if the construction drawings shown any offsets in the column alignment?

I was told that the way the columns were set up was according to the architect's drawings.

I hate to 'open a can of worms' but what does the architect say, is that the way they drew it?