Hi Ranch owners...I need help renovating our entryway!!

Now that we've finished our bow window, our next project is renovating our entryway.

We live in a hi-ranch...the front door opens to one set of steps leading up to the main floor and another set that leads down to the laundry room, garage, and apartment.

I'd like to do something so that people coming in the front door cannot see right in to our living room...but I'm hesitant to put up a wall...the living room will feel very small then. The previous owners put up wrought iron railing, which I hate!!!!!!

I'm also looking for a new light fixture for the entryway (inside). DH is pushing for high hats, but I want something a bit less modern looking.

I'm still getting used to this layout...would appreciate any input!

Thanks

I have a high ranch, but our wall was never taken down. Ive seen high ranches with the wall taken down. It does make the room look alot more spacious... Sorry I dont have any ideas...

Maybe put a couch in that area? a small table with photos? something to distract the eye from there? is that what you mean?

Lisa Rose has that set up & her entryway is beautiful & inviting. FM her, she might have pics!

My suggestion would be replacing the railing with wood railings & using a hanging fixture as opposed to hi hats.

We have a hi ranch and I admit, I hate the layout. with a passion. But it'll do.

Several months ago I posted some pictures of what we did to the living room area to open it up to the entry way. Actually, it's more closed off now. We took out the iron railing and my DH built walls with arched-window cut outs in them. Our downstairs portion is totally enclosed because the previous owner had a tenant (we do not and plan on opening it up again because the fireplace is down there).

I'll try and find the link to the pics I posted. At the time I posted, it was only half done. We are not putting window glass in the arches, just leaving it open, with an iron railing in the lower half (so you don't fall over to the stairway). I admit I really love this new design. The entry way was tiled as well from the base of the floor and up the stairs until it meets the top step.

ETA - the wall with arches we put up left it open enough so it did not make the living room smaller by any means!!

Here is the link:

http://www.nycityweddings.com/chat/topic.aspx?ID=83971

Let me know if you want to see more 'finished' pictures.

Thanks ladies! I appreciate your input!!

Wow, Trish...your entryway looks fantastic. Your before pics look alot like our house. The archs and half wall give such a different feel to the room. You must be so proud.

Yes! Would love to see more pictures of the finished product!!

I live in a high ranch, and we placed a couch against the railing (which no one can see past BUT we can see over).. another look that i have seen that looked pretty was what looked like a 2 1/2 to 3 foot high wall (l shaped) that had a smooth wood look (or you could paint it)and had a couple of smoked square glass little windows in it it only allowed light to pass through....

Kind of hard to explain and friend of mine used her entertainment center as a wall and hung a huge painting behind it BUT it did make the area look less spacious ... we also have a chandalear (sp) - and complements the one we have in the dineing room, hanging inside the entrance that has a dimmer switch for it.
good luck

Trish, I LOOOVEEE the arches. They look gorgeous and I have the same exact home.

Please post more pictures !!!!!!!!

I can't believe we started this project almost a year ago. And we're only about 75% complete. We took our old tan-color iron railing down that surrounded the living room and overlooked the entry foyer and are taking it to an iron-worker to reshape it to fit in the lower half of each arch and still need to finish up some painting and of course the crown molding.

As a quick refresher, this is the house when we moved in:




This is before we started any work on the arches, but we did put lighting up on the ceiling:


This is the living room after arches were put up. Notice it didn't take up any more space than the railing did. We lined up the new wall exactly with the old portion of the wall:


This is before painting (yes, that's DH sitting on the job!):


And in no particular order, the progression to our 75% completeness:

chmlenger-
I love what you did. What color is the living room?

It looks GREAT

WALA
it looks wonderful!!!! Please keep posting pics !!!