Q: I've been a reader for a long time, and am just now moving into my very first! on my own! apartment. I'd always lived with roommates before so I'm thrilled at the idea of decorating my own place. I love the layout and the open space (its a 1 and 1/2 story loft), but I find myself confused as to what to do with this wrought iron railing. I could possibly see the complex allowing me to re-powdercoat, but I'm not sure I want to go to that much trouble...
....(the taping off, the fumes, the cost, etc).
I had thought about just wrapping fairy lights (christmas twinkle lights) around and allowing that to work as a source of illumination, but am not really that sold on it.
My other option was to find some fabric and just wrap the entire banister, but I'm scared to think of how much fabric would be needed for it.
My plans for the rest of the room(s) will be a mostly neutral palette with some warm gray walls on the back walls, two story black drapes (I'm making) for the windows / patio doors and then I hope to create a huge tree mural on the wall next to the stairs, with white flowers blooming as you walk up.
The upstairs loft area is becoming my reading / office space - I have a TON of books, so there will be a decent amount of stuff clutter going on along the back wall. The downstairs main room is the living space, with my tv and couches.
So I would like to throw it open to the readers, any other suggestions on what to do with the railing?
And/or, if you agree re: the wrapped fabric - color suggestions? Most of what I have in the room will be in the black/gray family, but I plan to punch up the color with throws and pillows and some awesome art.
Sent by: Audrey
Editor: Please share your ideas and suggestions for the railings with Audrey in the comments below...thanks!
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Your mural idea sounds awesome :-)
It sounds like you're wanting the railing to look a little more refined, and maybe be a solid panel to hide the clutter of your reading loft. So, perhaps something like this?
http://www.hgtv.com/home-improvement/stair-rail-cover/index.html
I would just leave it. Once you get everything decorated, it won't stand out like it does now. When you are done, if you want to hide your clutter, you could hang some simple curtains on the loft part of the railing. Or you could stack your books up against it to create a wall.
I'm not sure, but I'd kind of like to see photos of this place when it's all done!
there was a great post about sprucing up patio railings much like yours awhile back ok AT:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/look/small-balcony-idea-line-it-with-fabric-081660
Not sure if this is what you meant with the fabric but i think it might look cool to weave a long pannel of fabric thru the bars like in the AT post, maybe something semi sheer and colorful. It would take a lot of fabric but might be able to find a bolt for really cheap.
A simple fabric option you could look into could be a burlap or a linen - you can get yards & yards of it for fairly cheap. The burlap would give you a great natural texture that would coordinate with the rest of your neutral scheme.
OR you could create 'panels' that you would attach to the railing at intervals (punch holes in the corners & secure with zip ties) - these panels could be as simple as gator board or foam core, but covered in a great bold graphic design (something painted, printed, wrapping paper, wall paper, etc).
Can't wait to see your photos once you move in & make it your own - even if you end up leaving it as is.
I concur. For now, leave it alone. Not everything has to be decorated or done up. I kind of like how spare and simple the railing is. Covering it up might make the loft area seem less airy.
But if you're still yearning for a way to spruce it up once everything else is in place, what about training an ivy or similar vine to climb all over it? Or wrapping narrow colored ribbon around the bars?
Leave it alone - and definitely don't go wrapping fabric or christmas lights all over it.
If you own the place, perhaps you can consider replacing the railing with a built-in bookcase or bench with a back that would act as a rail for your loft, and something other solution for the staircase rail?
Love the AT pics of the balcony. I would vote for something like that, but don't do the stairs. I think it would make them feel claustrophobic and it just seems unnecessary. I agree that waiting till you're moved in to get a better sense of how things look is a good idea. And then maybe only wrap, or whatever you end up doing, just the balcony rail. That would give you the privacy aspect and make it more of a room and not be as expensive as doing the entire railing.
I would weave some strips of veneer through the railing, but then I'm thinking more towards the MCM vibe than you may be.
I don't see what's wrong with the railing. I like it the way it is. But if that's carpet on the stairs, I'd remove it.
I am not a fan of christmas lights.
I think you should move in and try to deal with it for awhile - who knows, it just might grow on you. If it doesn't, consider a solution when you have a bit more cash.
If it was my place, I'd try to do some inexpensive ribbon or thick string around the bars and just leave the banister alone.
Drape a large textile (quilt, suzani, Marimekko -- whatever your style is) over the top railing, but leave the staircase alone. Lights and fabric will only emphasize it. If you have a wall mural and interesting textile at the top of the stairs, the railing won't be so prominent.
Leave it alone!
The best way to get people to look at something you aren't pleased with is to try and do something to it to make it look less obvious and then people do end up looking at it way more than you ever had hoped! It's black, it's simple, it will go away once you do everything else and have all your things in place....
and please NO FAIRY LIGHTS...especially twinkling ones!
You can get rigid but flexible plastic, in my area from a chain store called TAP Plastics, and then weave it through the wrought iron railing horizontally. It ends up looking like a woven fence, but more modern, and you can put floor uplights behind it to make it glow a bit. It's not cheap though... we did this on a friend's stair and it cost about $140 and took about 6 hours to weave (and we used large strips -- 4" wide)... but it did look great.
My suggestion is to pull the eye away from the railing by staging the landing wall, or if you can, painting the landing wall an eye-catching up-beat color and leave the stairs alone.
If you include something prominant and black in your staging, such as a black planter, table, etc., the stairs will appear less prominent.
Thank you all SO much! I will definitely be emailing back in with what I end up doing and some finished pictures.
I've actually been in the apartment for a solid three months, hoping it would grow on me. The stair railing isn't too bad, but it’s the railing between the loft and the open space. There is currently a couch up against it, facing the wall (as the loft area is pretty big, its my office/reading area) as well as a clear view of my admittedly cluttered desk.
I really like the suggestions of the fabric creating a "wall", at least for the railing around in the loft area. I know it will make it feel a little more closed off, but with the high ceilings, hopefully the area will still keep its open feel. I was thinking either going with the linen, or doing something with like black tulle – keeps the visibility of the railing, but can help hide/smother the distractions directly behind.
Thank you all again!
- Audrey