GENTLE CURVE
During a recent Logan Circle redo, MV Architects designed a graceful new staircase and stair rail with painted-steel pickets that sit on a curved plaster skirt. Metal Specialties fabricated the steel handrail. Installation: Haigh DeCastro.

THIN LINE
In Fowlkes Studio’s renovation of an Adams Morgan home, space was at a premium. Conventional railings can take up to six inches away from a staircase’s width, so the architects devised a streamlined alternative: a railing made of half-inch-thick steel plates with welded corners, fabricated by Metal Specialties.

IN THE ROUND
Saienni Stairs crafted a two-story, floating double staircase as part of a Georgetown renovation. Custom-turned wood balusters combine with a mahogany handrail and quarter-sawn pine treads to elegant and dramatic effect.

SAFE PASSAGE
While planning an Arlington renovation, EL Studio prototyped and fabricated a two-story, painted-plywood handrail using a 3D printer to meet ergonomic and safety requirements—namely to smooth out sharp turns and protect kids traveling at high speeds.

LIGHT RAIL
Chuck Cregger of Cregger Construction recently revamped a staircase in a Maryland home. The one-story installation combines an oak rail, side skirt and baseplates with powder-coated aluminum posts and stainless-steel cables and hardware, giving the interior a clean, modern update.