Two-Story Loft & Lighted Stair Glass Railing

This Folsom home is built around a two-story great room, and the upstairs loft looks straight down into it. The railing had to protect the loft edge and the staircase without putting a fence between the two floors.

What we did

• Installed frameless tempered glass along the full loft edge, so the upstairs reads as part of the great room
• Continued the glass down the staircase, following the stair angle with custom-cut panels
• Paired the glass with a continuous black handrail that ties into the home's fixtures
• Kept hardware minimal so the tread lighting, not the railing, defines the stair at night

The result

From the ground floor, the loft rail nearly disappears and the ceiling height does the talking. On the stairs, the lighted treads glow through the glass instead of hiding behind balusters. It's the difference between a two-story room and two stacked rooms.