Creating a Sense of Entry

I know, I know, you only get one chance to make a first impression. But beyond this, an Entry has requirements other than aesthetic. It is a transitional space that is you buffer to the outside, it should be big enough to great guests, and a place where jackets can be taken, cocktails given and then be ready to move on to the rest of the house.

The Entry above is from a large house I did in Southern California, my clients bought it and I was responsible for the remodel. One of the things that always bugged me was that you approached this home, through a long drive and beautiful tropical garden, but once you got to the front door, you walked right into the Living Room, almost without any transition. We wanted to give the house a sort of Modern Asian feel, so I was able to add some elements to help both the sense of Entry and the Asian motif. Here are some of the things I did, you may be able to apply some of these ideas to your home:

• The first thing was to lower the ceiling right inside the front door. To do this I created this wood screen that we draped above the door. It creates a more intimate feeling within the larger space, and the way it transitions from low to high, and narrow to wide as you enter, really draws you into the room.
• Next was lighting. Good, flattering lighting is an imperative part of the Entry experience. I added some downlights (low voltage) above the screen so that the light passes through and creates a dramatic shadow on the floor, and then balanced that with sconces attached to the columns that will light peoples faces (I didn't want them to be striped with shadow). Then using a combination of other recessed lights and table lamps I was able to get the light levels higher, creating a transition when you stepped beyond the protection of the screen.
• A pair of dramatic Chinese antique chairs flank the door, making a place to sit, also adds a sense of graciousness to the space. I always think that a chair in an Entry is crucial.
• Also, adding a rug, that serves just the Entry, helps to mark this as a special area. In this case I used something with a lot of color and pattern (it will disguise dirt well).
• Finally, just to add another layer of detail, I put grasscloth wallpaper over the ceiling. One of the issues with this type of paper is that you always seem to see seams. I counter this by cutting the paper into squares and lay it in a basketweave pattern. That way you make the seams work for you as a extra bit of detail.

I hope that there are some ideas here that you can use to help make you Entry a bit more special.

Answer Day: A Small Entry Hall

I had an intriguing question sent to me during the week by Rebbecca, who says that since they moved into their house, traffic patterns have changed and they now greet most of their visitors at the tiny landing at the back door. She wants to know, short of Architectural changes, what can she do.

Well Rebbecca. there are a few things I can suggest:

• Take a look at your Garden, is there a way you can change that up a bit to encourage visitors to come to your front door? You can use lighting, plants, even a brighter color, can draw attention to the front door, which can help guide people there.


• A less subtle approach is a nice sign, directing people to the Front Entry.


• If these approaches don't work, embrace your new smaller entrance. There is s lot you can do to make it more warm and inviting.


• Try to make it feel larger, by using space outside, treat the garden area, almost like its own little room, so its almost an antechamber. Put in a small bench, light it well, some flowers too, this will start the Entry feeling even before they get to the door, creating a larger sense of space.


• Inside, you can make a space feel larger by using a deeper color. I think chocolate makes for a great Entry color, everything looks so dramatic against it.


• Use mirrors liberally too, this will help to make the space more vibrant.


• Cut the clutter, there is nothing worse in a small space than lots of "stuff", clear out all but the essentials.

I hope that these tips help.

Entry Halls

Everyone has heard the expression "you only get one chance to make a first impression," and for your house, the Entry Hall is just that. Not only is this the place for a first impression, it is also the place for most people where car keys are put, school bags dropped and newspapers delivered. So how do you go about creating a space that works well for all of these different needs? Here are some ideas for making your entrance something special:

• Lighting is important, have the ability to make the space bright. I like to have lots of dimmers, that way when you are entertaining the space can have a warm glow, but on a day to day basis, you can keep it bright so that you can sort your mail, etc.




• A mirror is a great idea. You will want to check yourself before answering the door, or at least a last moment of preening on your way out.




• A coat rack is a handy thing to have as well. I am not a big fan of having one out all the time ( it feels a bit untidy to me), but if you are expecting guests, its not a bad idea to bring one out. That way if guests have to leave, they do not have to rummage through your closet to find their things.




• A space set aside near the front door to unload is something you will use every day. It should have a place for keys, your cell phone charger, baskets for mail, both ingoing and outgoing, and a hook for dry cleaning. This activity area will keep you organised and will help decompress you as you enter the house.




• Most importantly, make your Entry the most honest expression of you and your values. Family pictures (not too many), a few books on your favorite subjects, maybe even some flowers from your garden. All these things signify that you are home, and there is no better place to be.

The First Post

This is the first of what I hope will be many, many posts in the time ahead.

You might wonder what is the goal here, well I think that this is a great medium to bring my philosophy of design to a large audience. I plan to post images not just of my work, but also images that I find that highlight particular design ideas, and I plan to discuss issues that people face when trying to create environments for themselves.

I hope you enjoy.

The image on the right is a project that I recently completed in Los Angeles. I will post more images in the days and weeks ahead but for now I think this image of an Entry Hall is a great picture for the entry to my Blog.

The floor is a pattern that we saw at the entry to Banana Republic in San Francisco and fell in love with. It is made of three different stones and i think creates a very dramatic entry to the home. The chandelier is one of my personal favourites, it was designed by Fuse Lighting (http://www.fuselighting.com) and is made of thousands of Capis shells strung together and is held up with leather straps. The whole effect is quite magical when there is the slightest breeze, it becomes like a giant wind chime. At night it is possibly the most elegant, shimmering chandelier you could imagine.

I am particularly fond of the tension between the light airy chandelier and the heaviness of the stone. Great design exists in that space of tension.

Most of my design work is an eclectic mix of periods and styles, I firmly believe that design should be like a portrait and should speak volumes about the people who live there.