Traditional Wood Banisters

Select a wood that you think will coordinate well with in the room where the staircase is located. Banisters are typically made using cherry, walnut, oak, hickory, maple or mahogany woods. The handrail piece on the top should match the balusters in style. If the balusters are ornately carved spindles, for example, the handrail would typically be ornate as well.

Choose a traditional wood banister for your home according to your personal taste. Options include white balusters with a natural wood railing or square-shaped balusters for a Craftsman-style house. Traditional-style balusters may be Mediterranean, Victorian, colonial or renaissance. Alternatively, consider a wooden handrail with wrought-iron balusters.

Install two banisters for an open-style staircase so there is one banister for each side of the staircase. Only one straight, wooden banister is necessary to be a affixed to a wall for a closed-in staircase in a smaller space. Ensure that any banisters in your home adhere to building code safety standards for your local area. A child, for example, should not be able to fall through the balusters or get stuck between them.