One Railing, Three Ways

Customize your own layout and see the potential in even the simplest of pieces.

While selecting a spindle for your home design may seem like a straightforward task, there’s much more to consider than simply shape and finish—how each piece is laid out can affect the look and feel of a space dramatically. Thanks to a growing selection of easy-to-install products and styles and finishes ready to mix-and-match, you’ve got plenty of opportunities to get creative and make it your own.

Even something as basic as a stainless-steel tube spindle can take on a totally different vibe depending on its context. When paired with a more dramatic piece, it might add a sense of calm and structure, for example, while if it were to be installed with interesting spacing, it could seem like a much bolder addition to a space. Of course, building coe regulations puts some restraints on what your layout can be—no further than four inches apart—but beyond that, the possibilities are practically limitless.

The Timeline Designer is a great place to start exploring design options with just a few clicks of the mouse. In fact, we’ve done a little experimenting ourselves to show how a railing can take on three unique looks just with a few simple alterations. The hard part? Deciding which look we like best.

Look #1: Beautifully Basic

For this sophisticatedly simple design, two different stainless steel spindles are mixed to create a sleek, linear look that would be ideal for a more modern space. Twin square-shaped spindles flank each rectangular one, with spacing in between to allow the pattern to pop. Though this design option features all the spindles in a subdued satin finish, another option would be to mix up the color choices here too—Graphite Black or Satin Rose Gold mixed in would give this look a brand-new vibe.

Look #2: Old-World Elegance

Here, the intricate and decorative element of a single basket are each separated by a duo of rounded tubes. This mix of products offers a nice balance of romance and practicality: by combining the more dramatic single basket design with plain spindles, you’re creating an elegant look with a little bit of flourish. In a satin-black finish, these bars resemble a forged iron railing and evoke a sense of history and old-world charm.

Look #3: Tight-Knit Cool

This design—which mixes plain round spindles with the occasional addition of a single long basket—puts each spindle in closer proximity to each other than our other design experiments here. By placing even just one or two extra spindles into a railing design, the sense of airiness can change dramatically. A denser design like this is perfect to add some visual weight to a room, and the robust basket detail fills in some of the gaps.

Ready to explore the possibilities for yourself? Try out options and save your favourites with the Timeline Designer. The easy-to-use interactive tool tests out layouts and allows you to mix and match pieces to your hearts’ content. What will your dream design look like?