Art at local gallery?

What is your objective? To have your home serve as an art gallery? Are you and/or your spouse artists -- is the artwork your own?

Adjoining rooms have walls with plenty of art visible from the foyer.

Have you considered removing all the art from the foyer to create a stark contrast between its blank walls and the adjoining rooms. Adjoining rooms have light colored walls, have you considered painting your foyer your favorite bold color as additional contrast.

The table beneath the stairs seems too small for that space -- but great for a child. If you could move the table elsewhere, you could put your pedastal and ball (now in the center of the room) beneath the stairs.

If you like the look of the wood stairs -- with the change you mentioned -- then consider using the wood stairs as your beginning and constant for whatever decoration you put in the foyer -- work at making it go well with the stairs.

The bench seating in the upper right hand corner of the pic in the link below is actually patio seating but your foyer could handle the size of something resembling it really well -- just slant the back rest and colorful cushions to make it more comfortable seating and add a laid-flat deck board top rail for a "bar" all the way around the seating for a display shelf.. The seating in the bottom left pic could work, too, especially if you were going to keep your current pedestal and ball piece where it is.

https://freshpatio.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/patio-seating-ideas.jpg

Thank you for this amazing feedback! I forgot to mention this crucial information but the furniture was left behind by the previous owner. They plan on taking all the art but leaving the sofa, seating, etc. Which is fine... but honestly it’s not our taste. My wife and I want to on start on a blank slate. The patio furniture idea is amazing! We would have never thought of that. I will definitely pitch the idea to her tomorrow and see how we can work it into the design.

Taking all that travertine out is going to be $$$$$. I would try to update by removing the tile insert from the floors, which seems like the Mediterranean style you don't want, and keeping the travertine. With solid travertine you have a classic neutral look. You can modernize the house by choosing a better wall color and staining the stairs black, to coordinate with your front door. The style of the stairs is already modern.

Your removing the travertine floor! Sigh.....

Your right! I’ve been trying to convince my wife that we have little to renovate in the house. I talked her into living in the house for at least a month. Let’s see where it takes us. But I do believe that some minimal changes can be made to make it more modern.

I do love that pedestal and what looks like a hand carved wood vessel. Stunning. I think the travertine wall could be a noise factor. Might want to get a large texture piece of art for that wall to absorb some sound. Check out local artists that do woven art pieces. You could design something very cool and add some color on that wall. Perhaps search for someone who does natural dying of wool or yarns to get some leads and ideas for a piece for that wall. This is going to be so fun! I’ll bet you can’t wait to get in.

Fabulous place. Live there for a year before making big changes. There's a big difference between a light filled space with highly reflective surfaces and a gray concrete industrial space.

Agree with Flo Mangan -- live there a while before making major changes -- expensive changes such as ripping out flooring and wall covering that is in (it appears) great shape.

If your wife picks the furnishings -- or at least most of them -- then it is likely she will be more inclined to feel the house is her home and, perhaps, less eager to make more substantial changes.

A room rug y'all truly like might cover flooring you are considering removing and replacing.

As to that two story wall, rather than removing the tiles, you might at least consider covering it with paneling instead, thus leaving yourselves the option to change your mind. It is a very neutral look and once y'all create other focal points, you may find it visually "disappears".

Adding fabric to that high wall is another great idea from Flo Mangan. She, of course, means artfully designed wall hangings. Don't just settle for some expensive piece you don't truly like. Instead, at least consider less costly temporary solutions: Bolts of fabric come in different widths. If y'all have school or team colors you like, you could hang a pair of solid color lengths of fabric (with hemmed ends) from the ceiling all the way to the floor in those colors or just red, white and blue or in a geometric pattern you like.

Another alternative for an especially tall wall is metal art. There are pressed metal scene art pieces of trees and beaches and fish and birds as well as pieces reflecting different hobbies. You could add a single large piece or create a display of multiple pieces. The pros here at Houzz could probably find an artist in your area to create an original piece if you let them know your general location.

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