Designer Sheldon Harte channeled the rustic charm of Southern France for this lush entrance to a home tucked away in the hills of Carmel Valley, California. “The door is Provençal style surrounded by ivy and uncolored, natural plaster, which is common in France and is known for its distinctively earthy natural look,” says Harte. “The idea was to create a home that was Provençal style yet had a California approach.” Photo by Grey Crawford
“We wanted to create a warm and inviting ambiance when entering the house,” says designer Jan Showers of this sleek foyer for a home in Paradise Valley, Arizona. To offset the smooth, hand-cut stone walls, Showers brought in an antique Oushak rug and a vintage Brazilian rosewood table by Sergio Rodrigues, which lend warmth to the space. The circa-1960 chandelier is by Venini and, Showers says, “adds another textural element to the entry.” Photo by Jeff McNamara
When designing a family’s beach house in Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic, Juan Montoya incorporated an 18th-century Colombian door for this spectacular entry to the newly built home. “The stone surrounding the door welcomes you and provides the most dramatic entranceway experience,” says Montoya, who used the same Carolina stone for the floors. “The colors of the door mimic the island,” he explains of the shades of blue and turquoise that nod to the home’s oceanfront locale. Photo by Eric Piasecki
For a family home on Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina, Cortney Bishop teamed up with architect Carl McCants to create this voluminous entrance hall featuring arched front doors and a curving staircase. “Our client sought a thoughtful, sophisticated space with feminine edge,” Bishop says of the soaring foyer, which has plaster walls and limestone floors and is decorated with the homeowner’s grand piano and art. “The goal was to create a space of peace and serenity,” says Bishop. Photo by Katie Charlotte Photography
“While this is the home’s true entry, it also serves as a breezeway between indoor living and the outdoor piazza,” says designer Cortney Bishop of this casual family home located south of Charleston. She collaborated with Frederick + Frederick Architects on the entry architecture, which recalls a tropical getaway. “Our clients often keep the mahogany doors out to the pool open while entertaining, so we wanted this room to be suited for the humid, warmer days of the Lowcountry summer,” she says. Photo by Katie Charlotte Photography
For his own house in San Diego, California, designer John Ike of Ike Kligerman Barkley preserved much of the existing interior and architectural details, which includes the entry’s red door. “It’s an original Dutch front door with colored plates as windows,” says Ike, who anchored the space with a glass console from his Chroma furniture line, designed in collaboration with artist Irene Mamiye. Above the table hangs a Curtis Jeré brass wall sculpture, and the floors are cork laminate. Photo by William Waldron
Located in the hills of Montecito, California, this Italianate stone-and-stucco villa is reached through grand doorways and Moorish arches, all made of hand-carved stone. “The goal was to build a timeless residence inspired by Italy’s hilltop towns and monasteries,” says Suzanne Tucker, who worked with architectural designer Michael DeRose to create this 10,000-square-foot hideaway with a separate guest house. “The entry progresses formally from the motor court through the front courtyard to the front door,” she says. Photo by Lisa Romerein
Inspired by 1920s Mediterranean design vernacular, decorator Suzanne Tucker outfitted this hacienda in Carmel Valley, California, with, she says, “strong Spanish-style elements” — from terracotta floors and plaster walls to a custom wrought-iron grillwork front door. “To ground this new house and give it character and a sense of place, we mixed old and new pieces and added lots of hand-crafted artisanal elements,” says Tucker. The mix of light fixtures includes a Paul Ferrante lantern that hangs above the entry. Photo by Matthew Millman
While renovating Aileen Getty’s Ojai home, a 1929 landmark hacienda by architect Paul Revere Williams, designer Micah Heimlich of Unheim sought to preserve many of the interior elements. “I made a number of changes that didn’t interfere with, or actually restored, features of the original design,” says Heimlich, who kept the decorative tiles framing the main entrance and the terracotta floors, all original to the home. While restoring the entry, Heimlich swapped in a light fixture by Roll & Hill for an artful update. Photo by Robert Ransom
Parisian designer Pierre Yovanovitch brings modern black-and-white glamour to this entry hall in a townhouse situated just steps from the Eiffel Tower. Yovanovitch concepted the custom-made iron front door, which features a geometric design that complements the marble-floor pattern in the foyer. To anchor the high-contrast space, Yovanovitch opted for a vintage Folke Bensow bench, a circa-1950s lacquered console by Paul Laszlo and monochrome photographs by Maiko Haruki. Photo © Jean-François Jaussaud
This grand entry hall in an Atlanta townhouse was “designed in the style of an 18th-century French hôtel particulier,” says Brian J. McCarthy, who spared no lavish detail when furnishing the space. Upon entering, limestone floors with black marble insets and 18th-century tole lanterns lead the way to a 17th-century settee upholstered in antique needlework and a large Renaissance-style giltwood mirror. Custom-made marble pedestals holding French Empire period globes emphasize a sense of Old World sophistication. Photo by Fritz von der Schulenberg
“This is an original Art Deco home on the Venetian Islands,” says designer Todd Davis, who restored this stucco house in Miami Beach, originally built by architect L. Murray Dixon in 1938, with Robert Brown, his partner in Brown Davis Interiors. “We designed the iron and glass front door and added the Canary Island palm trees,” says Brown of the entrance, which features a pattern that’s mirrored in the white railing. “The architecture is Deco in design and we wanted to honor that style,” says Brown. Photo by Robert Brantley
This rustic entry hall, furnished with a 19th-century Belgian console, an architectural ring from the South of France and an Italian mid-century floor lamp, provides a warm welcome in a Hollywood couple’s Montecito home designed by Matt Blacke Inc. “The home was originally built by John Saladino, who poured his heart and soul into the project and all its amazing details,” says Matt Blacke founder Cliff Fong. “We wanted to choose furnishings that had the right character and were substantial enough to flatter the unique architecture.” Photo by William Abranowicz
Stephen Shadley took an unconventional approach when designing actress Diane Keaton’s former Spanish Colonial Revival home in Beverly Hills. “We had this massive space that we didn’t know what to do with, so it became the library,” says Shadley of the book-lined room that welcomes guests just past the home’s rough-hewn oak front doors. “Her passions have always been design, architecture and photography, and you see all of that when you walk in. It sets the tone of the house.” Photo by David Glomb
For a modern beach house on the French Riviera, designer Eleanor Cunietti of the London firm Carden Cunietti devised an impressive entrance that cleverly sets the tone for the home. “The door has a custom starburst design by us that’s based on an antique and has enameled inset butterflies,” says Cunietti, pointing out that the latter of the two motifs is a recurring theme within the interiors. It’s the reason they’ve named the house “The Pink Butterfly,” she says. Photo by Alexander James
“The design for the house was very much driven by the homeowners’ Southern roots,” says Tineke Triggs of this gracious, light-filled family home located in Atherton, California. “The entryway starts to tell the design story for the entire home, and we wanted to ensure that the pieces we selected here would do just that,” says Triggs, who brought in period lighting along with a vintage tricycle. The wallpaper is by Colefax & Fowler. Photo by Laura Hull
With this apartment in Bal Harbour, Florida, designers Carola Pimentel and Andrea Maenz-Roggiero of Assure Interiors “wanted to create an easy and interesting flow,” says Pimentel. That’s evident beginning with the foyer, which features grey wood veneer walls and a floor-to-ceiling door that blends seamlessly with the space. The duo then rounded it out “with sleek furniture, vintage pieces, and distinctive art,” says Maenz-Roggiero of the B&B Italia chair, glass-and-bronze creation by Angelo Brotto, and Curtis Jeré wall sculpture near the door. Photo by Mark Roskams
With its marble flooring, varnished wood, and geometric inlays, this grand foyer was created by designer Kelsie Hornby of Elegant Designs Inc. for a condominium in Virginia Beach. “The vision was to create a formal entry reminiscent of the Art Deco era,” says Hornby. “The flooring was kept light to keep from overwhelming the area and to create a contrast for the rich wood tones,” she says. The antique Art Deco sconces are by Degué. Photo by Glenn Bashaw
The homeowners of this 1930s Greek Revival in Austin enlisted Fern Santini to redesign it for family life while preserving its historic architecture. “They wanted to retain the authenticity of the original structure but bring it into the 21st century,” says Santini. She started by updating the six-panel painted front door with a custom steel and glass one. “The custom steel and art glass front door was designed by the project architect, Paul Lamb, and not only updates the exterior, but is a nod to the glamour of the interiors,” Santini says, adding, “We felt mixing the periods on the exterior would give an idea of what to expect once you open the door.” Photo by Nick Johnson
Originally designed in 1928 by renowned California architect Wallace Neff, this Los Angeles house encapsulates Spanish Colonial Revival style. “We designed the front door in a manner consistent with the detailing of Spanish millwork,” says Madeline Stuart, describing the arched main entrance, which opens to an 18th-century table and a 19th-century chandelier that “feels appropriate to the space,” says Stuart. “We set about to honor the aesthetic of the architecture by incorporating furnishings that evoked the spirit of that period.” Photo by Dominique Vorillon
