Interior designer Sally Marbry brings 25 years of interior design experience to anewscafe.com with The Home Zone to help home owners create comfort and style.
What better way to start a new column about interior and exterior design than the entry… the entrance… the foyer… the vestibule. I hope to inspire you to create the castle you deserve, so let’s begin at the beginning.
In pioneer days, when man was pounding up his log cabin, he built a lean-to awning over that squeaky, leaky front door to get out of the rain. Eventually walls were added to enclose this preliminary entry and it became a perfect place to kick off your muddy boots, lean your rifle in the corner and hang up the catch of the day. The Mud Room, appropriately called, eventually made its way to the back of the house and the days of ice delivery and the clanking of empty milk bottles began. But back to the main entry, the unsung hero that we need to dust off and breathe a little life into occasionally, as the garage has taken over lately as the way to enter a home.
Your main entry is the first impression of your home. It is a telltale sign of more to come. It is a reflection of you and your home style. If it is inspiring, someone will walk in and say “Wow, nice home,” even if the rest of your place is a mess. The entry is a transition zone, a bridge between the public and the private, and everyone uses this space. It is a drop-off zone, a kick off your shoes, hat & gloves, remove your dog’s leash, drop your mail and car keys, a place for kids to drop their backpacks and hand you stuff, and a delivery zone. “Great! That package must be for me!”
It might be a stranger danger zone, a “who’s that?” or “trick or treat” zone. But also, the emotional greeting zone. The “Honey, I’m home” or “Goodbye, dear, I’ll miss you” zone. A “Whoops, forgot your laptop. Wait! Here’s your lunch” zone. And, of course, the romantic carry-across-the-threshold zone.
But wait. What’s that smell? Last night’s fish dinner! When you walk into a home, your senses are bombarded with colors, architectural elements, furniture, sounds and smells. Yes, smells.
One of the strongest first impressions is scent and this invisible impression can mask all your other diligent efforts. They say it’s hard to really smell your own smell, so have a friend come over and give a thumbs-up — or should I say a nose-up — approval. We all have walked into stuffy, dusty old homes and it is not a pleasant or healthy place to be. Open a window and let in some air. Change your air filter often in your HVAC unit. You can do this. Those replacement filters are very inexpensive. Have your carpets, upholstery and drapery cleaned. Dust off your ceiling fans. You know the routine of really cleaning. Plan for a seasonal cleaning spree or do just one small area at a time. It does add up.
Aromatherapy scents can calm or invigorate a space. Potpourris have blossomed into dramatic bowls of decorative scented chips, tropical pods and shells. Invest in high-quality, scented products and do not let them become neglected and dusty. You also can boil water and drop in a lemon wedge or cinnamon stick and let the scent waft through the rooms.
Your entry, your home, should be buzzing at all times with vitality that lifts your spirit. Stay tuned for more design tips and tricks for the entry.
Sally Marbry is the owner of Superior Interiors. For the past year, Sally has been the host and writer of “Home Zone,” weekly on KLXR. Send Sally your design questions. She will answer them online in an upcoming edition of Home Zone. Send questions to Earth2Sal@charter.net.
