I am in desperate need of some advice. My husband and I purchased a 1980's tri-level house recently. We have been working hard to update the house and make modern. The house had old brown slat stair rails on staircase, upstairs loft, and around the entire dining room which is on main level and overlooks the family room on lower level.

We decided to put in iron stair rails to update the look. Project is starting soon. We made the stair rail on upper level loft a half wall so you can't see into the room from the main level. Staircase wiil be pretty iron design with stained hand rail to match our new wood floors. We had decided to also put iron around the dining room on main level but now I am very worried that we are making a mistake and should do a half wall here as well???

Pros of doing iron....when standing in kitchen also on main level, you can see through dining room into lower level family room and pretty view of pool and brick paver patio (also remodeled!). Very open look but makes dining room have a more casual feel.

Cons of doing iron and not wall...more noise penetration in house, in family room on lower level the couches won't have a high wall behind them and you can see the floor of the dining room on next level.

Thoughts?????