A New Jersey couple was building an exceptional house on the river. They brought in a local architect to work out the details of their build. They wanted a spectacular iron stairway railing design to accentuate the sensational spatial design. The challenge was for an iron railing design that had a level of formality and character without being too formal. They desired a traditional iron railing design, with a hint of transitional railing design mixed in.
We proposed various iron railing designs, and they researched railing designs as well. Ultimately, the iron railing design selected was a “paperclip” design. We recommended using a rectilinear 3/8” X 1” bar to incorporate a transitional effect. For the center design element, we proposed a custom cast bronze acanthus rosette. We also proposed a custom extruded bronze caprail to further enhance this iron railing masterpiece. We had to constantly value engineer this iron railing project as there were budget constraints on the project.
Another challenge was the volute at the bottom of the iron stair railing. The objective was to have a slightly artistic and whimsy affect to enhance the overall iron railing design. We incorporated the custom cast bronze rosettes coupled with a more distinctive post design. We accomplished this by adding base trim, corner trim and top trim with a brass ballcap.
The scope of the project was quite daunting. There were 3 levels of balcony railings at the atrium overlook. Some of the balcony railings had a serpentine curve. There were 2 levels of main foyer railings with angular and curved iron railings. Iron railings were needed for the kitchen stairs, bowling alley, wine room, theater and for two attic staircases. Over 200 ft. of iron railing was needed for the entire project. Time was of the essence! So, a lot of focus was put on measuring and designing this project in a timely manner.
Then, the real work started. We created the iron railing design and laid out all the difficult iron railing areas. With focus and diligence, the project was created. The result was a beautiful iron railing throughout this exceptional New Jersey home.
