Friday, February 1, 2008

23. Email Question ....



i'm working from home today due to this crazy snow storm we're in the middle of and i'm totally catching up on my postings for the first day of February :)

yesterday i received an email from a reader of my blog and i decided to answer his question on my blog here today.

question
"Hi Jennifer,
i have a design question for you...in my foyer/bottom of my stairs i have an 8 foot mirror, and in front of it is a ghost chair and huge glass base with dried branches. What can i add with these trio to have some umph!!! Please help!!!


answer
ah the foyer and stairway.
i know many people who have problems working with the foyer and or stairway, mainly because it's usually a smaller space to work with and being that these spaces are frequently used as paths of travel, you don't want to bombard it with unnecessary furnishings. however, with that being said, these areas are also a great way to showcase art, chairs or narrow side tables while mixing and matching different styles and elements of design!

my motto is "keep it simple"
in your case, you already have a large 8 foot mirror and a ghost chair at the bottom of the stairway, two visually non distracting elements. without knowing what your space looks like (ie: are the mirror & chair facing the staircase, how do the stairs fall, is there any other openings to any other rooms around the stairs/foyer etc...) it's really hard to give advice but the basic idea is this... keep it simple!

if you have a very narrow space, you can use the three elements you already have in the space and add drama or umph as you like to call it by doing these simple things. make note, a large mirror not only creates the illusion of space but also makes a decorative statement. use the illusion of space and play with it.

1. add color! the mirror will reflect the color and the ghost chair will blend into it. a vase is a great element to play around with, you can always switch up what you put inside the vase to reflect the season or even your mood!

2. add texture! wallpaper is a great addition in foyers/stairs. also a stair runner will not only provide a safe footing when asending/desending but it's visually appealing and adds great texture/warmth to stairwells. a beautiful rug will do the same thing for a hallway/foyer.

3. art! art it up. i'm a huge art lover and nothing makes a space feel more personal and homey than art reflecting the owner! whether it's hanging on the walls, sitting on the floor or just scattered about, art is the perfect "I AM" statement.

i'll leave you with a few inspirational images to get your creative juices flowing. if you get a chance i would love to see images of the space!



images from Livingetc

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks ever so much Jennifer. I will send you the before and after photos when completed. It does need some colour coz right now its so bland and boring. Cheers!!! Nick

Jennifer Lee said...

oh i would love to see before and afters :)

i'm a huge fan of ghost chairs and large oversized mirrors so you already have 2great elements in your favour! can't wait to see Nick!!!!!

Jenn L

acaligurl said...

great pics. i like the save the queen print. i enjoy seeing your pics and reading your posts!
carry on!

Jennifer Lee said...

thanks for dropping by acaligurl

Unknown said...

Love the glass (Cinderella) staircase!!

LIBERTY POST EDITOR said...

I am always drawn to 'Royal' inspired art work - the stair case is over the top - and I love the shattered mirror wall mosaic. Very cool.

Michelle said...

Jen.....i have just been doing an indepth tour of your blog.....I just love your style....you seem to like everything I like !!!! I see I have posted about things you have already discovered......great minds.......I'm just a bit slower.

xxx

katiedid said...

Very nice inspiration photos! They stay contemporary while adding alot of personality. Perhaps just changinf his vase to something with color/pattern would do the trick, and I like your idea of adding a graphic rug!

Jen of MadeByGirl said...

wow look at those stairs!!


Jen Ramos
'100% Recycled DESIGNER Cards'
www.madebygirl.com

Villa Anna said...

Hi Jennifer, thank you ever so much for stopping by my blog and leaving such a kind comment :)

Also thank you for leading me to your blog. It's fabulous! I've had an amazing time touring around. Although your style seems a little more contemporary to my own personal style, as a design student I've found it completely inspiring and ever so educational.

Anna :)

p.s I too am crazy about oversized mirrors and ghost chairs!

massi said...

great solutions...and lovely kartell tables!
and...I LOVE big mirrors...

Jennifer Lee said...

thanks massi