How can I add drama to this entrance hallway in my 1905 home?
We are doing an extensive remodel of a 1905 Beaux Arts in Seattle. We're lengthening this hallway so it extends all the way to the back of the house (it will end with a large wet bar between the kitchen and dining rooms). I'd like to add some drama. Since we're replacing the floors, I was thinking doing a herringbone pattern down the middle of the hallway. But it's pricey and I'm not confident it will be the right look. Would love ideas!
Comments (22)
cawaps
3 years agoRelated Discussions
How to add drama to cookie cutter front door/steps
Comments (27)The point is to repeat the same color so that together you get a bigger dramatic effect rather than something hodgepodgy. I agree painting your door, storm door, and side lights the same as the shutters will help. As others have noted, a magnetic wreath hanger (2 piece) or large command hook will hold your wreath to the glass. Make sure to get one that can hold at least 6 lbs. As shown above, sweet potato vine "marguerite" (the lime green one) always adds drama and it gets very large if you don't cut it back, adding more drama! It's ubiquitous but very effective, especially if you plant it with purples, black, and whites. The key with plants is OVER SIZE and overplant in the containers or you lose the street effect. Don't think about what looks good to you while standing 5 feet away from it on your porch, or looking down on it--go down to the street and see it from 20 or 30 feet away, and looking UP to it. Does it register from the street? Can you see it driving down the road? Yes! If not, it isn't eye catching enough yet and you need more and bigger. Don't be afraid to go huge as long as it's natural and elegant. Instead of 1 pumpkin on a box, you could do something like this: It doesn't all have to be about plants and pots. You can get super creative. My neighbor has a dress form on her porch (which is no bigger than yours). This isn't hers, but she does similar things to it seasonally: Kind of the same idea as decorating an old bicycle with flowers. As long as you're the first in your neighborhood to do it, it's interesting. Also PS: Don't use iron planters if you get a lot of sun there--your roots will fry. You can get fiberglass ones that look like the iron ones though (and they'll probably be cheaper too.)...See MoreHelp! How can I add curb appeal to my exterior??
Comments (16)Your home looks nice as is but one change that would be worth making, if structurally possible (weight bearing wall), is to remove most of that solid wall (about six feet) that is located to the right of the entrance in front of the door and altering that one arch across from the front door (only that one) to create a wider (rectangular) opening there -- an opening distinctively different from the arches of the porch and the windows. Making that opening larger would make your front door more visible and it would enable you to make your front entry more the focal point for the front of your home -- especially if you added some dark bold color by painting your front door -- and changing that one arch to a rectangle should not "confuse" the style of the home. You could frame that rectangle in wood. and/or You could also add a pergola or sun roof in front of the rest of the front porch -- in front of the arches -- if enlarging your front porch is of interest to you. Another idea to "break" the look of so much concrete could be to add vertical wood boards between each of the arches and add brackets for hanging flower baskets on those boards....See MoreHow can add curve appeal to my tired-looking ranch home?
Comments (86)I like a lot of the ideas that @Kathy Furt suggested. A lighter color paint for the exterior and bronze trimmed windows will "update" your home immediately. She gave you a lot of inspiration photos that absolutely relate to your cute house. You MUST get a landscape designer to at least LOOK at your property. I pulled out my entire front lawn landscaping because it was so dated and old, there was no pruning it back to life. I got ideas from a landscape designer and used some of her ideas, some of my landscaper's ideas and mostly my own preferences. Picking the brain of a landscape designer in your area will help a lot. Your house has the potential to be more than adorable. It is cute right now. And it will look updated with new color, new windows and new landscaping....See MoreI would like some ideas for paint colours for my entry, hall and door
Comments (9)houssaon, yes she is a mix of an art deco and Mediterranean style house with almost everything in it original to 1938. She is a beautiful home with character. While none of the features of this house would be anything i would have personally chosen for my self if i had a blank canvass, I am keeping her in her original glory for as long as I can. I like your suggestions. Thank you....See More
decoenthusiaste
3 years ago
User
3 years agolast modified: 3 years ago
PROBeth H. :
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoherringbone. always a classic. do a nice white oak w/a natural stain, or a darker tone.
it is pricy, but it's worth it.
found a Beaux Arts kitchen design w/this dark chevron
or to save money, just do the entryway in the herringbone and opt for the regular elsewhere. Pre-milled, engineered herringbone flooring is available in oak and many other varieties. It's going to run above $10 a square foot. (Unless you want the Acacia, like I did on my floors. it's around $5)
this is red oak, but I love the trim inlay (which is right up there w/the Beaux Arts decor)
also beau arts, but this artistry inlay work is super expensive. you could do thin inlay around the perimeter on the entryway w/a darker wood, or get more intricate. up to you.
black and white marble w/ornate trim work is also very 'beaux'
Comoelita Melendez
3 years ago
PROFlo Mangan
3 years agoMRCG. Looks like a wonderful home. I would stay true to the origins of this home so I would determine what the long view you are planning with your “opening up” of this hall first. I would think long and hard about replacing entry floor unless it is in very bad shape. It appears to run into adjoining rooms along hallway? So it’s a big job. Played with putting a French Pier style mirror and ornate burgundy French bench on right side. I cut and pasted a “long distance view” and this is key to what you do. I put a wonderful runner down the hallway and would use two if hallway is extended. A pair of beautiful fern stands will flank the entry to second room down hallway. I would design that doorway very carefully. Since you have several doorways, whatever you do will have to be bordered to create good borders if you don’t redo all flooring. Going to be beautiful and budget will probably be your biggest challenge! Take good care of this lovely home!!
MRCG HeaCan
3 years ago
RedRyder
3 years ago
socks
3 years agolast modified: 3 years ago- PRO
Flo Mangan
3 years ago btydrvn
3 years agobtydrvn
3 years ago
Monique Barrow
3 years agobtydrvn
3 years ago- PRO
Flo Mangan
3 years agoIt looks like ceiling has dark stained beams! Once you determine the true style you are pursuing, consider painting the ceiling and beams offwhite to brighten hall and visually lift ceiling. As to flooring, again after research, I would consult with good local flooring people and get their input and ideas on how to approach this flooring project. It is big, so you have good negotiating position for that reason. Verify if they have employees as installers with experience in this age and type home. We owned a home built in 1900 and speaking from “restoring” that home, to do things right, cost 2-3 times more than just “remuddling” it. We resisted remuddling and never regretted it. Key thing is the installers. I can see several possible approaches. Here are a few.
MRCG HeaCan
3 years agoA little progress update (note the floors here are definitely not original to the house. We decided to go back to the classic oak flooring found in the other houses of this age in the neighborhood. We are moving the kitchen so the hallway will now extend front to back and will have a wetbar.
User
3 years agoMRCG HeaCan
2 years agoMRCG HeaCan
2 years agoUser
2 years ago
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