A Grand {Iron} Entrance

 Happy post-Christmas sugar coma friends.  I hope you enjoyed your holiday & ate as much peppermint ice cream as me!  Now let's get back to interiors talk...

{Martyn Lawrence Bullard}

The latest step in my parent's new build is choosing the staircase materials.  The staircase will be in the foyer near the front door, and winds up to the second floor.  We have decided on travertine marble for both the stair and the riser, with an iron railing.  Their second floor is an open floor plan with a bridge across the middle of the house open to below.  That means there will be a great deal of iron railing exposed in the home- and I want the design of the iron to enhance the architectural details of the house- not distract from it.  That's why I am leaning towards a clean, simple iron look, like these:

{Via Alice Lane Home Collection}

{Via Peter Zimmerman Architects}

{Trisha Dodson Design via Segreto Finishes}

{via Phoebe Howard}

{via Dana Wolter}

However, a chic pattern or detail, done tastefully, would add visual interest.  Plus, with the amount of exposed iron, keeping the pattern straight like the examples above throughout the house may become redundant and stale.   I love the detail in these staircase railings:

{via Alberto Pinto}

{via Jan Showers}

{via Cote de Texas; home of Sally Wheat}

Just the right amount of design without becoming too ornate or ostentatious. 

Which look do you prefer?