Best of both: Combining metal and wood in your staircase

There are lots of decisions to make when you are looking to revamp your staircase or choose a new staircase. Choosing what it is made of being chief among them. 

Are you looking for the warmth of wood? Or the coolness of metal? It doesn’t have to be an either/or decision - you can have both. In fact, it is increasingly popular to do so. Combining wood and metal in your staircase can strike a wonderful balance of traditional and modern as you search for the perfect look for your home.  

The major benefit of going down this route is that you don’t necessarily have to start from scratch. You can make some fairly simple tweaks to your existing staircase to create a unique design feature which will get all your visitors talking. 

If you’ve currently got a metal staircase, why not consider adding a wooden handrail and newel posts to give it a refresh. And vice versa, replacing wooden spindles and balustrades with iconic iron products can give your stairs a real wow factor. 

Wood’s warmth and rustic charm comes from its roots as something that has grown over time. Even though it is solid and hardy, it can often give off a soft, cosy feel. Metal’s coolness comes from its powerful origins, often unapologetically cold to touch but with an inviting finish that portrays sturdiness and strength. 

Combining these two very different, but very complementary authentic materials can provide a harmonious look and feel to any staircase, breaking up any uniformity to bring a new dynamic to your home.  

You could also add glass into the mix - but finding the right balance is key. 

Finding the balance depends on several key factors: the shape of your staircase; the light coming through windows and doors; the colour of your wood or metal; and even the texture. 

The style of your home plays a big part in your decision too. You won’t want your staircase to be out of sync with your hallway, landing or other rooms nearby. 

Your furnishings like tables, chairs, flooring, and even items on your walls and windowsills need to work together with your staircase as eyes take their journey up and down your steps. They don’t need to match up, rather work in unison so each item is not lost against its backdrop. In example, you probably wouldn’t want a dark stained chair against a dark stained floor, leading to a dark stained staircase, for example.  

Remember, applying a fresh coat of paint to nearby walls, changing your carpet or painting your wooden staircase parts can also give you a refurbished look, without opening up the purse strings too much. There’s lots more ideas and inspiration across our site.

Combining metal and wood gives you so many more options to find the right staircase solution for your home. 

Take a look at our range of products to help you pick out your perfect staircase.