There is much to think about when designing and fitting stairs in a home, whether a new home or a renovation. Denver architect Doug Walters has 12 tips for safer stairways in his web article, “Beautiful Hazard”. Home stairway design should be both good looking and safe. The article uses photos to illustrate points.
There is a link to some elegant solutions. I note that nothing is said about extending the handrail to the final tread in some examples.
An article on stairway design using architecture magazine pictures, researchers found the lack of handrails occurred most often. The article includes several photographs and a list of the missing safety features. Available on ReseachGate.
The Australian Human Rights Commission produced a document in 2008, “The Good, The Bad and the Ugly”, and it focuses on stairways and the placement of tactiles, handrails, and contrasting nosings – a good reference guide on what not to do.