Those First Impressions

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 291, 29 February 1928, Page 6

Those First Impressions

ENTRANCE HALL TYPES The entrance-hall is the most important part of the house, but it is certainly the most difficult to furnish. It is important because visitors gain from it their first and last impressions, and these impressions, whether favourable or unfavourable, are liable to be lasting. It is difficult to furnish because very few halls lend themselves to any distinctive scheme.

There are really three types of hall: the spacious lounge hall, the small square hall, which usually has a fireplace, and the narrow passage, which is the despair of the artistic.

The first type of hall is found only in large mansions or country houses, where everything is built on a spacious scale. It is the easiest kind of hall to furnish, for it lends itself to almost the same schemes as are adopted successfully for lounges in the interior of the home. Such halls very often are timbered and thus call for oak furnishing in Tudor, Jacobean or Cromwellian style; in other instances Georgian schemes are desirable, and a very dignified and distinctive entrance can be furnished by blending pieces of Chippendale, Shearer, Sheraton and Heppiewhite furniture.

The small square hall, with a fireplace, is the easier of the two others to furnish. Cosiness should be the aim of the owner of this kind of entrance; anything in the nature of coldness and austerity should be barred in favour of warm colours and luxurious upholstery. One item of furnishing that is usually omitted from the square hall and that could be included in the scheme with considerable effect is the three-piece upholstered suite, or at least an easy chair and a settee.

These are seldom used, though they give a welcoming appearance that creates a good first impression. Much depends upon the type of fireplace, but this kind of hall is admirably suited to the inclusion of fireside or

“inglenook” benches. Oak is probably the most appropriate wood to choose for the furniture, provided that the colouring of walls and floor coverings is warm. The use of a log box in front of the fireplace far storing gloves, hats and motor-rugs is useful, while the finishing touch can be given by the inclusion of certain pieces of armoury, even if this idea is carried only to the placing of crossed swords or rapiers over the mantelpiece. The greatest difficulty is met when we come to furnishing the long narrow passage-hall. Here there is no room for upholstered furniture, and, indeed, very little room for anything at all, but it can nevertheless provide

a pleasant entrance that will not adversely impress the visitor.

First of all, the walls must be of a bright, light, and warm shade. There is never a great deal of light admitted to such passages, and walls of primrose or sunflower yellow distemper will give a sunny appearance even on the darkest of days. For floor coverings the darker shades should be avoided. We must be careful to get away from the various shades of blue, which usually harmonise so well with yellow; darker browns should be passed by, and the duller reds will be found too sombre.

Very little furniture can be included in the scheme, but it might be well to dispense with the usual hat-stand with clothes pegs. In its plabe could be used one of the new hall wardrobes —a neatly designed piece, with a tall mirror on the inside of the door, a deep drawer underneath for hats and gloyes, plenty of hanging room inside and fitments for umbrellas and walk-ing-sticks also in the interior. In this way all the ugly litter of personal belongings is hidden away out of sight.