There is definitely something pleasing about seein a neatly carved oak stairwell. Perhaps it is the oak itself, or the combination of carved spindles and bannisters. Even on a modern plain oak one, the classic lines never look out of place and you know that it will withstand the years of being kicked, scuffed, vacuum cleaners will bag against them; dogs will do, what dogs do on stairwells. I used to have a painted bannister and spindles – my decorator who was doing the whole house at the time, decided to liven it up with a coffee and cream theme. It looked pretty grim and not quite as reliably wood like as it hasd previously. The wood did not start off even looking like oak. In fact, knowing how developes manage to get in materials in bulk, everything was built the same inside our houses – most of our houses have a dog leg stairwell, involving a second pillar, on the corner of the stairs and this takes a great strain when less mobile folk need to get up and down the stairs. I now have plain oak and it pleases me every time I travel up and down those wonderful oak bannisters!
