Cable and horizontal tubing railings strip a staircase down to its essentials: light, sightlines, and clean structure. Whether it’s stainless steel cable or powder-coated tubing, this style trades bulk for openness without sacrificing strength. Below are six projects where we brought that look to life.

Cable and Tubing Projects, Different Homes

Every home called for a different material, a different finish, and a different reason to open things up.

Some clients wanted their staircase to match an existing remodel. Others were staring at an incredible view and wanted a railing that wouldn’t block it. A few were starting from nothing but a bare opening where an old staircase used to be. The projects below show how the same core technique, cable or tubing over traditional balusters, adapts to whatever the home calls for.

About This Technique

Cable and horizontal tubing railings work on a simple principle: replace a wall of vertical balusters with a handful of thin horizontal lines, and the whole staircase reads as lighter and more open. Stainless steel cable is run under tension between posts, while horizontal tubing, round metal bar in either raw or powder-coated finish, is fixed in place for a slightly more structured look. Both meet code requirements for spacing and load while taking up a fraction of the visual space traditional balusters do.

This style pairs naturally with wood species that carry warmth on their own, since the railing itself is intentionally minimal. We’ve matched cable and tubing systems to everything from Black Walnut and Hickory to Sapele Mahogany and Western Red Cedar, depending on the wood already in the home or the look a client is chasing. Several of these projects also involved framing entirely new staircases from scratch, not just swapping out an old railing system.

As with every project we take on, the wood parts are manufactured, stained or clear-coated, and sealed in our shop before installation, so what arrives at your home is ready to install, not raw material waiting on finish work.

Materials We Work With

For posts, treads, and caps, we regularly work with Red Oak, Hickory, Black Walnut, Sapele Mahogany, and Western Red Cedar, chosen to complement the finishes already in the home. Barrier rails are typically 5/8 inch round tubing in raw or powder-coated finish, or stainless steel cable strung between wood or metal posts.

What to Expect

We start by looking at your existing floors, cabinets, or finishes to recommend a wood species and stain that ties the new staircase into the rest of the home. From there, whether we’re reframing a new staircase or replacing an existing rail system, all wood parts are built and finished in our shop before cable or tubing installation ties the whole system together on site.

Preferred by SW Washington’s Most Contemporary Homeowners

Cable and tubing railings have become the go-to choice for homeowners across SW Washington who want a staircase that opens up a room instead of dividing it, whether that’s for an incredible view, a full interior remodel, or simply a cleaner, more modern feel.