In creating the design for these handrails, I wanted to acknowledge the very specialized purpose of this space. The homeowners actually consulted a sound engineer to get the acoustics just right, so it was important to get this element of the project just right, too. A careful look at the larger panels will show the suggestion of a lyre, an ancient and elegant musical instrument. Anything more obvious seemed to be not quite as  tasteful as it needed to be. This design gives a strong nod to the intentions of the homeowners in devoting this room to the love and enjoyment of music. Another design feature that I think worked really well is the way that the handrails wrap gracefully around the wooden knobs at the base of the stairs, ending in a melodic flourish, rather than simply terminating in a dead-end.

I fashioned the custom handrails from iron. First I heated the pieces in a forge and with a blowtorch, then bent them to create the shapes I had envisioned. I then hammered the pieces by hand, and welded everything together. I spun knobs on my metal lathe to cap the sections of the rail. When it was completed, I painted the iron with a bronze patina.