Ravenscourt
Residential Property
Commissioned by a leading residential builder, the wooden staircase design at Ravenscourt runs across four floors of a West London home and called for a slimline balustrade that would look delicate without giving up any strength. Handrail Creations designed, manufactured and installed sapele handrails and plain white spindles to meet that brief.
The wooden staircase itself was installed by another contractor, so our designers 3D scanned it before any component was drawn. This is often the case on projects like this, and it’s why our bespoke balustrades are developed from a survey of the structure as built rather than from the original drawings.
Designing a Slimline Balustrade That Still Takes Family Use
The client wanted a balustrade that read as light and traditional in a Georgian property, but which could take everyday family life without feeling fragile. Our team proposed 20mm square steel spindles, each with a specially designed turning at the end to give a secure fixing point into the handrail above.
The engineering is what makes the look possible. The balustrade was resolved well enough that no newel posts or tie bars were required, and in a Georgian house those are usually needed to brace the stairs. Removing them keeps the run clean from floor to floor.
Pre-Machined Hardwood Handrails and Hidden Balustrade Components
The sapele handrail was pre-machined with a pocket for every spindle before it left the workshop, so each fixing sits inside the timber rather than being surface-mounted. The result is a balustrade with no visible steel core rail and no screw heads anywhere along its length, which is a small thing at a distance and an obvious one up close.
Machining the balustrade components and the wooden handrail to the same digital model is what allows that. The hardwood handrails were then French polished using traditional techniques, while the spindles were powder-coated white off-site, which saved time on the programme and gives a more durable finish than painting in place.
Looking for a Slimline or Bespoke Balustrade?
Whether you need a balustrade engineered to work without newel posts, or a handrail fitted to a staircase installed by someone else, Handrail Creations can survey, design, manufacture and install it. Browse our residential projects for more examples or contact our team to discuss your staircase.
Frequently asked questions
What is a slimline balustrade?
One built from narrow spindles, in this case 20mm square steel, so the run stays visually light. The strength comes from how the spindles are fixed and how the balustrade is engineered rather than from the bulk of the components.
Can a balustrade work without newel posts or tie bars?
On the right staircase, yes. At Ravenscourt the balustrade was engineered so neither was needed, which is unusual in a Georgian property where they’re normally used to brace the stairs.
Why pre-machine the wooden handrail for the spindles?
Because it hides the fixings. Each spindle drops into a machined pocket in the underside of the handrail, so there’s no steel core rail running along the top of the balustrade and no screw heads on show.
Can you fit a handrail to a staircase installed by someone else?
Yes. The staircase at Ravenscourt was installed by another contractor and 3D scanned by our designers, so the handrail and balustrade were manufactured around the structure as it actually stood.
What is sapele?
A hardwood with a rich colour and attractive grain, widely used for high-quality interior joinery and handrails. It takes a French polished finish well, which is how the Ravenscourt hardwood handrails were completed.