bannister, baluster, balustrade, newel.

well, i was going to call this post 'getting railed' but a quick visit to urban dictionary convinced me otherwise. i've been on the hunt for some art-related images for an article i'm writing for work, and i just keep finding sweet railings. for those of you who have never had the pleasure of specifying a custom staircase or railing, you should know that there are a TON of different components. here's a diagram meant to overwhelm you into hiring an interior designer:

{first two images from lonny magazine; i've lost the source for numero tres. sorry, beautiful wedding.}