Style - well that is a good question... I would say it is a modern contemporary urban style home, brick frontage etc... not a victorian style or anything like that. Have solid wood two tone staircase, with dark and natural color maple that stands out prominently when you enter the house. The rest of the house, the Kitchen etc is bit traditional, yet modern finish. Dark solid wood cabinets. I do have 9 foot ceiling but only 9', as that is the maximum that we are allowed to have in our neighborhood. I like to add bit of character and architectural personality to the house, but wasn't sure if wainscotting would in turn make the house look very aged, as we generally see them on older Victorian style homes. Or perhaps I am just mistaken in my limited knowledge about home styling and decor. I see soooo many different styles, which makes it so difficult to choose one because I like them all. So the challenge is to pick one that suits the best. Is it generally better to keep the stains neutral so that the wainscotting trim blend with the wall or will it stand out too much if I make panels that are stained dark. These are the questions that are holding me back from venturing in to this project. Any other comments/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Hi mrsahsan! Your staircase certainly looks lovely, someone did a great job on that cut string by the looks of it. Would you be able to send us a couple more photos, preferably of the side of the flight as well? And the Landing? Also, what sort of style is it that you are looking for? Is there anything that you currently like the look of? I'd recommend having a look through our Staircase Gallery, hopefully this will give you a little inspiration.

you are thinking about the space right now. it looks odd, no doubt. 1) when you fill in with the furniture, just make sure the three steps are hidden. 2) consider three potted plants of different height, so the rectangle is complete. 3) glass bowl with Siamese fighting fish for each step 4) figurines of different heights 5) 2inch square wooden bar on each step up to the top of the rectangle. and complete the entire rectangle if you want with a smaller rectangle open in the center my suggestion is, there is a reason why this space ended up like this. it will look great once you put something there. things like these are what make your house unique.

What a beautiful house, Shahbaaz! I live in a similar house - a 150-year-old colonial bungalow in Kumaon. You have already received lots of excellent advice from better-qualified people, so all I would say is, keep its age and heritage character the central theme. The white tiles do clash, I am afraid ... flooring with terracotta tiles would echo the roof and look lovely. The columns and the arches over the doors and windows are amazing. But I'd say, leave it all chuna-painted - there's a beauty and softness to it. Don't let the painters add too much neel (indigo) in the limewash -- in the hills where I live, they put far too much if I don't watch out and the result is a harsh white. Natural lime has a softer, creamy look.