There's no doubt about the beauty of old-fashioned architecture.

It is possible to learn a lot about the past by looking around an older home. The charming features, like phone niches, tell you many details about the society and technology of the past.

If you've looked over an older staircase, you might have seen details such as corner protectors made of brass or rods for stairways. Learn more about these features to take an in-depth look at these details to learn more about their use and discover staircase designs to build your own staircase.

Dust Corners

Before the invention of vacuum cleaners, cleaning dust from the corners of stairways was a huge problem. Dust guards for stair corners were developed in the 1890s to make sweeping easier.

This isn't their only purpose; the stair guards can also add appeal to wooden stairs. You can add them to the awkward spaces in your home such as those between the wall and the fireplace molding.

Stair Rods

As per The Victorian Emporium, a restoration company that specializes in period homes, stair rods were utilized to secure carpet runners to staircases made of wood.

The distinctive design was initially about function and form. However, these days the stair rods have become more of an ornamental piece as carpet is typically fitted by adhering it to the flooring beneath. It's better for both you and your runner to ensure that your carpet is correctly installed!

One Upside-Down Baluster

A baluster, sometimes referred to as a spindle, is an integral part of the support system. They are used to support the handrail. If there's a baluster upside-down on your staircase that's been in use for a long time, you can blame it on an old-fashioned belief.

Some say that builders deliberately put up one baluster to prove the fact that "only God's creations are perfect," others point to an English belief that an upside-down baluster stops the devil from climbing up the steps and sending anyone to their deathbed. In any case, this feature appears to be connected to an underlying power.