How can you update without the expense, it won’t be a cheap exercise unless you are a carpenter. It matches the era of the doors, so where do you stop. What Part of it don’t you like and what would you like. It’s personal. Look at images

Would love a simple one like some on this pic... Maybe just paint the top? I like a more modern look but aware the house is not overly modern so only so much can be done.

Paint it black, will go beautifully with your white walls and light carpet

Part of the problem is the colour -- that yellowish cream is the most dated part IMO , and I was going to suggest painting white like the doors . The black looks good too .

My preference if you had the time and/or the budget would be to strip them back to wood and matt varnish them , BUT change the doors too -- those doors obviously were of that era , but I hate them with a vengence these days -- doors and balustrades would add some class and some warmth .

Pottsy99, what would you change the doors to? I also do not love them but hadn't given them much thought until now....

We will be painting it the balustrade Vivid White and I think that wot definitely help. We're getting opinions on whether we can strip back to wood and varnish too.

Your plan means you can do 2 stages -- paint vivid white , and then later new doors . How it is now , with that 'aged cream' and white doors looks bad on 2 respects , so you are getting the 2 aspects to match .

Those doors I guess were a step up from the flat ones with cardboard coils inside , but they looked and felt really plasticy , and one of the worst attempts at fake wood that there was .

Call me strange , but I prefer wooden doors to have wood in them haha -- a nice wooden door in a white frame can't be beaten IMO -- its interior , so you don't want it to look heavy and impenetrable ( i.e. not a front door ) but similar to the existing door , just in a nice warm honey toned wood , or even a cedar or similar -- 4 or 6 small panels but nothing too heavy in detail . That would be my plan of attack anyway .