Create A Rustic And Unique Banister With A DIY Project Anyone Can Handle

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For lovers of all things nautical, adding simple decor touches to your home that remind you of the ocean or your recent adventure on the high seas can be quite delightful and keep your treasured holiday memories alive. Here's an interesting DIY that doesn't take long and turns a plain and uninspiring stair banister into something unique and rustic as well as add a bit of that nautical vibe to your home. In fact, it's the perfect addition if you're vying for the sea-inspired look that's replacing polished coastal interiors.

Basically, the project involves adding a banister handrail using thick rope, and it's easier than you might think. It works best if the new handrail is attached to a wall because all you're going to need is wall brackets, like these Coliwel black ring brackets, and a nice sturdy piece of rope that's long enough to cover the distance from the bottom of the stairs to the top. Choose a robust jute rope, like this Bretangme 4-strand twisted rope that's 1 ½ inches thick. Apart from being a great way to create a whimsical, rustic aesthetic, this DIY is affordable, easy to customize, and relatively durable. And just like the traditional window treatment that brings coastal vibes to your bathroom, this rope handrail will ensure your staircase carries the seaside theme throughout the home.

The first step is to measure the distance of your handrail. This will determine how many brackets you're going to need and how long the rope should be. Remember that you want the sections of rope to be a little loose and not completely taut for the best effect. Obviously, you'll want a bracket at the bottom and top of the stairs, and then additional brackets spaced evenly with around 3 to 4 feet between each one. So, if your handrail is only going to span 4 feet, you'll just need the two brackets, but if the rope distance needs to cover, say, 7 feet, you'll want at least three brackets — one on either end and one in the middle.

To attach the brackets to the wall, you'll need a drill and some screws. Use wall anchors to secure the screws firmly if there aren't any studs to drill into. Once your brackets are up, thread the rope through, starting at one end, and adjusting the tension as you go to achieve the look that you want. For the ends of the rope, you can either tie a decorative stopper knot, such as a double overhand knot, or use rope end caps.

Finally, you should keep in mind that this type of rustic rope banister is going to be more of an ornamental feature rather than a standalone functional handrail because it might not comply with your local building codes. Nevertheless, it looks gorgeous and can really add a bit of that nautical aesthetic to your staircase — so much so, that you might want to look for ideas to turn your living room into a beachy escape.