There is a long-standing tradition of builders and carpenters installing a single, upside-down baluster on purpose to acknowledge that “only God’s creatures are perfect,” and everything man-made will have its flaws. The other train of thought behind installing the upside-down baluster lies in the superstition that doing so would prevent the devil from creeping up the stairs and capturing anyone who may be about to pass away.

Whatever the reason, both send a slight shiver down my spine! While our current home has a staircase, it’s quite narrow and has walls on both sides – no balusters. This is why I so badly wish I could take a peek back into my old house one day and see if its staircase had that telltale upside-down baluster!