Shelves

• If the walkway or stairway next to the balustrade is wide enough, you can install shelving for the display of books or curios or for storage. Bring the shelving up to about waist level so that it will replicate the retaining function of safety railing while still permitting you to see over the shelves down to the area below. For safety, bolt the shelving to the floor. For style, consider nailing decorative paneling onto the backside--the side facing the lower area. You could even make this paneling yourself as an arts project.
  
  

Planters and Pots

• In place of a conventional balustrade, you could install planters and pots. Many plants grow happily indoors, and, if you have skylights or large day windows, they may still be able to get a lot of sun. This alternative is best for non-carpeted floors in case of water spillage, but you could put catch trays beneath the planters and pots to make them suitable for almost any surface. Consider interspersing the plants with large rocks, flagstones and other garden instruments to evoke the touch of the outdoors. This kind of arrangement is best for a house with no pets and no small children, who might knock things over and send them hurtling to the floor below.
  
  

Logs

• Buy some timber whose aesthetic qualities match the color scheme and architecture in your home. Clean the logs and coat them with sealant so that they will be less susceptible to rot and infestation. Then flatten the bottoms so that they will sit level on the floor. Beyond this, you can prepare and dress the logs however you like. You could leave the bark on, or, if the logs are thick enough in diameter, you can carve seats into them. Arrange them along the edge for a rustic and natural display. This alternative is best for flat areas rather than stairs, but with extra care and innovation, you could also design an intricate stairway border.
  
  

Modern Functional

• If you're building a house, have all the options at your disposal and want to buck convention, consider installing the plumbing, electrical conduit and ventilation ducts out in the open, in place of balustrades. Use display-worthy arrangements and materials to integrate this infrastructure as an aesthetic component of your home. In addition to providing instant maintenance access, you will evoke something that modern design largely prefers to conceal: the nitty-gritty functional backbone that makes a house work. Exposed infrastructure makes a good conversation piece and can be educational as well.
  
  

Unconventional Materials

• One practical option is to build a conventional balustrade using unconventional materials. You can consider possibilities like old oak barrels, a child's stacking bricks, large artificial animal bones, sailing ship rigging, bricks from your previous home, fiberglass sculptures, murals on plexiglass or even a working musical instrument like a marimba. This is a great chance to personalize your home and connect with your living space by expressing your passions in the design.