Modern Tudor Foyer: Design Direction

Modern Tudor Foyer: Inspiration and thoughts surrounding our upcoming foyer renovation. Come weigh in on my design direction!

First impressions are everything, and my foyer, in it’s current state anyway, couldn’t charm a fly! See below. Our home is wonderful, if I do say so (with great bias!), but the foyer just isn’t a great indicator of what’s beyond.

As you guys know our home is a duplex. (We live on the main floor and rent out the upstairs apartment to our fan-tabulous tenants.) The foyer is the space where the duplex splits in two. Go through the door on the left for our place and up the stairs to the door of the tenant’s unit.

If you’re interested in becoming a landlord or buying a duplex, read up on my I Am Landlord series!

The foyer has the original wood trim/stringer which I want to keep (and not paint), but the carpet/plastic runner on the stairs has got to go! I plan to refinish the stair treads to match the existing wood trim and paint the risers white.

There’s also a great opportunity to make a real focal point on the radiator wall with picture frame moulding and a gilded mirror. And I’m debating whether to build a cover for the radiator or simply paint the radiator black, and call it a day. The slate tile floor is staying and so is the Moravian star light fixture.

Okay, so let’s dive into the mood board and inspiration images!

Ceiling Medallion | Moravian Star Light | Mirror | Picture Frame Moulding | Table Lamp | Rug | Sisal Runner with Black Binding | Lattice Cabinet Image Source

 

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Staircase

Let’s start with stairs, because the our existing carpeted stairs are the true catalyst for this room renovation. I’m loving the combination of the dark treads/landings (to work with our existing wood trim) paired with painted white risers. And finished off by a sisal runner. Why a sisal runner?

A. Aesthetically, so good, right?

B. Slip Resistance. Because the staircase leads to our tenant’s unit, we’d like a runner to help with slip-resistance.

C. Durability. The sisal fiber is SUPER strong which makes it a great candidate for high traffic and even commercial spaces. Did you know sisal is what marine rope is made of for large ships? And it’s also great at camouflaging dirt. Can I get an AMEN?

 

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Radiator

Next up is the radiator. If you scroll up to the existing foyer image, to the left of the stairs is the original radiator. When I took that picture I was standing in the front doorway, so right as you walk in, there’s a real opportunity to do something fun as a focal point.

I’m debating whether to simply paint the radiator and install a floating shelf (marble or wood?) above or build a radiator cover to create more of a formal console table–one with rounded corners and pretty corbels like the one above. I love the look of old radiators, but in the foyer, part of me wants to do something a bit more buttoned-up. If you have an opinion, please weigh in!

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Picture Frame Moulding

At the radiator wall, I’d like to do picture-frame-moulding to create emphasis for this little feature wall. I’m thinking something simple like this profile.

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Accessories

Above the radiator, I’d love to do a large gilded french mirror to help bounce light and provide a spot to check yo-self before heading out the door.

I’ve included this last image not only because I ADORE Athena Calderone’s home, but also this Moraccan rug. Now, clearly a cream rug isn’t going to hold up in a foyer, but it’s inspiration for the essence of what I’d love to incorporate in the design.

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So that’s a bit about what’s been swimming around in my head the last few weeks. Let me know your thoughts, especially about the radiator–shall I paint or create a charming cover? What what would you do?

Thanks for stopping by as always!

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