Design Series - The Entrance Hall

The entrance hall was how we entered the property on our first viewing 5 years ago. Walking through the grand double doors took our breath away. Needless to say, it was a wonderful first impression and set the tone for what was to come. There is a panelled room leading off from the entrance hall and a winding hallway that leads through the house. Although the interior was a little dated, the classical theme and attention to detail was impeccable.

As unglamorous and uninspiring it is to admit, the renovation of the entrance hall was instigated by the uncovering of a moth problem. Previous owners covered the whole house in wool carpets, and although we admired their preference for natural fibres, so did the moths. For a ‘lived in’ house (as our instagram followers like to describe it), the carpet was also not very practical, considering we had 4 dogs at the time. Every piece of carpet had to be ripped up. Only once did we uncover some fabulous floorboards and that was in the kitchen.

We were aware of how lucky we were to have a house that had natural wood panelling, but we were desperate to darken the wood. The bright natural tones felt almost like a ski chalet. A nightmare ensued. Our attempt at staining the wood to a deep brown, accidentally turned the wood orange. We had managed to make it worse. Devastated and stressed, our only solution was to paint. It was a miracle that we didn’t also attempt the panelled room at the same time. Of course, we are in love with the entrance hall now, a very happy ending.

Mean, moody and dramatic was the inspiration. We chose a dark navy for the panelling and dark brown parquet flooring, two colours that matched our carved wood sideboard. We had chosen wallpaper for the kitchen from House of Hackney which we adored, so we decided to use it on the back wall of the hallway and upholstered a chair in the same print. The house is full of antiques and preloved curiosities, it is a rarity that we purchase new, however we purchased 2 sets of 6 framed flower prints that hang on either wall. They add to the symmetry to the space, a rarity in this Tudor house!

We finished the space with a second-hand rug, sofa, mirror and of course, portraits. If you couldn’t tell, we are obsessed. We chose picture lights for the art and crystal wall lights to match the chandelier. The finishing touch, which is the case for all our rooms, are plants.

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