Is the gate for a child because that bannister and railing is very very unsafe.

I would think that the balustrade is not to current Australian standards. I would keep the same style and just add additional horizontal railing. The stairs and current balustrade add the interest and warmth to space. Add a wonderful large artwork to the left hand wall. Even a hanging pendant on the right hand side of ceiling. For me the first thing I notice is that storage cupboard height is not level with the doors. Maybe install some new handles on the cupboard doors. Maybe long black handles. And also the doors don’t reach the floors?? Has the floor covering been changed since doors were installed?

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When you say “bannister update” what part of the stairs do you actually mean? Do you mean just the top bannister hand rail, or the entire balustrade?

@bigreader - The gate is for the doggies. I should have explained this. Thanks @dreamer - Thanks for your comments and ideas, it is helpful. I am sure the balustrade is not up to Australian Standards, and we are concerned our doggies will get excited and slip. So we do want to rectify. We had considered an extra piece, but wondered if we should change the whole thing. I like the idea of a large picture, but trying to get something to complement the rest of the room is what I may struggle with. The cupboards do have a gap and we think there must have been carpet before. If we changed the doors, we would have to change all...

Re the doors yes same issue as my house after we removed carpet. Do chand the door knobs to a colour that blends in. The railing needs replacing as is dangerously go small kids and dogs. Get what you like there. Put art perhaps family photos on walls to draw you eye to nice things.

Hi Theresa, artwork is personal, and the artwork can be anything that you like. Then it will naturally compliment everything else. I personally think, that once you have made the balustrade compliant with similar infill railing, then a large artwork, it will be a huge difference. The gate is letting the space down visually, but obviously you need it.

I have kid gates for dogs also. I’ve found the timber and black ones blend better with defor

Our pets are precious to us!

There seems to be some lovely light downstairs - could be taken advantage of. If the stairs are timber, drill perforations in the risers of the steps in an interesting pattern. This will allow light to enter the stairwell in a unique way.

Everyone is right about the hight of the railings. Safety is important for all your family members.

Consider infilling with vertical 'pickets'. That way the extra height can be added as well.

As for the cupboard doors at the top of the landing - wallpaper them with something that brings you joy! Use the same wallpaper to line the taller wall to the right of the photo.

Use a large framed print on the left side wall that ties in with the wallpaper theme.

Hi, some other ideas for your stairwell...

Perhaps battens could be used to extend and fill in the banister area.

Use the same timber to clad the cupboard doors - use one as the handle!

Place the battens at regular intervals across the doors.

If the doors were painted a dark colour, the battens would stand out well.

Then use a batten horizontally at the base of the other doors for decoration and to fill in where the carpet used to be. Change handles to timber to coordinate.

Any prints, photos or wall decoration could have timber frames.

Also add some greenery to cascade down from the landing to bring it all to life.

(This photo shows the kind of battens I am thinking of. All the way to the ceiling would not be practical for your situation, but it's a lovely photo!)

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Yeah, updating the bannister would definitely help modernize the space, maybe something with black metal or glass for a cleaner look. You could also play with lighting, like a statement pendant or LED strips along the stairs. If it’s smack in the middle, maybe add a low bookshelf or plants around it to make it feel more intentional.