THE WAY UP

In all our comings and goings, our stairs are there for us. They anchor our homes with architectural interest and stability.

- SARAH HALVERSON

They bookend our days, ushering us downstairs each morning for that first cup of coffee and carrying us up to bed each night. They provide a perch for items that need to go up to the attic, a staggered stage for family photos-even a path to race down on a long-awaited Christmas morning. Not everyone has stairs, but for those of us who do, we've caught glimpses of how they enrich the way we move through our days.

With all that functionality built in, it only makes sense that the staircase be shown some love too-to be as carefully considered as any other feature or space in our home. By experimenting with materials, colors, and other elevating details, we not only kick the staircase's design up a notch-we make it our own.

There's potential for it to become a showstopper and a, well, stairway to a home we love.

ANATOMY OF A STAIRCASE

TREAD

The horizontal surface you step on.

RISER

The vertical surface between treads.

NOSING

The edge of the tread that extends slightly beyond the riser.

HANDRAIL

What you hold as you ascend or descend the stairs.

BALUSTERS AND SPINDLES

Individual vertical supports that connect the treads to the handrail. Usually, balusters are larger and spindles are slimmer, and they can be customized with different materials (metal or wood) and finishes (paint or stain).

BALUSTRADE

The whole series of balusters or spindles (vertical supports) that connect the treads to the handrail.

STRINGER OR STRINGER BOARD

Structural support for the treads and risers, and the backbone of the stairs. All staircases have a stringer on each side. Stringers can be embellished with trim or paint.

NEWEL OR NEWEL POST