Is the paneling in the dining room and entrance hall original to the house?
No. There’s so little going on colorwise in those spaces, we wanted to add some depth and visual interest. The paneling is light and simple in the spirit of the rest of the house. It climbs seven feet up the wall, leaving a gap of 18 inches between it and the ceiling a pleasing proportion. I love the way the banister flares. It’s so welcoming. The original staircase hugged the living room wall and, being rather cramped and somber, was not very inviting. When we opened up the room we stole some space from it for the foyer, which allowed us to widen the steps and pull them away from the wall. Now there’s a much greater sense of arrival what entrance halls are all about. One of my favorite things in the house is the pair of colorful old crab- pot markers at the foot of the stairs. For couples with young children, the formula of an open kitchen that melts into a dining area, and a dining area that in turn melts into a family room, is unbeatable. That is certainly how this couple sees it. T
