Wide Appeal for Narrow Foyer
Dec 04, Lighting & Fixtures
With Expert: Nicole Sassaman
LA based designer whose work has been featured in this magazine, on HGTV and in an upcoming Architectural Digest feature, Sassaman has worked in the field since she created her first giftware line at age 17.
www.nicolesassaman.com
Q. I have a two-story high, narrow entrance foyer in my townhouse and need ideas on how to paint the walls. The floor tiles are white, gray and a dash of mauve, the stair carpet silvery gray. There is one window on the staircase and one skylight. The formal living room is adjacent and has silvery gray walls with white trim and black suede couch, chairs in plums, grays, and dashes of mauve.
A. If I could see a picture I could probably give you more help. However, let me see if I can't make a few suggestions.
One idea is to paint your ceiling a much darker color than the walls in order to give the look that the room is shorter and therefore not so narrow. With the silver and gray colors that you mentioned, I might choose a dark charcoal color or slate blue for the ceiling and keep the walls lighter. I love Martha Stewart's "Tortilla" color.
You mentioned that the walls get scuffed, so depending on how much money your willing to spend, there are some other things you can do to avoid that and to still make the space appear wider than it is. You could mirror all of one of the walls and put coat hooks on the opposite wall. The coats will keep people from coming so close to that wall.
Think of options that add dimension or textures to take people's minds of of the narrowness of the space.
Maybe even do something interesting with more color--like bright throw pillows on the couch that is seen in the next room. It will continually draw your guest's eyes forward.
How's that for not seeing the space? I hope it makes sense for your space and feels like it might work.
