Do you have any other pics of the entry hall or rooms that you can see off of it? Do you have a preference for finishes - wood, brass, iron?

Here’s a beauty. I couldn't resist adding a dutch door and an entry rug.

Hi Kendrah, Our house is a traditional brick house from the 80s. We want to give it a little more classic, french country look. Here is a pic of the family room directly in front of the entry (the realtor listing is unrealistically brightened, lol). Long story, but currently the entry is 2-story but the opening is only 4x7. So the current chandelier has no room to cast light down and you can't even see the chandelier when you enter. So we plan to fill in the 2-story opening to make the entry one-story and install a chandelier downstairs. To the right of the front door is the doorway to a living room that we plan to drywall over convert into a bedroom.

For preferences, we like nickel finishes and bronze. We plan to do nickel hardware on our new door.

Thank you for your ideas!!

Also, this is the dutch door style we were planning on ordering. It will be stained wood and hopefully let in more light too.

ffpalms, wow, thank you for the rendering. I do love that choice! It definitely meets my french country aesthetic. I am not sure if my lower ceiling will allow me to hang that though. It looks a bit taller. I have a max of 24" in height to play with (so if anything has a chain, it would hang too low). But I will check it out to see if I can find something similar that would fit.

Are you actually in a climate that would allow you to open the upper part of the dutch door and not get bugs in the house? If you aren't, then just do a similar door with no split.

Hi Chispa, thank you! that is good advice. Yes we do have a LOT bugs in our climate, lots of mosquitoes!! But we need the door split to keep my dogs from running out to the street when we occasionally want to open it to talk to visitors. We have tried obedience training, but alas, they are not responsive (the dogs, not visitors, lol). So we think a dutch door will solve our issues. Most of the time we won't open it though.

1. Is 24" the distance you will have from the new ceiling to where the top of the door will be? Are you looking for more of a semi-flush mount fixture then rather than a chandelier?

2. Also, are you making the entry one-story just in order to deal with the light issue? If so, could you save yourself some work and instead install sconces on either side of the door and a flush-mount on the underside of the upstairs hallway?

Hi Kendrah, our new ceiling will be 108". The door is 80" high, so we have 28" between door and ceiling, but I read that the recommended height is 84" from bottom of chandelier, so it clears the door and wont feel too low. That would mean I only get 24" for my light. I am open to flush mount, or semi-flush, or a shorter chandelier. I just want something pretty and not too heavy feeling. Filling in the underside of the stairs will give us more light and also create an upstairs 4x7 reading nook. We are doing a lot of work right now anyway because we are converting the living into a bedroom, so it is not too much extra work to fix the entry issues (crossing fingers).

Country Semi-Flush Bell Jar Lantern - Visual Comfort - Nickel finish

It is 16.5". I presume you could add extra links to drop it another 5-6" for your space. I could imagine one in your entry and one under your hallway, but I'm just a sucker for a pair of flush mounts when they are simple like this. They are on sale now at Visual Comfort.

Country Semi-Flush Bell Jar Lantern in Polished Nickel · More Info

Some other ideas... I don't love them but maybe you will!

Irvin's Country Tinware Thorndale Ceiling Light in Vintage White · More Info

Quoizel OKF1715AWH Four Light Semi-Flush Mount, Antique White Finish · More Info

10" 2-Light Shabby Chic Farmhouse Wood Beaded/Metal LED Flush Mount,Silver/Cream · More Info

oooo thank you Beverly! some lovely and unique choices here! I am loving the first one, but I have a feeling it may be too feminine for my husband. I think he would like the third one you posted though.

Kendrah, thank you so much! I love the bell jar ones, and they sound like the right size! I have never had that type before though. I wonder if they are hard to keep clean.

My parents have a bell jar in their entryway. It is my job to get on a step stool and clean the inside of it when I visit them, usually twice a year. It is not hard. Their housecleaner does the exterior everyother week.

Kendrah, Thank you for sharing your experience with the bell jar! it doesn't sound too bad to keep clean!

Thanks so much everyone for these gorgeous options!! Gotta save them all and run them by my family for a vote!

Boy that is the safest room I've seen in a long time.

I added the chandelier to the foyer. I'm not sure it's the best choice, not that the brass one I posted is any better.

I increased the size of the canvases on the wall to show that they can easily be larger. However, they just about match the two canvases behind the pop-up TV and it makes this whole thing pretty boring and safe don't you think? The room could be more.

No art on the hallway walls on the second floor???

Beverly, thanks so much for the rendering. I agree that perhaps the chandelier would be a bit too safe of a choice. The pic and furnishings is the from the staged realtor listing when we bought the house. Sadly, what we have now is so much worse, lol. We are in the midst of renovating and bringing the sunken floors level with the entry. I know sunken rooms are hot right now, but our room was not up to code, or functional for our family. Here is the pic of how it looks right now lol. Hopefully we will be done soon! I would love to hear your thoughts on ways to take it to the next level!

Ok. I understand. Good there is tons of height to accommodate the level change. You could do recessed can lights in the foyer. We can provide a furniture layout when you’re ready …..good luck

I think a semi flush will be better choice and also consider the amount of light it will provide. Consider accessories as well.

https://www.bedbathandbeyond.ca/Lighting-Ceiling-Fans/Mid-century-Modern-French-Country-4-light-Drum-Ceiling-Lights-Wheel-Semi-flush-Mount-Lights-D-13.8-x-H-16.9/37249793/product.html?option=73368990&epik=dj0yJnU9RUlma3JoN2VCV2hJUVNtSUtsVFpkajVmLWVIUDBDZm4mcD0wJm49ZUNWWjcwaHVLZk85cWFoa2w4SG43dyZ0PUFBQUFBR1pZWUhB

Take into account not only height, but volume, so it doesn’t feel skimpy, or overwhelm.

A chain can be adjusted, so don’t rule out.

https://www.wayfair.ca/Laurel-Foundry-Modern-Farmhouse--Callista-3-Light-Drum-Chandelier-X211367237-L6085-K%7EAUXL1350.html?refid=PSO446-AUXL1350

What about something like this?

IMO you get a light that lights the space below not the ceiling for sure. Why a Dutch door for a front door they really belong as a back door usually . THis to me is what I would look for and a front door that is more french county . Not the bulbs facing down which I prefer but the crystals should help with brightness. Can you post a pic of the door you are going to install.

Maybe something like this which is a modernized French county look. Believe it or not it's from Walmart.

la_la_Girl, thank you! we do feel leveling the floors is the right choice for our family!

Beverly, I definitely will seek more furniture and layout advice, hopefully soon! You have been so generous with your advice here!

Maureen, thank you! I like both of your choices. They are delicate and airy.

Ptreckel, I think your suggestion is the perfect size and would suit a french country style too. thank you!

Patricia, do you think a dutch door would be a weird choice for the entry? I do like them and find them charming and it would help us with our dogs, but on the flipside, don't want to make an expensive mistake! thank you for the alternative door rec. That one you posted along with the chandelier is lovely.

Norwood, wow, from walmart! I will definitely check it out! thanks!

This one could work

Although all owned by the same company, also check Perigold and Wayfair.

Shades of Light is another good website.

Put in your size filters and then just scroll through quickly. Only stop at the ones that look interesting and take a screen shot. I can go through thousands of lights in a few hours with this method. Then go back to your screen shots and narrow down the choices. Also try to do an image search of your favorites to find the fixture in an actual room, as a real fixture can look quite different from the photoshopped marketing photos.

Thank you AC, that is a lovely light!

Thanks Chispa, I do love Wayfair and Shades of Light. I have never looked at Perigold. I will check it out!