The entrance hall

Garrison, New York

The Entrance Hall

In the Garrison house, there is the luxury of a generously sized entrance hall. It can be easy to neglect the decoration of a hallway or entrance as they are largely transitional spaces, but paying them some attention creates a warm welcome.

Designing the Entrance Hall

• From the beginning, I decided to take advantage of this generous entrance hall by placing a table at its centre. This gives a nice surface to create welcoming displays for guests, as well as an alternative dining place.

• Using a subtle 'background' wallpaper helps to make the space feel more like a complete room, and adds more visual interest than paint alone.

• If you are decorating a table with a piece of fabric, it can be a good idea to have it quilted so it feels more substantial, or to use it alongside an undercloth or felt layer to prevent it creasing too easily.

• When designing a hallway or entrance hall, always think about the views through to other spaces. Consider how your scheme will transition and link through to the decoration in those rooms beyond.

• Take the opportunity to be playful with colours and patterns in a hallway; it's not somewhere you will necessarily spend a lot of time, so you needn't worry too much about tiring of it. Get experimental and try something a little bolder - you may surprise yourself!

• Storage is an essential component of every entrance hall, and it's well worth dedicating as much space as you can to cupboards for coats and shoes.

• For areas where you don't have a huge amount of depth, opt for a wall-mounted narrow console table.

Sourcebook

Ledward Marble wallpaper, by Robert Kime

Forbes & Lomax Invisible Lightswitch

Wall colour next to staircase Quench the Gloom, by Paint Library