Modern Balustrade Trends: Sleek and Stylish Solutions

What is a balustrade? It is essentially a railing system — typically comprising a handrail, a baserail, spindles and newels — that runs along one side of a staircase to prevent people from falling off it. We can deliver balustrades to Tauranga, Christchurch and further afield within New Zealand.

However, does your NZ home have balustrades that look a little… tired? If so, you could take inspiration from the following contemporary design ideas for balustrades.

The Organic Approach

Of course, traditionally, both staircases and balustrades have often been assembled from wood — and this can remain a sensible choice of material for such applications even today. After all, wooden elements resplendent in a home can be conducive to an inviting, down-to-earth atmosphere.

Combining Metal and Glass

One downside of conventional wooden balustrades is that they can block an awful lot of light — and, as a result, leave much of the surrounding area looking somewhat dark and murky.

If you are currently facing this issue with balustrades, you might want to swap them out for units where large glass panels are held together by metal framing. That way, you would allow larger amounts of light — whether electrical or from the sun — to shine right through the balustrades for an airier feel.

Go for a Mix of Old and New

Even if you live in a period property, it might have a fair few modern pieces of decor that have been added to it over time. In this spirit, if the home still has an old wooden staircase you aren’t quite willing to get rid of, you could imbue it with some up-to-date flourishes that subtly enhance the overall design.

For example, you could keep the wooden steps but arrange for a glass balustrade to run along that path as well — with metal fittings used for affixing the transparent panels securely into place.

Minimalist Style

There’s no doubt that balustrades primarily exist for practical — rather than cosmetic — reasons. You might even be eager to find ways for your balustrades to visually ‘blend into the background’.

To this end, you could paint wooden balustrades white, or install metal-and-glass balustrades where the support structures are largely tucked away — allowing the glass elements to come more to the fore.

When asking us at Grand Glass to deliver glass balustrades to Tauranga, Wellington, Auckland or wherever you actually reside in New Zealand, you can take your pick from many different design options. It’s easy to source a free, no-obligation quote from our team by phoning 09 478 9778.