Hello!
Today, I am sharing one of the questions I often get asked when I share pictures of the Modern Cottage House. When we bought this home, we knew it had great bones but would require a lot of updating! We wanted to create a modern cottage vibe, perfect for a home in a beach town, and use it as a vacation rental. The stair railing would need some zhushing for sure, and we needed to do it on a budget! See how we easily updated an indoor stair railing ourselves.
This is what we started with:
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At first, I tried painting the existing stair balusters, but they still felt dated. Our plan B was to order a new modern stair rail kit, but the ones we liked were hundreds of dollars and had 3-4 weeks shipping window. So, it was time for another idea.
Choosing a Design for the Stair Rail Update.
The first thing I did was research staircase railing design ideas (hello Pinterest) I wanted a more modern look, and as we looked at various options, from sleek metal railings to classic wood railings a big consideration was what could we DIY? After looking at a variety of materials, we ultimately decided on a combination of stained wood newel posts and horizontal metal pipe railings. This design offered a cleaner, more updated look that felt in line with a modern cottage vibe.
Buying the Materials
We headed to our local Lowe’s to gather materials.
- Solid wood 4x4s for the newel posts
- 1×6 wood boards to attach to floors and walls.
- Metal pipe, which we painted black.
- Metal Flanges- painted black.
- Post anchor base (2)
- T-25 Deck Screws
- Spray paint.
The prep work for this project was easy. We started by removing the old railing and measuring for the new one.
Directions for Updating Indoor Stair Rails.
The first step: My husband started by securing the 1×6 board to the floor, creating a sturdy base for the newel posts. He also cut a piece of the 1 x 6 and attached it to the walls, giving a base for the metal flanges and pipes.
Dave then cut the 4×4 posts, which would become our newel posts, to 36 inches high. Next, he installed the post bases to the 1 x 6 board and attached the 4 x 4 newel posts. I painted the gold screws black.
The metal pipes were precut to size and threaded for us by Lowe’s. You have the pipe threaded so that they screw into the flanges.
I decided to have the pipes run horizontally, giving us the modern look we were after and eliminating the need for a wooden piece along the top of the railing.
Tip: It is important to check your local building guidelines to see if this is up to code in your area, especially if you have young children in the home. They will try to climb this orientation. Also, check the code for the distance you are allowed between the pipes. Ours could be no wider than 4 inches apart for safety.
Assembling the pipes (which I spray painted black) to the flanges was easy.
Originally, I stained the 4×4 newel posts a dark walnut, but I changed it up and painted them a creamy white when I felt they were too dark for the space.
We love how modern and clean the new stair railing feels. This easy way to update your staircase railing makes a huge difference in the look of your stairs.
After painting the stained wood a creamy white.
Updated Indoor Stair Railing.
We are so happy with how our DIY stair railing makeover turned out! It made a huge difference in the look of the living area and kitchen and was a much more affordable option than purchasing a pre-made stair rail kit. If you’d like to see more of this modern cottage, you can see it here.
With a little planning and some elbow grease, you, too, can transform an outdated stair rail into a beautiful focal point in your home. I think this is a great option for older homes looking for a modern touch.
I hope this inspires you to tackle your own DIY stair rail renovation!
You can shop for the decor pieces from this home here. And the Smeg Fridge Here.
Until next time,
-Libbie
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