I agree that the railing is a rather dated look. I rather like the idea of a stained wood transition.

The continuous step makes sense.

My client had a similar situation with two steps. Because the span was large we added a minimal railing for safety, but I don't think you require them.

As a senior with shaky walking I would panic at such a choice. I can navigate stairs, but having something to hold on to is welcome. Perhaps you could put a simple railing on the side wall so that there is a way to nagivate the step. I don't know how high the step might be, so by this railing make sure that it isn't too high.

In addition, you also need to have some way to warn more able-bodied people that there is a step here. I'm not sure that a dark wood piece at the top would do; you need to emphasize the difference in height more clearly.

Consider getting an actual dollarized quote to level the floor, if feasible.

I dislike two-level rooms for safety reasons. At one party, I saw someone take a step backwards while talking and inadvertently tumble down the steps. It is also tough to corral young children.

I had a friend not realize and hence fall over a small step in our garage. It wasn't pretty, bloody nose, but no broken bones..

I liked @BeverlyFLADeziner's idea with the handrail so not perfect but tried to show how it would look in your room.

I would level the floors

I would want to know what the carpet looks like under the railing - if you’re planning on new flooring then it makes sense to tackle the railing but if not, then I would leave it, it’s an attractive room!

For the safety of your guests, I would raise the floor or leave a railing. Your space is lovely.

The height change of two steps is not as much of a tripping hazard because that is picked up subconsciously--without direct attention--whereas 7 or so inches of a single step is not high enough to pick up easily. Probably the best option would be to build up the floor. If your area is not code-crazy and grandfathers things in, you probably would not need to raise all the electrical outlets which would be the most expense part of the project I think.

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I have mixed feelings about removing everything that is "dated" even if it is only a modest detail. Many once modest houses with ordinary details that people left alone are appreciated by someone, and may become interesting or become popular again once old enough. Partly because they survived. And you may say "well houses were more beautiful and better built back then than in the 1980s" and that's not always true, there have always been ordinary houses with ordinary details, not everything was a craftsman or Victorian masterpiece. I grew up in a town full of factory worker houses. Even they are better if people left them alone than subjected them to a remuddle of random modernizations over the years.

And I have a number of decorating books from the 1950s which talk about getting rid of all those ugly Victorian embellishments and heavy craftsman details. Most things go through a period of being old, dated, or ugly before the become "historic". Much of the catalog of a now-famous architect in my city was destroyed in post-war urban renewal because he embraced Victorian Grotesque style of Gothic Revival, and created a lot of bizarre facades--that are now appreciated for their beauty after the fact. (And replaced by a lot of "meh", completely inoffensive, not bad but not interesting)

So I don't know. Right now it's a typically 80s detail, kinda ordinary and dated, but it fits the style of the house it's in. Does removing the railing add anything significant to how the house looks? I would say no, and it does subtract the function of safety. If you replace the carpet at some point, it may be a good idea to add the stained wood "step" as another signal.

I don't understand why adding a new floor would be so expensive. It should be just a matter of adding new framing, subfloor and finish flooring to the sunken area. Would definitey consider having that done as eventually someone is going to fall.

I am also a senior prone to falls. Your space, while very pretty, makes my nerves crawl. Especially since the floor covering is the same on both levels. Persons with new bifocals or a general problem with depth perception would be in trouble.

What exactly is the cost to raise the floor? Are there complicating factors like exterior doorways, low windows, or other fixed items like fireplaces?

It's usually not the floor that's expensive. That's relatively simple. But the outlets will be too low and in some cases doorways and such have to be raised --not here it appears. And in some areas where they are really sticklers, the windows that are now much closer to the floor may need to be replaced with tempered glass if this is picked up on an inspection when the house is sold, in particular.

It's Not the main project that is expensive in this situation, its' all the other affected parts that are the problem. That's why just leaving the railing and adding a clear "step" with a wooden tread is the most straightforward way to go at a fraction of the cost. It's a very rare person who would not understand that there is a level change there with a railing and an obvious step present. Just leave it unless you want a much larger project.

I would remove the rail you have bc it cuts off all the flow into that room imo. Personally I don't think you need any kind of indicator but I do like Beverly's handrail option better if needed.

Construction-wise, is the living room sunken or is the dining room raised on a platform? Does the dining room have any windows?

We had not one, but two, older people (mid 80s) trip/fall on our one wide step from our front porch to the driveway. Luckily, and amazingly, no real injuries other than a scrape or two. We hosted an event and it happened when people were leaving and were talking and distracted. Never had anyone else fall. Both surfaces have the same pavers. It was a cloudy morning which made the contrast less obvious. We now warn people when they leave to mind the step.

Here’s the view from the sunken living room into the dining room.

Thank you, everyone. I hadn’t thought that one step might be a safety issue, but will consider it more.

Here’s the step from the foyer into my sunken living room. If I remove the railing as originally planned, I was going to stain the new wood step to match the step in this photo. I thought that it would be enough of a visual cue for people to step up or down. My contractor thinks that after cutting some of the carpet, he can preserve the rest of the existing carpeting in both rooms.

What about shifting the step opening to the wall with the dining room door instead of having it centered. Then putting in a low narrow built in/bookcase across 2/3 of the opening on the living room level? that way you could put a hand railing on the wall and not impede traffic flow in the dining room as well as allow for different furniture placement in the living room. Sorry I can’t find a picture of what I am describing.

First, I would check your local legal requirements regarding stairs and railings. Personally I would definitely keep some kind of railing. About 15 years ago while visiting friends who had just moved into a new home, I missed one step going down from kitchen to family room. I broke a small but important bone in my foot and tore ligaments that are quite important to walking. I needed surgery, was non-weight bearing for several months then in a walking boot for several more months. Had to have custom inserts for my shoes for about two years. The lack of a railing can get quite expensive and painful!

Remove the handrails and install bookcases as a partition wall. You'll have extra storage, a buffet counter if, needed. and visual awareness of a step. You can install a grab bar on it or a mini handrail.

I have a sunken and the former owners removed the railings. Don’t do it! I have had two people miss the step. Thank god they were ok, no bones broken. Your post is a great reminder that I should add a railing.

People are looking up, not down, as they walk through a space. A wood transition is not enough indication of a step.

Change to a different railing if you don’t like the look of this one. Lopping off the round ball on each side and painting the entire thing one color would go a long way.

We have an upstairs studio apartment that functions as a guest room. There is a small step between the main space and the kitchen. The floor is all wood. Besides giving due warning to everyone that visits, I put painters tape on the edge as another warning. No one has ever tripped, thank goodness.

If you're going to stay in the house for the future, I'd get a price to raise the floor. Two places of step down seems like an accident waiting to happen if you remove the rail. Why are outlets expensive to raise? How many outlets are in the room? A new trend I see in houses is to have the outlets higher on the wall for convenience i.e. you don't have to stand on your head to plug in behind a piece of furniture. Price it out and see.

Another option is to update the spindles on the existing railing or paint the wood parts of the railing white so it sort of disappears or black and introduce a few black accents here or there.

Personally, I'd spend the money to smooth the ceiling. Moving from a swirl or popcorn in my case, ceiling totally updates a room. You may not mind the railing at all after that.