So, you want to know the difference; baluster vs banister?

Have you ever heard the terms “Baluster, Balustrade, and Banister” and pondered their meanings? Are they identical or are they distinct? Are these separate forms of the same word? Here is a concise summary of the distinctions.

You may have heard of these words if you have made the decision to remodel your house; certainly, they are perplexing! The term “balustrade” refers to the rows of tiny columns made of a variety of materials such as glass that are placed below a railing. Balustrades are often seen on balconies and stairs. Glass balustrades are a striking element of modern architecture and design. But how are a banister and a balustrade distinct from one another?

Is baluster the same as banister?

The term baluster shaft is used to describe candlesticks, furniture supports, and the stem of a brass chandelier. The word bannister (also bannister) refers to a baluster or the handrail and baluster system of a staircase.

What is baluster?

A baluster is a vertical shaft, square, or lathe-turned shape often encountered on stairways, parapets, and other architectural elements. In the building of furniture, it is known as a spindle. Wood, stone, and, less commonly, metal and ceramic are typical building materials for this structure. A balustrade is a collection of balusters that support a handrail, coping, or decorative decoration.

A baluster is a vertical element that provides support and safety between a railing and other wood or the floor; a short and ornamental post or pillar that supports a top rail. The name baluster is derived from the Italian word for pomegranate blossoms, balaustra, since these architectural elements often resemble them.

Wood, iron, stone, and other materials may be used to construct balusters. The terms baluster and spindle are interchangeable.

In contrast, a balustrade consists of a top rail, balusters or spindles, and often a bottom rail, as well as posts, post caps, and ornamental finials. It consists of distinct components, such as balusters and a railing/handrail. It may be used for stairs, balconies, and ornamental buildings both inside and outdoors.

History of balusters

The oldest instances of balusters are seen in bas-reliefs of Assyrian palaces, where they were evidently used as practical window balustrades and featured Ionic capitals.  As an architectural element, the balustrade does not appear to have been known to either the Greeks or the Romans, but baluster forms are familiar in the legs of chairs and tables depicted in Roman bas-reliefs, where the original legs or the models for cast bronze ones were shaped on the lathe, or in Antique marble candelabra, formed of a series of stacked bulbous and disc-shaped elements, both types of sources familiar to Quatt

The application to building was a characteristic of early Renaissance architecture; examples may be seen on the balconies of palaces in Venice and Verona from the late fourteenth century. These four-hundred-year-old balustrades undoubtedly follow unnamed Gothic predecessors. They create colonette balustrades as an alternative to small arcading.

What is a banister?

Depending on one’s history, a bannister may have a variety of meanings. Typically, the most prevalent meaning refers to the term “handrail.” You often use handrails (bannisters) while rapidly descending stairs. Banister are also used in public places like car washes for the safety of elderly.

Banisters may also refer to the typical stair railing. The vertical rail that supports the handrail is referred to as the baluster. Balusters guarantee that any weight placed on the handrail will result in increased support.

You may also encounter the term footrail, which is the crosspiece used to hold the foot of the rail.

The combination of these elements makes a balustrade, which is an obsolete name. Today, the whole device is commonly referred to as a bannister.

Why is it called a banister?

The term bannister is derived from the term baluster. Baluster, which is derived from the term balustrade, resembles a wild pomegranate (called the balaustion).

At the time, the look of the fence resembled the blossom of the wild pomegranate. Since the initial designs were based on this idea, there have been significant changes since then.

Difference between baluster and banister

As a child, did you ever slide down the bannister and stop abruptly as you struck the newel post at the foot of the stairs? Technically speaking, it was not a bannister at all. The origin of the term “bannister” is the word “baluster,” which is a pomegranate bloom! I’m aware that it’s a little perplexing… But let’s explain further.

A baluster is a form that evolved into an architectural element. Currently, the term baluster refers to any support between the handrail and footrail (or string) of a railing system. Therefore, the baluster is the spindle.

Handrail, footrail, and balusters are typical components of a balustrade. Therefore, a balustrade consists of balusters. Many people currently refer to the whole structure as a bannister, whereas anything between the rails is known as a baluster.

To put it another way:

A balustrade is a series of balusters supporting a handrail.

Many architects and interior designers prefer to use the term “bannister” to refer to a thinner, more contemporary support.