TBW and I recently visited Old Town in Alexandria, VA to visit a friend headed for an assignment in Afghanistan. While in Old Town, we toured the old Torpedo Factory. Located along the Potomac, it has been renovated into an art market. They’ve kept a few torpedoes around as a reminder.

As a lover of all things beautiful, I was especially taken by the innovative stair railing balusters. The 4″ sphere rule didn’t seem to apply, but the design certainly made me stop and smile. And take a couple of photos.

Some other, less voluptuous, balusters also caught my eye.