Yesterday I was at a client's home that was built in the 1850's. It was awesome! So quirky with such an interesting history. I loved the stone walls, pine plank floors and the 1920s kitchen that was in perfect shape with its art deco handles. But what I was most impressed with was the foyer and the grand staircase. The wood was never painted and the patina on the banister and railings was gorgeous.

There is something grand about those old staircases as is felt in these three photos of various homes. Whether they have been painted or completely untouched, they have an elegance that newer staircases seem to be missing. It's probably the history that gets to me most, thinking about all those hands that touched the railings over the last 160 years! Spine tingling.