Leave the stairs and change the spindles to iron. This cuts down on the heavier wood look, opens things up to feel lighter.

Would glass instead of spindles be too modern for you? It would open up the whole space.

I LOVE what you have! I'd finish other projects first and see if you don't fall in love with it... perhaps?

How about painting your staircase the same white that your moulding around the front doors are painted? I see some of your baseboards are also painted white. Painting all the wood trim and staircase the same color white would tie everything together.

Leave the stairs alone or if you must change the rail to a simple iron. I think painting the railings, etc. white will make the stairs stand out. The current color seems to melt into the outside. Get rid of the horrible rug in the front entrance that looks like a wood design. I wonder if you are overwhelmed with the darkness of the walls rather than the stairs. I like the color myself.

Im not sure of your orientation - when you come into the house, are the stairs directly in front of you - as I don't see your rug in the pictures with the stairs. If so, you have crammed a chair in the corner and a cabinet to the other side right on top of the entry wall. I would suggest getting rid of them - get yourself a good size round table (will cut down the squareness of the foyer). and set it in the middle of the space. Make a beautiful arrangement with flowers, perhaps large lanterns, etc. On the walls flacking the entry door, use large pieces of art in bright colors. Leave the stairs alone!

You could be sensing the mis-match between your traditional decor and the modern stairs -- they appear to be an oak-type of wood. I thought maybe darken the finish of the wood, but that probably would not help any because the style would remain intact and make the area too dark. I hate to suggest that you re-think your design style, but those stairs suggest a more modern type of style. Perhaps as others have suggested, a lighter wall and some large bright pictures on the wall. I would not remove the chair and dresser, at least not yet. Also, you might want to take a look at the frames your existing art is in and consider using darker frames -- maybe black painted ones, for example.

Cable wire, and paint the steps gun metal color but I do like the wood! But for a more modern look the cable would do it!

P.S. I forgot to mention that you should probably try to harmonize the color of the paint to the color of the wood your stairs are. You could stain your stairs to a more complimentary color or repaint. And also, upon looking at your entry-way, think if you were to re-frame your pictures, you might want to try a brown wood, not a black frame.

I think what you have goes with what you have. If you paint the wood you will need to keep painting the wood. Stick to the low maintenance you have. It's really rather nice geometry of verticals and horizontals...

I would embrace them! However, you might consider plexi-glass only in the railings not on stairs in all but the upper level areas. Seems that it would enhance the view out the windows.

I think a brighter color on the walls will make you love your space. You have wonderful light and the plants certainly love it. The stairs are a part of the design as the light shines through the stairs. If you can't do a lighter color on the walls, try staining the wood but remember not to go so dark as the tile will then be the focus which is also on the lighter side.

what about going parallel to the railings with wire instead of vertical with so many spindles? Its a very modern look.

I think a horizontal iron or even a horizontal thick wire type would look great. Just make it horizontal whatever you do.

Oh, I would change out that glass block too

My preference is to leave the wood looking like wood and focus on painting the walls; however, if you really need a change, before ripping out the spindles and/or rails, at least try painting the rails and all trim the same color first, leaving the steps themselves and the floor of the landing that is wood the same wood as is, then paint all your walls in the foyer and stairwell a single color more to your liking. You could always change the railing to iron or glass later.

The stair case in the above pictures are nice, but the stairs in question are just beautiful. I agree with suezbell. Paint the walls BM Edgecomb Gray or something neutral and see how you like them. I think the color of the walls are more the issue than the stairs and certainly a less expensive fix. I LOVE YOUR STAIRS :)

this is a job for a pro for sure, but just looking at photographs does not give one enough information. my suggestion is to visit or call several designers in your vicinity and get a sense of each person's expertise. after that, ask for a consultation with the one(s) you feel comfortable with.

Your house seems a bit confused about what it wants to be. It has contemporary doors, windows and stairs paired with traditional door trim and fluted columns. Maybe the solution needs to be a combination of the two? The builder decided to have the stairs float and did not tie them to the walls, therefore requiring all that extra wood. Replace that with glass or something more minimal that would fade into the wall. Or a more major change - disconnect and slide to stairs next to the walls. Then use something more to your tastes - like the organic wrought iron you picked - to replace the inner stair railings and bridge railing. It would certainly give your entry some wow.