Modern or traditional, these stair railing designs span material and color Great stair railing ideas are what separate an eye-catching staircase from ordinary steps. “Staircases have always been a very important part of house design; after all, it is often the first thing you see when entering a home and it sets the tone for the rest of the design,” says Kirsten Blazek, Los Angeles interior designer and author of A1000xBetter: A Rebel By Design (Rizzoli, out in April). Simply put: If you want to get your staircase to the next level, you can’t ignore the stair railings. These days, the staircase and rail combination doesn’t have to be so predictable. “Ultimately, the staircase is one of the few places in a home where you have the vertical real estate to really play with big shapes and volume,” says Stephanie Martin, founder and creative director of Stephanie Martin Interior Design in Calgary, Alberta.…