Choosing the Right Railings for Every Area in Your Home
Architectural Railings seem like a pretty simple item, but when you start searching for the right choice for each area of your home, you’ll find a lot of different designs, styles, and options. It can be overwhelming! We’d like to help you choose the right railings for different areas in your home by providing some basic information and techniques for each area of your home...
Kitchen
The kitchen isn’t an area that is commonly considered for railings, but you can still find many outstanding options for this room. Many kitchen railings and handrails will attach to the tops of your counters, mounting literally to the side of the countertops. If you have solid wood or natural stone countertops, you likely have a solid material that provides a great foundation for attaching railings.
In the kitchen, you should find railings that work with your current design. This could be a gold or silver finish or something less vibrant, depending on the theme you want to portray.
Bathroom
When choosing railings for the bathroom, it’s all about safety. You should choose materials that not only look good, but provide superior grip and stability. According to the CDC, millions of people over the age 65 will fall every year, but you can reduce the chances of injury with the right handrail.
There will be slippery floors and wet hands, so make sure that safety is the #1 priority. Railings in the bathroom should be placed in areas where you or a loved one will need help sitting down and standing up, including the tub, shower, and toilet area.
Bedroom
The railings and handrails in your bedroom should provide safety and confidence. They should be accessible throughout the entire area, but especially near the bed, where getting up and down safely is important. To provide safety in the bedroom where many of the walls are covered by dressers and other furniture, you will likely have to use various handrail kits, which provide versatile rails that can be fitted into smaller sections.
Stairways
Few things enhance a home like a gorgeous stairway railing. While they still need to provide safety and stability, stairway railings allow for a lot of creativity and playfulness with the design.
With an open staircase, the railings are very noticeable, mostly because they run at an angle while the rest of the lines in the house run up-and-down or side-to-side. (Think pictures, wall/ceiling connections, corners, etc.) Contrasting the other lines, the staircase can be a highlight of the room, so think about choosing something that is unique and interesting. Perhaps a larger size or different colors would provide the effect you need.
Garage
Because railings primarily provide safety, especially around stairs and ledges, the most common location that you’ll need a good handrail is the entry between the garage and the home. If your home has a connected garage, there are likely two or three steps between the main level and the garage. You can choose a polished stainless steel railing for safety while giving a chrome-like appearance to the garage.
Outdoor Patio and Deck
Perhaps more than any other area, the patio gives you many options for design and functionality for your railings. First, you’ll need to decide whether privacy or a good view is the top priority. If you want privacy, you’ll need something that blocks a larger area, but if you want to maintain your view, you may want spaced-apart railing posts or even a glass backing, which provides a safety barrier while maintaining your view to lower-level features like a garden or pool patio.