Caxton magazines staffYour entrance hall is the introduction to your home. Make a good first impression with inspiration from these stunning examples
1. With its marble-tiled floor and round, raw wood table, this classic entrance hall designed by Louise Alexandra has a peaceful air. Decorated with ceramics and books, the table is the perfect place to drop your car keys and the coat hooks are a handy spot to leave your umbrella and jacket. Although utilitarian considerations have been catered to, the space still has a beautifully serene look; the painting of a clipper in full sail and the soft grey moulding on the walls add to the charm of this seaside villa.
2. What immediately strikes you about this Hout Bay entrance hall is the beautiful 14th-century kist. An inherited piece, it hints at the very personal style of the rest of this Cape home and provides a large surface area for the display of lamps, baskets of greenery and two small antique clay elephant heads. The Suurbraak chairs with their rustic simplicity add a lighter dimension to the dark antique wood. Decor by Décor Workshop.
3. When architect Joe van Rooyen was asked to renovate this home in Dunkeld, Johannesburg, he understood the importance of making a statement on entry. For maximum impact, he chose a mix of modern designer classics including Tom Dixon’s Void stainless steel hanging lights and quirky hand-formed extruded plastic Fresh Fat chair and Tonic Design’s Knoll Studio Tulip table by Eero Saarinen.
4. In this entrance designed by Michele Throssell Interiors, the organic-looking table fits in with the naturally glamorous look of the rest of this Zimbali, KZN home. An oversized mirror has been positioned to reflect the magnificent space, and bush and sea views, while a brushed chrome lamp was chosen to provide a welcoming glow at night. The Bamileke stool forms a good contrast to the Louis chair.
5. “A big entrance hall implies a big house. A small entrance hall implies a small house – no matter the actual house size,” says interior design luminary Stephen Falcke. “An entrance creates expectation, an opportunity to engage the guests’ visual senses and sets the tone for what is to come.” In this Johannesburg entrance Stephen created drama with a deep wall colour, Espresso from Plascon, which offsets artwork by Richard Scott and fabrics from The Silk and Cotton Company. The blinds are from Blind Designs & Interiors.
6. As the front door, staircase and the passage all lead off this entrance hall, it forms the focal point of this Durban house. Working with the original patterned tiles, Bruce Fyfe & Associates used a narrow table with drawers for keys and other items to ground the setting, and included twin mirrors for checking your appearance on the way out the door as well as to create a sense of space. These form a backdrop to a symmetrical arrangement of lamps, stools, vases and baskets which give the room its tropical chic.
