hi all, update is I have finally found a photo of someones stairs done in Brintons timorous beastie yellow Ruskin butterfly and its made me decide we are definitely 100% going for this as I love it (see attached pics) on stairs and landing... Floor in hall will be oak herringbone parquet, just wall colour to decide and we have bought new tall skirting so colour to paint this also? i have attcahed apic of the hall currently so you can see our front door with stain glass.. As Ive mentioned before the banister and spindles will be replaces with square spindles with an oak top banister and oak end cap - similar to this houzz pic ... So just to deicide on wall colour and new skirting colour... I really like f&b light blue in a hall with oak parquet but I don't feel this will go with the carpet... Kitchen and dining room will be one of the sage shades and lounge Wimborne white and downpipe...

I painted the stairs all the way across as it was just as quick as trying to paint just the edges. I had intended to add a runner but liked the look so much I haven't done. The bottom two stairs are curved and I couldn't work out how the runner would sit over them. I used floor paint but it does need repainting every year or two, so it's not the most practical solution.

Hello Tani, Ah I thought it was for you.. You're moving aren't you? Anyway, sorry I added them right after I posted so you could see exactly what I mean.. Perhaps you can paint and paint the rail but leave the treads... That way the rails in place but you don't see it! It would though have to be in the colour of the walls to work... You could even paint the treads a completely different colour if you wanted to say blend with the floor? There are countless ways to deal with these stairs... So many options... So perhaps nothing really needed than a lick of paint (or not as you may prefer) and perhaps new treads.. Maybe though discuss with the eventual occupants as they may not like my ideas at all! : ))

My company specialises in renewing and upgrading existing stairs as well as designing and making new ones. Here's a project that we completed at the end of 2016, the first pictures are how the stairs looked when we first visited and the last ones with the glass are how we changed it. Here's the review from our client who was very pleased http://bit.ly/2oYjRFi . All our work is designed and made in house so you don't have to bother with taking templates to a local glazier. As you have seen from the number of replies the range of options are unlimited. Most things can be achieved with the right client and good budget but to avoid spending too much on something you don't need it is important to gain an understanding of how you want the whole house to look; I always request that my clients show me images of things they like, furniture, interiors so that a design can be developed that not only complements the design/ concept of a home but enhances. Depending on your budget, you could make a saving by just renewing the stairs in a design that incorporates a glazed banister and fixes the issues that you are concerned about. Site installation work is far more expensive than just making something from scratch in our workshop. I don't believe you have any problems offering B&B with the stairs as they are as far as Building Regs go. What you should probably take account of though is providing a staircase for the guests that they are comfortable with and feel safe using, if you are certain that all the guests will be fully mobile adults then in the strict reading of the regs your stairs will comply anyway. Building Regs approved document K requires gaps in staircase risers and banisters to be 100 mm or less to provide adequate safety for children. Following this, but also keeping open risers means adding a small downstand underneath the tread to reduce the open riser height. It will also pose problems adding glass to the side of your existing flight because you will have difficulty because there are not convenient points to fix the glass, nor have the carriages - the beams supporting the treads underneath - been designed to carry the additional load from the glass or stair users pressing on it, so additional structure must be added to the carriage to carry the glass, everything is possible but most people have a budget so I must ask you - What is yours? Robert