Foyer with Backlit Staircase and Brass Accents

It is a flower-cluster chandelier, a spread of small lit stems that looks like a burst of blossom from below. It hangs from a round ceiling medallion that frames it and gives the flat ceiling a centre. In a double-height entrance a single large fitting fills the vertical space a small light would leave empty.

That is the lift door, faced in brushed brass and set into a surround of black marble. Housing a lift in the foyer keeps it central to the house, and dressing the door to match the brass railing makes it part of the design rather than a plain metal box. The black marble frame gives it a strong edge against the pale marble walls. Brushed brass was used over polished so it shows fewer prints on a door people touch daily.

The space under the stair, usually wasted, holds a small planted garden here. A red maple sits in a bed of pale pebbles and dark rocks, lit softly so it glows against the marble. Placing greenery there gives the hard stone and brass entrance one living, natural element. A brass grid screen with a mirror stands beside it, which lets light and views pass while marking the edge of the zone. It does need real plant care to stay looking well.

The walls are a mix. Large slabs of pale marble form the main surface, with panels of black marble set in for contrast. Between them run fluted arched panels and arched niches, some papered in a soft floral print. A marble-top console sits under an internal window with a Roman blind. The blend keeps a big entrance from feeling like one cold slab of stone.

Marble is the main figure, both the flooring and the wall slabs, since natural stone and the labour to fit it cleanly are never cheap. The lit staircase adds to that, because each tread has to be built to carry hidden lighting. Brass work on the railing and lift door is the next layer. The chandelier is a single big-ticket piece. Wallpaper and the console are the softer costs. Stone and stairs are the hard-to-change items, so settle those first.

Yes, in parts. The mix that carries this foyer is marble, brass and one strong light, and that scales to any size. In a flat with no staircase, a marble-top console under a mirror with a brass-framed light above gives the same feel in a couple of metres. Fluted arched panels or a black marble strip add depth on a single wall. The under-stair garden and the lift are the only pieces you cannot copy without those features.

More than a painted hallway, mostly because of the stone. Polished marble floors show scuffs and water marks, so they want sweeping and a soft mop, and a sealer helps guard against stains. The glass balustrade and the brass need wiping to stay bright, since this is the most-touched part of the house. The planted garden under the stair needs watering and the odd trim. It is a high-finish entrance, so plan for steady, light cleaning rather than none.