Design Dilemma: "What Should I Do About This Staircase?"

More Ways to Waste Time reader Marla Reed, of Milton, Wisconsin, writes in with a question:

"I recently moved into a large condo with little character, and I'm stumped about what to do with this staircase, which is visible from the entire main level. It's currently painted a tacky flat white with a stained-wood top rail and carpeted steps (unfortunately, the carpet and the top rail have to stay as is). The walls are a mustard yellow, which we'll probably leave for now as well.

I was thinking about painting the stairway spindles, posts, and trim black. But I'm a bit concerned that painting it black would make the darn thing look too heavy, or would pull the eye in the wrong sort of way. I always received compliments on my last home, but this wide open space has me confused."

My gut instinct is that black would, indeed, be too heavy -- especially with all the brown woods and the warm neutral paint color surrounding it. That said, a black and white staircase could be really dramatic -- if Marla nixed the mustard wall color and medium-toned wood furnishings; removed the carpet; stripped and stained the stair treads, posts, top rail, and attached bookcase a deep ebony; and lacquered the stair trim, risers, and spindles a crisp, glossy white.

I grabbed a couple of stairway shots off of PointClickHome to illustrate what I'm talking about:

Of course, mimicking these looks would involve a lot of work and expense -- probably more than Marla wants to take on right now.

Any of you armchair designers have simpler (and more affordable) staircase-makeover suggestions for Marla? If so, please share them here!

(P.S. Have a design dilemma of your own? Send it in, along with a photo or two, and I'll put it up here for a communal brainstorming session.)