As Ashif says, "Balustrades really come into their own when the staircase is intended to be a design feature in its own right — think floating treads paired with laser-cut metal panels, for example.

Level up your stair game with 2025 ... With solid oak treads and a barely-there glass balustrade, ... “We chose to use a cantilevered steel structure for the staircase to enhance the open, ...

The staircase in this west London house by Tigg Coll Architects has a glass balustrade and open treads to allow light to flood through from above (+ slideshow). The three-storey maisonette in ...

Personally, I find walking up an open-tread staircase a bit like climbing a ladder, and feel they are much easier to fall up or down. The other important aspect to a good flight of stairs is tidiness.