Entrance
his is a family who loves to display photos but was loath to drive nails into the original plaster wall. After much research, the owners hit on the answer: They had the far wall covered in sheet metal and painted white (the plaster remains intact underneath). Heavy-duty magnetic hooks make a family photo wall an art installation that’s easy to change and expand.
The solution: Rather than let precious space go unused, put your hallway to work by installing floating cabinets and shelves. Floating the storage pieces off the floor keeps the area from feeling too heavy or cluttered. Just be sure to measure carefully, choosing cabinets that are narrow enough to allow ample room to walk by. Make a point of keeping the floors clean and surfaces carefully curated — clutter will become noticeable quickly in a tight space like this.
Save space with swing-arm sconces. Sconces are great space savers, freeing up room on tabletops or even making it possible to do without a table altogether. Often seen bedside, swing-arm sconces can also work wonders in a tight corner in the living room or above a desk. Renters take note: Most lighting stores offer swing-arm sconces with cord covers, so you can simply plug them into the wall.
An entrance door is centered within each foyer and each has a chandelier, albeit of considerably different magnitudes. Each also has a beautiful table, upon which rests a vase of flowers. Mirrors allow the play of light and provide reflection, and color adds emphasis. These elements are common to many entries. Attention to the scale of the details and the execution of the design make them successful here.
Wall mounted. Staghorn ferns (shown here) and tillandsias can be mounted directly to a piece of wood, since their root systems do not need to be in a pot of soil. For other types of plants, look for a wall-mounted or hanging planter that can be filled with soil — and make sure you have a stepstool on hand to reach them for watering.
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