Bannister

[Gozogozo]

We have a round pole type hand rail on the wall side of our staircase. The other side was a partitioned stud wall which has been removed so we can do what we like, budget permitting!

I need a banister that can be held by ageing parents, and I can only really find replacement poles or lambs tongue/pigs ear banisters, which don't look so safe.

Has anyone seen something interesting to grip? I have searched houzz & pinterest without much luck.
Am I doomed to the ugly pole?!?

At least with a pole the anchor points used mean you can firmly hold the pole with your hand. We lived in a Victorian terrace with a very steep staircase and a pole on brackets only on one side of the stairs. I did once slip badly in a totally stupid grip free pair of flip flops and was able to grab the pole with both hands to break my fall. The lamb's tongue/pig's ear type would have been useless.

I rather like the pole on its own - really simply.

An alternative would be rope threaded through eye bolts at intervals down the wall. A friend once lived in a house which had that for a bannister.

Thanks wowfudge, I think you're right. Looking at ways to make the pole look a bit nicer now.