Hallway decorating

[jocelyn plummer]

The Hall way is coming on a treat Joce. I'd leave the floor alone it is fantastic as it is.

I would not advise filling in the archways. I should set your prints on the walls. Going above and around the arch will be a bit of a challenge so try to offer some up first or if you are a whizz kind on the computer do a scale up of the room with the prints. Must be some piccys somewhere of a print room with arches!!

 

[Moo]

Cue Gareth?

 

[philpjuk100]

Wonderful door and a great floor which seems to have "lived" a bit.The stairs/door question always put safety above appearance!

 

[Moo]

The door to our cellar (opening the dangerous way) is held open by one of those spring-catch thingies; shove the door back against the wall and it stays there. We only shut it when there's a risk that visitors (children or dogs, mainly) might fall down the twisty stairs. But there's no aesthetic reason why it shouldn't stay open, largely because our hall isn't as glorious as yours is becoming.

 

[JoceAndChris]

The stairs/door question always put safety above appearance!

I struggle with that as a concept, but thanks for your encouragement!

The Hall way is coming on a treat Joce. I'd leave the floor alone it is fantastic as it is.

I would not advise filling in the archways. I should set your prints on the walls. Going above and around the arch will be a bit of a challenge so try to offer some up first or if you are a whizz kind on the computer do a scale up of the room with the prints. Must be some piccys somewhere of a print room with arches!!

Thanks so much for the advice Joss, I shan't bother with the arches in that case. Chris will be able to do a scale up for me. The book you recommended arrived as well, "Decorative Frames" - it's great. It'll be hard to limit myself to just 2 border styles but I think less is probably more in this case.

I think it all looks wonderful - floor, door head, the lot - except for the (cellar?) steps. I agree with your instinct that there should be a door there, and that in its present form it doesn't enhance the hall.

If you're worried about managing the door when coming up the steps carrying things, then perhaps think carefully about how you arrange the latching of the door.

For safety, the door should, of course, open into the hall, not into the stairwell.

Thanks Mr P! So kind. (not so keen on that word cellar though - I prefer to call it a partially sunk vaulted undercroft with breakfast parlour, wine cellar, kitchen and scullery) I agree with you about the door, and that in terms of how the door frame is constructed it should open into the hall as it used to do. However, since the door was removed an airing cupboard has been constructed, meaning that if the stairway door was opened, and the airing cupboard door was opened at the same time, and the cat was passing through, he could find himself badly trapped.

The only way round that is to remove the airing cupboard door, and put it back where it used to be. :? As I said, I'm sick to death of doors.

 

[JoceAndChris]

The door to our cellar (opening the dangerous way) is held open by one of those spring-catch thingies; shove the door back against the wall and it stays there. We only shut it when there's a risk that visitors (children or dogs, mainly) might fall down the twisty stairs. But there's no aesthetic reason why it shouldn't stay open, largely because our hall isn't as glorious as yours is becoming.

Oh how sweet! But completely untrue, your hallway and whole house are breathtaking. The colours in your hall are just lovely.

Spring catch thingies sound interesting.

 

[Penners]

not so keen on that word cellar though - I prefer to call it a partially sunk vaulted undercroft with breakfast parlour, wine cellar, kitchen and scullery

I stand corrected, and have expunged my sin accordingly.

I agree with you about the door, and that in terms of how the door frame is constructed it should open into the hall as it used to do. However, since the door was removed an airing cupboard has been constructed, meaning that if the stairway door was opened, and the airing cupboard door was opened at the same time, and the cat was passing through, he could find himself badly trapped.

Sounds good to me.

But if you're one of those strange cat-lovers (as if I didn't know... :wink, could the problem not be solved by rehanging one of the doors on the other edge?

Although in all honesty, how often is this celestial alignment of cellar (sorry!) door, airing cupboard door and cat likely to occur?

 

[JoceAndChris]

Sounds good to me.

:evil:

could the problem not be solved by rehanging one of the doors on the other edge?

Once again you approach the problem with your indefatigable logic. What we have is a bathroom door, an airing cupboard door, a porch door (the glazed ones) and a potential VAULTED UNDERCROFT door all encroaching upon one another. It's the same diabolical situation on the other side. If someone was coming down from the upstairs bedroom, and someone else was coming out of the pre-war loo, there would be a nasty collision.

It's been desperately tempting to burn all these horrid clashing doors and replace with mustard coloured silk curtains, lined with Le Temple de Jupiter linen. With swags.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

Re the lunettes over the doors, it depends how many there are, but plaster medallions of music, painting, sculpture and architecture? Or prints thereof. And you need Byron's(?) Ode to Cloacina over the loo door.

 

[JoceAndChris]

:lol: Such a stimulating dichotomy of views here!

But the medallions of music, painting, scupture and architecture in the lunettes (conveniently 4) is the most delicious idea, and must be done.

And you need Byron's(?) Ode to Cloacina over the loo door.

The search for that sent me on the most extraordinary journey which really deserves a whole morning, but do you mean this perfect little ditty?

"O Cloacina, Goddess of this place,
Look on thy suppliants with a smiling face.
Soft, yet cohesive let their offerings flow,
Not rashly swift nor insolently slow."

 

[Schoolmarm]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Glad you like the book Joce.

 

[JoceAndChris]

But the medallions of music, painting, scupture and architecture in the lunettes (conveniently 4) is the most delicious idea, and must be done.

Oh God, now I've found this website, I'm done for. http://www.ancientsculpturegallery.com/ancientgreek2.html

Imagine this peeping out from behind the holly!

 

[jocelyn plummer]

whoarh

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Room - fabulous.

Door - yes.

Floor - no.

Archway - no.

Sculpture - I see Penners has had another self-sculpture done. It's only the "retired" who can afford the time to sit for one (or in this case stand!)

 

[Nigel Watts]

This is more my cup of tea, but they dont seem to do Donatello

 

[JoceAndChris]

:lol: to all of you.

As well as Hercules, can I please have this rug for my hallway, preferably with a nice young Cleopatra rolled inside?