The classic Renaissance balustrade consisted of a broad, molded handrail supported by a series of miniature columns of freely adapted traditional form. On building exteriors it was made of stone; in interiors, often of wood. These supporting columns are known as balusters and may be of shaped wood or metal and either decorated or not. In modern balustrades the uprights are frequently of metal and placed far apart to support horizontal rails of wood or panels of glass or plastic.

The pulpit balustrade in Siena Cathedral, Italy, and the parapet of the Pitti Palace, Florence, constitute good examples of classic balustrades.