I would scrub the floor and wax it, keep the cream walls and add a narrow console & mirror for your foyer.

Why do you think cream? Will gold be too dark you think?

That pastel IS terrible. I am thinking a true gold color with some shimmer.

Like parlor gold from Ralph Lauren.

I would suggest a lighter version of one of the floor colors.

Eek. I need to go much darker I think. Medieval gold from Benjamin Moore maybe. Can I add a sheen?

The walls are textured.

How about gilt bronze or cloth of gold?

http://www.ralphlaurenpaint.com/specialty_finishes/metallic

Yes, champagne metallic gold. Go for it!

Hi Evil, how ya doing? right now I feel RL burnished gold, or possibly burnished copper might go better with that floor and yet they look brighter than the parlor gold. But one thing I do believe is that you are not going to get a true concept until you wash that floor, so you might want to do that, then try some samples, to really feel good about it all. i have one last thing. I find it difficult to believe that a house that size and so designed to be impressive would have that fixture in the entry way. Often, people will try to stay period, so they will use one from some other part of the house if that one broke. I would feel much more comfortable with a chandelier or even that star in there. The ceiling is so high and that light does so little.

Hmmm, are you saying this is the main entrance. if so, I think something is definitely wrong. Why would you build that house and only have one tiny single door entry. This does not sound right. during a party you can only fit what one coach or carriage of people at a time? What if it is cold or rainy out. I think this needs more research?

ok, evil, once again not in this business, but sometimes... The blue prints are hard for me to read even if they are enlarged to the max I can do, but look at the walls on the left and the right of the entry hall, why are they uneven? i just feel like in its heyday this hall was larger with a bigger doorway. If you look at the attic look at the opening to the peak why is it so wide, a larger door would balance it more, no? Maybe it was changed so that it would not take as much to heat or something like that? to provide a restroom? i don't get the stone floor or the dinginess of this room.

evil look at the two different patterns, they also say something was different.

It is original. The pictures do not do it justice. The door is 43in wide not including the trim (also 3in thick). The light future is original. It is really a vestibule for the main entry hall which is beyond it.

Patterns are original. At least they are from the 30s when the last owner moved in.

ok, i hear you, but this makes no sense to me. nobody with that kind of money is going to think this is a good way to show off. imagine 100 guests flowing in, with the butler there and a 43" door, and other servants taking coats etc., several people removing coats and hats. I am not saying it is a recent change, I am just saying it is a change. I will also fight to death anyone who wants me to believe that is the proper light fixture. Ok, so you have a rough wall surface, i think they may well be right about difficulties in metallics with a rough surface. why is the surface rough? once again, I keep asking why, it should be smooth like butter, you can't impress people with rough? Maybe it was wall papered, that was popular. clean the floor to give you a better idea on the color of it then try a small amount of the paint you want. that should give you a better idea.

All the walls on the first floor in the non-servants areas are textured plaster. Library, dining room, entry, great hall, living room etc. very Tudor. It runs up the stair and into the hallway on the second floor.

I think the idea was that this entryway (really a vestibule) was capable of being closed off for deliveries and such, but with the door to the "grand" entry hall (which is huge) open, it was basically a short ~7ft walk into the main portion of the house.

I assure you it is all original and not that small. And the light fixture with its bubble glass and bronze and hand carved wood dangling thing was there when it was built.

Pistols or swords for the fight to the death?

;-)

Havingfun, I see you are local, feel free to stop by (not for a fight to the death of course).

Ok, I can see the plaster although why rough in entryway. But in those days, especially in this area no deliveries would have come to your front door. Also, all those lady guests would have been teetering in their heels on that floor, one or more slip on a rainy day, noone will be coming to your grand parties anymore. where are you locally, as I said i have been having a problem finding the house online. And you have a photo of that light hanging there when it was built? I believe it is original to the time, I believe it is original to the house, but why such fancy lights in other places and one that barely lights the joint in the entryway. Where is gatsby when you need him? lol

Comeon evil get worked up, use some of your considerable talents to solve this mystery, as pretty as that floor is and a very unusual pattern, I do not see this being a grand entry way. If I was lady of the house I woulda been whining all day. How about this, there was the 43" door opening onto a room that went across the front with the small stone pattern then a double door leading to the part with the larger stone. that I can see, a narrow but wide vestibule then the butler lets you in to the second area, where then admits you to the grand hall through a double door. hmmm... still working it out. I will figure this out. I will call you in a couple months. carry on...

I am in Westover Hills (hence the "Westover House" in the ideabooks).

I don't get worked up about anything. ;-)

It is not "rough" it is textured. The pictures do not capture it.

BTW the doorbell plays "the gang's all here."

ah come on where is the fun in not getting worked up once in a while. tehehe. Ok, I like textured better. Before I kept seeing Westover in NJ, now i found westover hills in Texas and VA. I live in DE, cannot make it to either, currently oxygen needs defy me. Hubby wont let me try to hold my breath that long. now I do like the door bell, do you think that is original, did not know they had that kind of tech back then. really cool. nite!

Westover Hills in Delaware.

Just outside Wilmington.

Bell is not original, the buttons for it are, but the box is probably from the 50s based on its design.

I would go with gold. I say it all the time but wood trim needs color on the walls to come alive. If you don't want to highlight the wall irregularities too much, you could paint a low sheen and rub on metallic paint to give it a burnished look?

sounds cool. Oh, I want to come, will see if it is possible. I really am not one of those people who gets a little puff off a machine every so often, I am heavy and constant oxygen use. so it truly limits things I do. But i can not thank you enough for the invite. This is really exciting!!! It would have to be a weekend, hubby has to bring me.

Go with the metallic gold!

evil, can come this fall. in the meantime, are you gonna let someone write a story about you and the house? would be simply marveloooouuus. lol. Oh yes, i peek in every once in while, like through the back door on the other thread, have you thought of down south DE or even better the eastern shore of md? we have several auction places down here. American Corners outside Federalsburg is a really great one, every thursday. and dirt cheap I must say, whole tables at one time for $5 or less. and no it is not all junk. Have had many estates and closing antique shops go through there, much better than FL, which has 3 zillion retired experts. they are listed online, though maybe not all details, there is another place in northern eastern shore, every wednesday morning. I forgot their name. I would be happy to come along and sit on your purchases, can't do much else, but i can do that. tehehe

After finally getting around to studying the blue prints (details fuzzy) it is a vestibule. I like the idea of the gold but maybe not totally dark. I have a friend who painted her low beamed ceiling bronze and it looks great. Add a large guilt mirror and you are done. It is not a room you linger in. Boots, coats , etc done. Would coordinate the closet with this area. Also think about what you are going to do in the actual grand entry. Don't know what you have found there but bring in some of the same metallic tone. Also off subject, paint your living room an eggshell hunter green to highlight that rug. Get rid of the swag window things. Nice heavy drapes. No one loves TV more than I but its on the floor, hang it over the fireplace, even if it overlaps the mantle. Or put it on an arm above the fireplace, that can be lowered or raised. I'll stop

I think I am going with the same off white as the main hall and will save the gold for the library. It is 90% ready to paint, but I have been working crazy hours more so than normal recently, including weekends. Once the vestibule (as you call it) is done, the downstairs public areas will be presentable (library and living room need paint and some help with the wood but I would not be embarrassed to have guests in them and I can shut the door to the kitchen/butler's pantry). Havingfun can give a report when she comes to visit in the fall. I left the wheelchair ramp on the back porch place from the previous owner for her.

what a sweetie! I can walk up about 5 steps. But before you go get that paint, I have been looking at the ralph lauren tonight and I like the polished patina grouping. they don't let you copy anything. I liked fresh citrine and imperial topaz. now this is a technique involving 2 paints, so maybe you could use one of those 2 paints with the burnished copper giving you a metallic combined with a slightly brighter color? And what are you going to do with that light fixture?!! you want me to find you one? Tudor should not mean depressing you know. Picture me now on my soapbox with my hands on my hips. lol

Light fixture is original and I am keeping it. Thanks though.

Many older homes have a vestibule and most of the time, there was a second door so as to keep out the drafts. The doorway into the living room may not have been originally there? If it were my entrance, I would paint the walls a creamy white, add a beautiful mirror and a runner...let the home's features be the focal points and not the wall color. I also think the gold color will clash with the floor. Another opinion - sorry.

ok, so that is your story and your sticking to it huh? but why would they not have a nicer light there? i do not debate original to house, i just think it was moved there to save money instead of buying a new one.

So, you going with the offwhite?

Isn't that light in the closet? If not , ok. This is a service area. The vestibule allowed the beautiful people to divest themselves of wet, muddy, warm outerwear, remember no modern cars, then make the "official" entry in their best. Red carpet ready.

ok, mea culpa, vestibule was normally about 3 foot deep and 8 or more feet wide. ah but the lights, all of these are 1920s era also found a couple stoves. unfinished tile not unusual. but reminder, whenever you think dull, old, boring, think again. this was the big heyday, Gatsby, Flappers, railroad barons, the wealthy were very wealthy and believed in enjoying it. all over the world everyone was partying. Everything was bright lights and happiness.

all from 1920s vestibules

gas and coal -dc tudor house, not sure if this was 20s or before.

sometimes i think you guys just want me to look this stuff up for you. lol

Got it. I'm slow. Two diff lights. Yes, I would put in a more elaborate light but if it is the original, it is what it is.

Taped off light is in the closet. The light in the vestibule is shown in my ideabook.

The light is great. Restoring to original, why go elsewhere? Put effort on to making that entry hall shine.

2 of these lights i actually got from an antiques dealer that works with these things so they are authentic, last of course came from a museum. Chandeliers were the norm.

They are beautiful, having fun.

How about the stove?

Tudor place is a house turned museum in dc. I would be willing to hold the door if you wanna sneak it out the back evil. tehehe

wait a minute, those are metal. have you tried metal scrap yards? you have a lot more up there then down here. cool stuff they actually hang on to sometimes.

hey evil, I am back. I think i got it, I know you been doing different things with the rooms, but hopefully you have one left. A science or astrological room, hopefully one with a balcony, though I don't remember seeing any. Any gentleman, should have considered himself learned in at least some of the sciences no? A telescope, a recliner with a miniature astrolab (?) projecting the stars on the ceiling, maybe a microscope, some maps? Any and all things learned. oh, oh, if i get rich i gotta have one of those! I had a telescope once, someone stole it while we were moving, so we got half, they got half, useful to noone. Are you sure the stove and exhaust fan came together, seem able to find similar stoves, but none have a fan. pics coming up. Don't ya miss me?! lol

first 2 are for the science room

various stoves , but none have a big hood
this is actually a heater
a 70" those are very hard to find

hey evil-looky here

Katherine hepburn's house. I do keep thinking about you, ya know. Maybe you can covince the estate. Although the hood looks, a little small.

Oh yes, can you email me, fall is coming and I know you will have company too, don't want to interfere with that.

Painted it off white. The medieval gold went on the radiator cover and would have been a disaster. Ideabook has updates. Still need to do the closet.