Mad About The House by Kate Watson-Smyth

Mad About The House by Kate Watson-Smyth

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Mad About The House by Kate Watson-Smyth
Mad About The House by Kate Watson-Smyth
How to design ... your hall

How to design ... your hall

The first in an occasional series looking at each room individually and finding the best ways to marry form and function.

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Kate Watson-Smyth
Apr 03, 2024
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Mad About The House by Kate Watson-Smyth
Mad About The House by Kate Watson-Smyth
How to design ... your hall
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The entrance hall is one of the most underrated rooms in our homes. We barely give it a second thought as we sag wearily through the front door after a day at work or a night out, pausing only to kick off shoes, drop bags and slide out of coats before heading for another place that will better meet our immediate requirements – food, relaxation, gin.

the hall in my last house was long and thin

And yet this is the first place we and our visitors see. It sets the tone for the rest of our home and reveals so much about who lives there and, not only, what they like but what they are like. Does your hall welcome you in after a hard day? Does it offer you a place to store everything and show you the way to the fridge and a cold beer after a stint at the office? Or does it sigh at your interruption, throw your coat back off an overloaded hook and leave you to stumble your way past piles of clutter to an empty fridge and a single slice of slightly stale bread?

You owe it to yourself to make the most of your entrance. To create a space that greets you when you arrive there from the bedroom in the morning and welcomes you back home in the evening. It should soothe your mind and smooth your path – and there are some easy ways to achieve that, whatever its size and your requirements.

The rest of this post is for paid subscribers only and is one of four you will receive if you upgrade to a paid membership. This also gives you access to my archive of over 100 design issues, access to a monthly drop-in design clinic where you can ask me any decorating questions and you can join in the community chat.

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