The foyer: It’s the first space that greets you and your visitors when the door opens. And it’s what your neighbors catch a glimpse of when you chase after an escaped fat cat as it jiggles down the hallway. I wanted an entryway that set the tone for the house: Comfy, stylish, and fun. But I also wanted a functional area where it’s easy to get in and of your shoes and coat, so I added a coat rack and a bench with baskets.
Our entryway is a collection of fun oddities: I painted an old mirror of Mr. Dame in Spain’s mustard yellow, and that’s surrounded by an illustration of our family; an owl print; a Pewabic tile in the shape of Michigan; an illustration of a cat playing Cat’s Cradle. There’s a framed photo of our Diplocats when they lived in New York. And yet another print of an owl (I’m firmly in favor of putting a bird on it, doubly so if it’s an owl). I also used the foyer as a place to display some travel-y things, such as a vintage Samsonite suitcase; a wooden carved elephant’s head from Laos; a colorful travel poster; a sword from nearby Toledo that Mr. Dame in Spain bought in high school; and a jambiya from Yemen. We also put out a guest book that we encourage our overnight visitors to sign. We imagine we’ll cherish these notes when we’re 90 and looking back fondly to a time when paper and pens still existed.
First, Before (when the apartment was inhabited by an apparent collector of crucifixes).
and After
To foyers, entryways, vestibules, antechambers, etc.
The Dame in Spain
Beautiful and very inviting.
Wow, what an improvement!
Sent from my iPad
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