Banister/Gate redo

So the banister in our dining/family room/kitchen area needed some help.

(I forgot to take a before picture, so this is photoshopped.  Imagine it dull, scratched and a little chipped.)
Plus, we needed to install a gate to keep darling princess safely upstairs.  So, with a little white paint, screws, a 1X4X6 and the basic Evenflo gate, we have this:

Much much much better.  We just cut the 1X6X6 in half (3 foot pieces) and screwed them into the banister on one side and the stud in the wall on the other.  Adapter kits for gates at stairs run $20 to $30.  Our 1X4X6?  $3.81 at Lowe's.
(Also, we coated it with polyurethane for durability.  Don't recommend this over white.  It's impossible to get every particle of dust off beforehand, and all those particles show up on white.  You can only see them up close, but still.  Not a fan.)
Also, stay tuned!  The Before & After of my kitchen redo are going up on Friday!!!!! 
Today I'm linking up to some of my favorite craft blogs:
Someday Crafts
Tea Rose Home
Today's Creative Blog
The Trendy Treehouse
Domestically Speaking