wood balusters and newel posts

wooden balusters and wood newels with acanthus leaf design and grape motif

Featured Articles:

about newels and balusters collection

balusters and newels as historical staircase embellishments

staircase railing arrangements

installing balusters and newels



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staircase details

parts for staircase



Designers Talk -
Balusters & Newels



what are newels?

what exactly are balusters?

why are newels so important?

what’s the big deal with balusters?

BALUSTERS & NEWELS

All wood staircase components on this page are hand-carved from premium selected hardwood. Newels and balusters are triple-sanded  - ready for final finishing. You can apply a clear finish, or stain them to mach existing woodwork.

Wood balusters and newel posts are undeniably the most ornamental and visually dramatic part of the staircase.

Balusters and newels offer a grate opportunity to make a strong architectural statement

A stairway is a vital architectural element, making a design statement on each level to which it provide access.

Create a railing with strength, structure, and character that reflects the feeling of your home and commands presence as a central focus in your home's interior.

About Our Newels and Balusters Collection

Looking at the staircase you’re delightfully taking it all in: the stately carved wood newels, the graceful curves of the railing and wood balusters in harmonious and perfect repetition. For centuries staircase balustrade has been the most ornamental and finely crafted built-in furniture in the home serving as a focal point of the home entry.

The main balustrade elements are newel posts and balusters. Usually balusters and newels are sold separately from other staircase parts. On our website we offer sets of hand-carved wood newel posts and wood balusters. Wood newels paired-up with wood balusters by design and by size. Carved finely with fluted columns, scrolled leaf or grapevine design each of our wooden balusters and newels are showcase of quality and craftsmanship.

Finely sanded newels and balusters carved from premium selected hardwoods: hard maple, cherry and white oak. Hardwood used for manufacturing our wood staircase parts is perfect for stain, but if you desire to paint your staircase you can do so and have a beautiful result.


Replacing your old staircase parts with new hand-carved wood newels and wooden balusters can bring a dramatic change to your staircase and have a grate impact on the space. Staircase begins with newel post. Often several newel posts are used on the turning points of the staircase. Newels are the primary stylistic elements of the staircase.

We are offering a high quality solid hardwood newels. Our newels are milled and turned for a beautiful slender decorative profile. All newels have square finely sanded ends, turned and carved with deep flutes mid section featuring distinctive hand-carved design on the lower part, and an ornamental top.

The ornamental top of the newel post commonly called newel finial. If you wish give a little face lift to your staircase an addition of decorative newel finial is the way to go. Wood finials for newel posts can be purchase on our website separately from other staircase parts.

Balusters and Newels as Historical Staircase Embellishments

An overall design of the staircase has changed over the years. Humble staircases in the modest Colonial homes were hidden behind a door or wall. Back then staircase was steep and compact. Staircases were placed in unobtrusive locations.

The fine balusters and newels, along with decorative stair brackets and other applied trimwork became typical of late-period designs.

Builders of the Late Colonial and Georgian homes brought the staircase out in the main entry way. The prominent position of the staircase naturally led to more embellished ornamentation and a grater architectural significance for the staircase.




Staircase railing parts are commonly known as balustrade. Balustrade includes newels, railing and balusters. Newel posts are the primary support for railing. The balusters provide a secondary support for railing as well as creating a barrier. From a construction point of view balusters and railings are related to the point that the baluster's top must fit into the hole or groove inside of railing.

Staircase Railing Arrangements

Most of the staircase railings are made from solid wood. Staircase railings are categorized on over-the-post or post-to-post.


Over-the-post railing runs over the tops of the newels and balusters. The post-to-post railing adds a butt onto the sides of the newel posts creating a rhythmic dynamics of the staircase line.

The difference in balustrade arrangement is primarily driven by aesthetics. With post-to-post balustrade arrangement, where railing ends to meet newels, results are usually more dramatic and more decorative options are available.

Staircase design options in post-to-post arrangement include curved or mitered wall returns, carved decorative blocks or wood rosettes that receive railing at the wall, and a newel post has to be installed flush to the wall.

Installing Balusters and Newels

In addition to functionality, newels and balusters together provide vivid architectural definition to a staircase. Aside from replacing individual balusters or newels, installing balustrade stair parts is not a job for amateurs. Installing wood balusters is fairly straight forward but does require careful cutting and measuring. Carved balusters with square-top styles are nailed to a railing groove. Our wood balusters have square bottom ends. These types of balusters are attached to the treads or to low curb with nails or by means of a dowel that fits into a hole in the tread. Our balusters designed with elongated top ends that you can cut to match the slope of the railing.

WOOD NEWEL POSTS AND BLUSTERS