THE HOUSE DOCTOR - MAKING THE INSIDE FOYER SAY WELCOME

(Writing and photography by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

THE FOYER ENTRY

If you are going to have a home that is friendly and hospitable, you need a welcoming foyer on the inside as well as a welcoming look on the outside.  

We are pondering how to change this small front porch area
to something more interesting and inviting.  I decorate it for the seasons,
but we are pondering some architectural changes - something for
another article yet another day.  Today I simply want to bring
you across this threshold and have you step inside through the entrance.

Maybe you do not have a formal entry.  Perhaps your front door just opens into your living room or another room of your house.  No worries, just focus on where the line of the eye falls when you first step into the doorway.  The theory works the same.  We want to say welcome to whoever crosses the threshold.

Way back when we first moved into our house I started to get a feel for how I wanted to decorate our foyer. 

 As I have mentioned many times when I've shared my own remodeling stories; we bought our home because it had six bedrooms, one for each child, one for us, and one for a guest room.  It was rare to find a house in our budget range that had six bedrooms; so when we did - we decided to live with anything that didn't please us and aimed to change it later.  

Later finally came.....It definitely needed something!  


Here is a "before" photo that I took on one of our first Christmas Holidays in our house.  Please excuse the sleeping beauties; just notice how uninteresting and blank the foyer area appears:

ORIGINAL FOYER BEFORE CHANGES

In transitioning our home I wanted our foyer to say:  “Come on in, you are welcome here!”  I also wanted it to reflect (like my blog) the way  I live with a seasonal flair.   That being the case; you will note that my foyer now changes with every season of the year.  Maybe yours does too, or maybe you choose to let your house only change with the different seasons of your life; whatever makes you feel complete and at home inside your house works best.  I just happen to enjoy the seasonal flair.  However you decide to present your home, just remember that the foyer will be your guest's first impression.  It needs to speak.

A CHRISTMAS FOYER AFTER THE REMODEL

In the words of Kristin Armstrong; "When the seasons shift, even the subtle beginning, the scent of a promised change, I feel something stir inside me.  Hopefulness?  Gratitude?  Openness?  Whatever it is, it's welcome."  

Welcome is still the focus here as we cross the threshold from the outside to the inside.  

Welcome and wonder......what is in store for someone coming home from a hard day?  What is in store for someone  coming to visit for the first time?  What is the mood in this home that makes me want to come inside and join in with the fun?

A SUMMER FOYER AFTER THE REMODEL

The foyer entrance makes that statement, so we must be careful how we let it speak.

A foyer that displays no particular season, just the flavor of the owner, the paintings that show the changing season, the titles of the books, the modern expression of the bookends, the bright cheerful little plaque that says "love." 

It  simply adds extra interest when you give your home an expression of your own personality as soon as someone crosses the threshold;  so think of the things that make your life full and interesting and try to incorporate that feeling in the foyer.  For me, it is the changing seasons of life.   This little spark of personality, added to a bright, cheerful, clean, uncluttered welcome will make the guest feel wanted.   It will help them to know and understand you better.   It will also encourage them  to be more curious about what lies beyond your front door.   An interesting touch that works well in some homes is to mix the old with the new.  A little unexpected event as you come inside the door.  A tiny little surprise to catch your interest.

There are so many simple, either inexpensive or free, little things anyone can do to make their entry interesting and welcoming.  Do you have a favorite arrangement of flowers?  Do you have a quirky little umbrella stand?  Do you have a favorite piece of artwork?  You simply must make use of your imagination and creative abilities.  A front door, foyer and entrance hall should say to any guest crossing the threshold; "There is more here than meets the eye, come further in and get to know our home."

One way to begin the creative process is to analyze your space as you enter the doorway.   What does your eye see first upon entering?  

In our case, we originally had an eyesore in our living room.  There was an ugly outdated square window cut in the wall between the kitchen and the living room.  You could stand at the sink in the kitchen and look out to the living room while you washed dishes.  That was the ONLY good thing about that window!  It was downright ugly.  I hated it.  Your eye fell directly on that space as you entered our front door!  It was ugly, unimaginative and boring.   

I definitely wanted to change this awful window wall, and eventually we did.  It took a lot of effort to change it because it involved also  remodeling the kitchen on the other side of that wall in the living room.  It was worth the effort.   I think we achieved the desired effect by removing the old outdated window wall.  The photo below shows the OTHER SIDE of the square window, from the kitchen point of view.  The window wall was a good excuse for totally remodeling the kitchen, which also needed an overhaul.   

At any rate, my eye coming inside the foyer from the front door was falling on that window from the LIVING ROOM side of the wall and my first thought was always the same; UGH!

OLD  KITCHEN SPACE BEFORE WINDOW WALL CHANGES

The window above the sink was the MAIN problem, and I'm sure you can spot a few more!  I stuck a plant in the window until we could get to the  remodeling.  This wall looked even worse from the other side  as you were entering through the foyer.  I tried to never take pictures of it, so I don't have many to show here.

NEW KITCHEN SPACE WITH NO WINDOW WALL AND MIRRORS.

We used mirrors as back-splashes and completely covered the kitchen side of the space above the sink where the cut out window was with mirrors.  It gave the room a much larger feeling, and made everything look so much more modern. The other side was covered with sheet rock and painted to match the surrounding walls of the living room.  I'll cover the remodeling of this kitchen later, it will be a fun article.  For now, I wanted you to know we covered up the square hole in the wall that you could see from the foyer AND the kitchen.  It made a huge difference!

This photo shows the kitchen doorway that you see from entering the foyer.  It shows a little bit of the remodeled stairway from the foyer.  It is only fair to include Jason in this picture of the remodeled kitchen, since he did help my husband lift those heavy cabinets on the top while they were being installed!  I'll include a whole article later on how we remodeled the kitchen, but the point right now is to notice how different the house became simply because we covered up that 1970's out-dated square cut out window in the wall between the kitchen and the living room.

LIVING AREA TO RIGHT OF FOYER BEFORE CHANGES.  YOU CAN BARELY SEE THE
LEAVES OF THE PLANT I STUCK IN THE CUT OUT WINDOW ON THE SLANTED WALL.

LIVING AREA TO RIGHT OF FOYER AFTER CHANGES

OUR DAUGHTER ERIN VISITING IN THE FALL

So, I started my ideas for the entryway with how I felt when I entered my front door.  I felt bad about that window and we changed it!  Look for obvious eyesores that distract from the beauty of your home and find a way to change them.  Don't let the ugly things grab the attention of the one entering before they notice all of the other beauty that surrounds it.

At our house;  I was looking straight ahead into a foyer hallway that led into a kitchen area.  This kitchen entrance had a blank wall on the right and your eye followed it into a living room area that continued to a dining area.  To my left there was a smaller blank wall just inside  the doorway with a stairwell just past the entrance that led one downstairs and a hallway around the stairwell leading to upstairs bedrooms.  

I'm going to show that old photo again of the "before."  Note the ugly stair rail, the stairs that just look like a drop-off hole in the floor with a rail around them, the old worn out parquet flooring on the foyer floor just inside the door, and the beige carpet everywhere else.  Note the dingy yellow walls, the "blah" decor, the dark curtains and the floral furniture.  Notice how the doorway was stained to be so dark, along with the stair railings.  There is just NOTHING interesting about this entrance.  We began to slowly make changes.  We started with a fresh clean coat of white paint everywhere.  It opened up the rooms and made it much more cheerful.  The foyer side of the door was painted white, and that made a HUGE difference.  We took down the draperies, and we ripped up the old flooring.  

LOOKING STRAIGHT AHEAD IN FOYER AFTER CHANGES
NO PARTICULAR SEASON

New artwork and a sail boat for a summer foyer.

;;

Granddaughter playing on new floors.

I change this tiny area to the left of the entry door every season.  The new white paint makes almost any color I want to use work.  This was Valentine's Day and we were having a baby shower, hence, the Winnie the Phoo painting.

I kept thinking of where my eye fell when I walked inside.  On the right I could see a sunken living room with cathedral ceilings leading into  a dining area.  

THAT VIEW REMODELED AND DECORATED FOR THANKSGIVING.  THE ARTWORK ON THE BACK WALL WAS A CHANGE BECAUSE IT BECAME A NEW FOCAL POINT.  WE NEEDED TO MAKE IT LARGE, SO WE ACTUALLY COMBINED FOUR SIMILAR PAINTINGS INTO ONE MODERN ARRANGEMENT.  WE WENT FROM  AN OLD OUTDATED LOOK TO A MORE MODERN LOOK AND MIXED IN A FEW CLASSIC PIECES OF ART AND FURNITURE.  I'LL TELL YOU MORE ABOUT REMODELING THE LIVING ROOM IN ANOTHER ARTICLE.  JUST WANTED YOU TO SEE PART OF THE VIEW FROM THE DOORWAY OF MY FOYER.  

IN THIS VIEW DECORATED FOR CHRISTMAS, NOTE THE PAINTINGS HANGING IN THE FOYER AND OVER THE STAIRWAY THAT WE ADDED FOR INTEREST.

IN THIS  VIEW DECORATED  FOR SUMMER,  NOTE THE CHANGE OF DECOR IN THE FOYER FOR THE SEASON.  THIS ALSO SHOWS HOW WE REMODELED THE STAIRS MORE AND THE CHANGE TO HARDWOOD FLOORS.  SEE HOW THINGS WERE LIGHTENED UP WITH THE WHITE DOOR, THE NEW PAINT AND THE LIGHTER, ALMOST NEUTRAL CURTAINS AND OF COURSE, THE WHITE SOFAS.

Originally all of the walls in the main part of the house were painted an out-dated dingy yellow color that did nothing to catch the rays of light coming into the room from the two long windows that flanked the moss rock fireplace.  My first thought after replacing the window wall was to eliminate the feeling of darkness and lighten up the room.   One day we even want to replace the mossrock fireplace with something lighter and more modern.   If you are do-it-yourselfers like us; it is good to tackle the things you can accomplish now and make a list of things to budget and plan for later.  That way, even after you become comfortable with living with your first and immediate changes, you won't forget the whole picture.  Taking your time about tackling the big projects is a good thing.  The longer you think about how you want them to work in your home, the better they become when you finally get around to crossing them off your list.  

There was an ugly outdated wagon-wheel chandelier hanging in the living room from the crossbeam.  I do not have a photo, but it was ancient!   It had to go!  It did not fit the lifestyle we were cultivating here.  We replaced it with a more modern ceiling fan.   One day we hope to replace the fan with a large new chrome light fixture in a modern style that matches the light fixture we added to the dining room area.  That is still on the bucket list, but making the transition to the affordable and more modern ceiling fan met our current needs and fit our budget too.   It was one simple inexpensive way to transition to the style we were trying to achieve.  That one little thing went a long way toward making the change of the mood in the room.

Originally, nothing spoke of peace and tranquility as you entered the front door.  We achieved a change by lightening things up and making them more modern.  Now things look light and airy and friendly when you walk inside.      

Nothing said welcome in.  We changed that fact by adding cheerful decor and using a better blend with the lighting, more modern decor and some new furniture.  

Nothing looked loved or cared for.  We changed that by painting, remodeling the stairwell, putting down the hardwood floors and changing some of the furniture, artwork and accessories.  

Originally, except for a few photos of the kids on the hall wall, there were no details that reflected the personalities of the homeowners.   None at all; just boring yellow paint and beige carpets.  Ugh!  Now our guests will notice we like art, enjoy the seasons and want to entertain people in our home.  The little things speak out for us now, where there was no conversation going on at first.  

ONE FALL DECORATING SCHEME WE HAVE USED.  

WE THOUGHT THE WINE GLASSES READY FOR USE ADDED TO THE WELCOME IN ATMOSPHERE.  WE USED THIS DECORATING SCHEME ONE THANKSGIVING.

Another thing to consider in remodeling a foyer is to look around for any obvious physical and safety problems.  

It is funny how the solution to your decorating problems sometimes turn out to be your best accomplishments.  These unique things often tend to  provide interesting focal points.  One practical change that turned out great in our foyer was the way we created a visual barrier between the foyer floor and the sunken great room/living room.  People were always stepping inside the front door and  not noticing that the floor to the living room was sunken one step down after you entered the foyer.  It was very typical for one to fall as they approached the living room/great room area.  This really bothered us!  We had to have a way to make people notice there was a step down into the sunken living area.  Those falls were getting embarrassing both for us and our guests!

The solution was quite simple actually.  I merely painted an old chest antique white and put it behind the sofa that had its back to the foyer.  The visual effect of seeing where the chest was on the floor  as you entered the foyer helped people to understand immediately that the floor of the great room living space was sunken.  No more guests falling down as they entered the living room!  That always helped our visitors to feel more at ease.  I was very happy about this simple, inexpensive little change.  Plus; the chest could be decorated and changed in a million little ways every season.  What fun!  It became a focal piece between the living room and the foyer.  I wrote about painting this old chest in another article and describe how I painted the chest antique white and the hardware for it was spray painted black.  The contrast added interest and it looked wonderful!  Now my daughters argue over who gets it after we pass on.  That will forever remain a mystery.  

PAINTED CHEST BEHIND SOFA WAS A BEAUTIFUL SOLUTION TO A SAFETY ISSUE.

ANOTHER FURNITURE ARRANGEMENT FOR CHRISTMAS TIME - WE HAVE SOME CHAIRS WE OFTEN  CHANGE WITH THE SEASONS.  KEEPS US FROM GETTING TIRED OF THE FURNITURE AND KEEPS GUEST WONDERING WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO NEXT, BECAUSE OUR HOUSE NEVER LOOKS THE SAME TO THEM, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE USING THE SAME STUFF OVER AND OVER TO DECORATE WITH, JUST ROTATING IT WITH THE CHANGING SEASONS.  THAT YEAR I USED ANGELS INSIDE THE FOYER WALL INSTEAD OF ASLAND (MY FAVORITE).

VIEW OF CHEST/SOFA TABLE DECORATED FOR CHRISTMAS.  FROM FOYER VIEW.

A LITTLE INTEREST JUST INSIDE THE FOYER DOOR LOOKS NICE, ESPECIALLY ON HOLIDAYS.  THIS PHOTO SHOWS THE STEP DOWN BETWEEN THE FOYER AND THE SUNKEN LIVING ROOM.

So where the eye fell on entering the foyer became more beautiful with a new wall space, and where the floor levels changed became safer and more welcoming by rearranging the furniture. 

MY GRANDSON IN FRONT OF OUR NEWLY PAINTED WHITE DOOR.  OF COURSE, HE WOULD MAKE ANYTHING LOOK NICE!
  

 Now in order to improve the foyer area more we needed to work on what happened in the space to the left of a person entering the house.  I wanted this  space to say "Welcome to our home" in some unique way.  I found an old, much used, but just the right size secretary at a moving sale.  We put it on the wall just inside the door to the left.  It has been very handy there and holds all the little odds and ends that everyone is always piling around, so it solved a clutter problem.  Now it is full of tacks, a hammer, a screwdriver, some pencils, pens, paper and crayons, nails, etc.  We don't have to go searching all over the house for tape or such things.  The little secretary neatly hides it all for us.    I decorate it  seasonally with something bright and eye-catching.  I have a different painting for each season that I hang above the secretary which sets the mood for the rest of my seasonal decorating.  I think these pieces work together to say "welcome" right away and they tend to create a more festive atmosphere.  No more blank yellow wall on the left of the door!  Mission accomplished in that area.  

SUMMER LOOK FOR FOYER SECRETARY.

DECOR WE USED  IN THE FOYER ON TOP OF THE SECRETARY  ONE ADVENT SEASON.

SECRETARY AT ENTRANCE ONE YEAR AT CHRISTMAS TIME.

HOW THE FOYER LOOKED BEFORE WE BEGAN TO REMODEL (EXCUSE THE SLEEPING BEAUTIES!)

Originally upon opening the front door everywhere I looked, my eyes fell on empty boring walls that needed painting and old worn out floors and ceilings.   When my eyes followed all the way through the view past the living room to the dining room everything looked out-dated and dull and dark.  When my eyes focused straight ahead from the front door they landed on an outdated kitchen that also looked too dark and needed light.  

When my eyes went to left just inside the door I noticed a broken down ugly stairway with worn out carpeting and no personality that gave a glimpse of an equally boring den below.

It was probably about seven years ago that we started all of these on-going changes.  We did not hire out the work; but did every inch of it ourselves in our spare time.  The ONE little thing we hired out was the installation of the granite counter tops in the kitchen.  We even installed the cabinets ourselves.   

We took  a few "before" pictures and studied them carefully.  We formed our vision for the future and made a plan.  Step by step the house slowly began to evolve from the entrance/foyer onward.  Once we thought it all through we began to see some sweet and pleasant changes.  These were things that the whole family loved and also things that were not very expensive, that we could handle doing by ourselves.  We were not trying to keep up with the Jones' or out-do all the home improvement programs on the internet; we were simply trying to make what we owned be the best it could be without going head-over-heels into debt.  We actually enjoyed working on these things and this bacame a hobby that we indulged in over the years instead of a hurry-up-and-finish stressor.  

If you are going to take this approach, I'll warn you it isn't for everyone.  You must be the kind of person who isn't ashamed to have company in the middle of a remodel, and one who knows how to go on with life as usual without missing a beat even if things aren't exactly perfect all the time.  Occasionally things are going to get VERY dusty.  You just learn to live with it and clean up after.   Living in a house where you are remodeling as you go will truly teach you some basic values about human relationships.  Those who still love to come over for a visit in the midst of this mess are those you want to keep around forever.  If they admire you for making lemonade out of lemons, they are friends who will be better than gold as you age.  I love sharing the progress of my life, no matter what state or stage it is in; so none of this bothered me too much.  If you are a total perfectionist; better to hire a contractor and pay for a quick, easy full-package deal!  

I also want to stress that fact that I have been blessed to be married to a man who can do anything with his tools.  He has met every remodeling challenge and his construction skills have been amazing.  He also knows a lot about the electrical and mechanical working of a house.  On my own, none of this could have been accomplished.  We have made a great remodeling team; with his mind and my energy it has all been slowly but surely coming together; and we have the aching backs and bones to prove it!

With that said; the simple little changes we made took a LOT of time and elbow grease.  It took a lot of patience as we lived with things out of order for several days, sometimes even for years, while we built a new stairwell, added hardwood floors, redesigned a kitchen and updated and changed the slanted living room wall.  We removed popcorn ceilings too when we painted.  That was a LOT of work!  We changed some furniture and obtained some carefully chosen artwork.  

Crossing over from carpet to hardwood floors really made a difference.  The old carpet came up and the hardwood went down.  We measured, bought hardwood and hauled it home, rented a hammer gun and a nail gun (I'm against gun control, especially if you are remodeling) and started pulling up the old carpets.  We nailed down loose and creaky sub-flooring.  No more creaking!  

We covered the floor surfaces with builders felt.   We laid and nailed each board using the proper equipment one at a time.  I brought the boards into the room and my husband nailed them down.  We worked like an assembly line.  Then we made a lot of dust sanding everything.   At least we had the forethought to cover the furniture, and/or remove it from the areas we were sanding.  We rented a sander from the hardwood store.  We stained the floors after sanding and cleaning and covered them with a polyurethane finish.  We planned a few days somewhere else while the floor stain and finish dried.  It looked awesome!  Such a change!  It really cheered us up and we were able to do it all ourselves without paying anyone!

Now standing in my doorway my eyes fell on hardwood floors instead of stained carpets.  The clean, modern, stylish new floors led into a newly renovated kitchen (another article for another day.)  

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THE ONCE DREARY HALLWAY NOW LOOKED MODERN AND ELEGANT.  

The next thing we tackled was the ugly staircase in the foyer hallway .  We took out the plain old  carpeted staircase and  completely replaced it with sturdier and firmer boards.  When the skeleton was built we added the newly stained treads (to match the hardwood floors) and the white rails around them with a stained railing topping them off.  We trimmed out the stairwell area with sheet rock and molding and painted it all a crisp, clean white.  We added the newel posts and the railing around the opening from the upstairs to the downstairs den.  The newel posts were previously stained to match the stain on the hardwood floors.)   We placed spindles we painted white evenly under the new stained hand-rails.  This was a drastic change and it looked great!  Everything suddenly seemed so fresh and new.  The old rustic stairwell now seemed more modern and looked much more elegant.  The details that had been boring before took on a new personality and a perfectly charming look.  The new stairwell added a lot of character to the look of the foyer.  

Eventually we painted and trimmed all the walls around the staircase white. 

Now things were certainly looking a lot better when we first stepped inside the front door! 

To my left I now could see a welcoming painting and a cozy little secretary decorated for the current season.  

If I followed my eye further to the left I saw a pretty modern stairwell and nice new stair railings that matched the newly installed hardwood floors.  

Beyond that I saw a newly painted hallway with two strategically placed oil paintings.   All three paintings in the upstairs hallway are of trees.  We wanted people to get the feeling they were entering a forrest.  The white paint gave the once dark hallway a feeling of light and added a lot more cheerfulness.  The hardwood floors worked so much better in this hallway.  

PORTABLE BAR DECORATED FOR VALENTINE'S DAY

Now when my eyes looked straight ahead from the foyer I saw a white framed doorway that opened into a modern kitchen with a solid wall to the right of it.  The ugly square window has now  been covered, and all anyone sees from the foyer is a normal slanted wall between the living area and the dining area.  Leading into this new wall  area was a space furnished with a portable bar.  It now shows off some carefully chosen classic artwork which is  framed in black to match the frames of the artwork in the rest of the upstairs living spaces.  
This new piece of art was plaaced over the bar area as another focal point when entering the foyer.

This portable bar was a good purchase because it gave us some space for storing dishes for the dining area.  We had no room for a china cabinet in that area, and the portable bar filled the bill for storage as well as being available to serve as a bar when needed.  

The portable bar always decorates nicely for Christmas too. 

PEOPLE LOVE OUR NEW STAIRS ENOUGH TO HANG OUT ON THEM..... THEY OFTEN GET CONFUSED FOR JUST ANOTHER PART OF THE FURNITURE!

TWO SLEEPY HEADS PLAYING ON THE NEW STAIRS.

Looking down from the foyer area in new stairwell.

If I now stepped inside my front doorway I would find if I looked directly to my right I could see a whole new living room with modern (no more popcorn) cathedral ceilings, a nice fan and hardwood floors. 

 I could easily tell that the foyer floor and the living room floor were different levels as my eye followed the sunken living room on into a step up again to an open dining area.  

The long wall of the living room and dining room now had appropriately sized and more modern styles of art work.  This new art had become one more focal point upon entering the foyer that had been improved.

The redesigned stairwell made a huge difference, both to the upstairs area of the house as well as the downstairs area.  (You would be amazed at the stories those stairs could tell if they could talk.)  What a busy pathway in the home they are!  The painting over the upstairs hallway just above the stair-railed enclosure added some new interest.  It cheerfully filled a once long blank space in the hall.

THESE DAYS I TYPICALLY CHANGE THE FOYER RUG EVERY SEASON.  THIS IS A RUG I USED

 ONE JULY 4TH.

Once these changes began to evolve and take shape, I started using the front door of the house again because it just made me feel good when I came inside the house after work!  It is amazing what a few simple changes can do for your attitude toward your home.   

Now a living area that was once dull and uninviting has turned into a warmer place full of light, peace, harmony and love.  We now have  a place that says:  "Please come further inside our door and get to know our family a little better!"

NEW HARDWOOD FLOORS SHOWN IN THIS PHOTO WHICH WAS TAKEN ONE SPRING BEFORE WE ADDED THE AREA RUG AND IN A TIME WHEN I WAS USING ANOTHER OLD CHEST THAT I SOMETIMES LIKE TO USE AS A COUCH TABLE.   (IT MAY GET A NEW COAT OF PAINT ONE DAY TOO.)  I KIND OF LIKE THE UNCLUTTERED LOOK OF THE NAKED FLOORS HERE, BUT I EVENTUALLY OPTED FOR THE AREA RUG.  NOW THAT WE HAVE WHITE WALLS AND HARDWOOD FLOORS, I LOVE A LITTLE SPLASH OF YELLOW, SUCH AS THE ROSES DISPLAYED  IN THIS ROOM.  

As you can see from the photo above, Olivia was a great help with our decorating decisions.  She is constantly re-arranging our work and changing things up a bit!

THIS SHOWS HOW WE USED A FAIRLY NEUTRAL YET COLORFUL AREA RUG TO ANCHOR THE LIVING ROOM.  IT ALSO HELPS PEOPLE TO SEE THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF FLOORING FROM THE FOYER TO THE LIVING AREA.

Now I love stepping inside our foyer! 

I hope our guests feel the same way when they cross our threshold and enter our home.  

We want everyone to feel welcomed and at ease.  Hopefully these changes have gone a long way to accomplish this.

Even though we live in an older home without the elaborate fancy new architectutre and designs of some of our more affluent friends; we feel we have managed to create a livable and  cozy place in which we can entertain our friends and family as well as relax and enjoy any down time we manage to find in our busy careers.  We feel blessed and happy to see our home take on it's own unique charm, and style.  It has been worth the work - which by the way - is ever on-going.    

In the words of Dorothy; "There's no place like home!"

OH THE PLACES WE SHOULD GO - A GREAT PLACE TO REST FROM ALL YOUR LABOR

VISITING GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA

(Writing and photography 
by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Labor Day is upon us.  I can't believe it.  Football season has started and signs are everywhere that Fall is almost officially here!  It just happens to be my favorite season of the year, and I am always glad to stop on Labor Day and take a rest from my labors and ponder the exciting things around the corner.

What are you doing for Labor Day this year?  Will  you hit the road for a long weekend like most Americans?   We are not able to travel this year for many reasons, but don't you think for a moment that it did not cross my mind.  I know just where I would have been if things had worked out.   Don’t you wish you knew of a place not too far away, that is relaxing and yet full of fun things to do that are family oriented, interesting, not too crowded, a place full of fun things that will not break the budget?  Don’t shake your head and laugh….I happen to know just the place.
 
If you haven’t spent a long weekend in Greenville, South Carolina, you don’t know what you are missing!  It is one of those little-known miraculous towns that you find hiding all over the south.  There are some pretty wonderful places to stay in Greenville, all within walking distance of relaxing and entertaining things to do.  My first choice of a place to stay would be The Pettigru Place Bed and Breakfast at 302 Pettigru Street.  This historic place is lovely, well managed and known for their delicious gourmet breakfast.  It is a charming house with lovely English style gardens and five luxurious rooms.  This B And B is only a short walk from Main Street, where there are quaint little shops and over 60 unique restaurants and coffee shops to try.  You won’t want to spend all of your time shopping and dining though, there are also many local art venues, museums and galleries.  You are very close to the campuses of Furman, Bob Jones University and Clemson and they always have many entertaining events, especially during football season. 

My favorite place in Greenville is Falls Park.  You can walk there from Pettigru Place.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better designed city park.  You enter through a lovely fountain entrance, and you soon cross the beautifully designed Liberty suspension bridge.  From that vantage point, as well as many others in this park, you can view the river and take in the views of two gorgeous waterfalls.  There are luscious trails everywhere, loaded with beautiful foliage and flowers, statues and uniquely designed cozy little nooks.  Be sure to take in the amazing old tree with the deep, deep roots that you can actually see.  The tree has  obviously been growing here for a long time.  The roots of this tree will make you quote poetry!  

Take your camera with you; there are many photo ops in this park.  Spend some time getting your exercise winding through the quaint sidewalks with little cafes and shops here and there  and stop occasionally to enjoy the many places to rest and relax in nature.   Every turn has an unexpected surprise. You will be going under, over and around so many interesting cozy little areas.   

As I mentioned earlier, there is a nicely designed outdoor theatre, and if you are lucky you might catch people gathered to listen to music, or poetry or storytelling.   I could go on and on, but you must just go there and see for yourself – plan to spend at least four hours just in the park.  It is a great place for a picnic. 

If you are able to pull yourself away from the park, walk toward Main Street and gander through the great shops.  Be sure to hit The Mast General Store, with its old fashioned candy jars and wooden floors.  Wander through the cobblestone alley ways and see what you can spot!  There are a few very nice “retro” second-hand stores that are full of amazing treasures and finds.  There are several cute boutiques, and some of my favs were The Good Earth, and Imagine Boutique.  You can shop for hours in this part of town.

Stop and have lunch here too.  Almost every restaurant is special in its own way.  I highly recommend Sassafras Southern Bistro, Smoke On The Water, The Chicora Alley, and The Brick Street Café.  Sassafras is a great place, more formal during the week, but they serve a nice brunch buffet after church on Sundays.  Smoke on The Water is very tasty and you can eat outside if you want to as you feel the flavor of this interesting town while you wait for your delicious meal.  If you go to Chicora’s, the food is Caribbean style.  I love to order Mom’s Mexican Salad, and if you go to the Brick Street Café, make sure you get some peanut-butter and chocolate cake for dessert. 

After shopping and lunch you might want to take in one of the many art museums.  I loved The Art Bomb.  It is a unique, upbeat and personal gallery in the older section of Greenville.  The local artists that work there actually live in the area and are bringing it alive again.  The people you meet there are very informative and interesting and this place houses the studios of wonderful artist! Be sure to wonder through the sweet little secret garden at the back of the museum.    There is another little gallery right next to an underground coffee shop in the main section of town that is also interesting which features many local artists.  Just walking down the street is an artsy experience in itself.  There are musicians and statues and painted walls and sidewalk art everywhere. 

Right in the heart of downtown Greenville lives the Heritage Green.  This is an urban arts and cultural campus.  It is located on College Street, just past Academy Street, just three blocks from The Hyatt Regency Hotel.  If it is a rainy day, you might want to step into the Greenville County Library where you could get lost in all the wonderful books, DVD’s, music and CDs as well as use their free online resources.  There is a play center for preschoolers, and a café and a used book shop.  You can also explore the largest local history and genealogy collection among public libraries of the South. 

Another feature of The Heritage Green is The Greenville County Museum of Art.  This is a wonderful museum that will take you a few hours to tour.  It is full of American Art and has a lot of the works of Andrew Wyeth and Jasper Johns. 

The Heritage Green area also hosts The Greenville Little Theatre.  If you are looking for rich, evocatively staged and costumed classical theatre that includes drama, comedy and musicals, this is it.  They stage at least six shows a year from Shakespeare to Wilde to Cole Porter. 

Don’t miss another area found in The Heritage Green; The Bob Jones Museum and Gallery.  It features a select portion of more than 400 Old Master paintings and hundreds of pieces of furniture and decorative arts are regularly on display. 

It matters not whether you are a real-child or a grown-up child, Greenville’s Heritage Green section of town has a wonderful Children’s Museum that is entertaining for all members of the family.  It is one of the largest children’s museums in The United States. 

If you love history, you will love the Upcountry History Museum in this same area.  It is all about the history of Upcountry South Carolina.  There is a great practice of the oral history lesson here.  Storytellers in costume abound and fascinate you.  Historical programs are presented here throughout the year.

You will want to get back to your room to rest up a bit before the evening's events begin.  Maybe dress a little more formal for the night life here, but you don’t have to.  This is a casual, very family oriented place, but if you feel like dressing up – that is great too!  When I say  “family” that includes those four footed friends.  The streets of Greenville are a wonderful place to walk your dog while you are window shopping, so get that in before you take your rest and clean up for dinner.

Ah, dinner!  What a wonderful choice of gourmet restaurants all in one little town.  I’ll only mention three of my favorite more elegant places to dine at night, and I’ll let you discover the rest. First on my list is:  High Cotton.  Be sure you go at night and get a window seat to enjoy the scenic view of the lights of the city and the river at night.  High Cotton features fine Southern Cuisine.  My next choice would be Devereaux’s.   It is located in a restored historical building and has a great atmosphere with excellent food.  Trio – A Brick Oven Café is also a good choice. with its wood burning ovens and gas lanterns.  If you are just looking for a good place to have a drink, try The Park Avenue Pub. Two other favorite restaurants are The Bohemian Cafe for an upbeat "friendly neighborhood" experience "where the world meets at the end of your street;" and Fonda Rosalinda's, where fresh authentic Mexican food is served in an elegant home-style manner. 

For great evening entertainment, always check to see what is happening at The Peace Center, it is one of the best designed performing arts centers I’ve ever seen.  It has been called “an acoustic jewel” by many musicians.  It is located right in the Main Street area, and is breathtakingly beautiful at night, where you can see the city lights twinkling across the river from the glass fronted rooms.  This is a place full of masters.  Tony Bennett has played “Fly Me To The Moon” on this very stage. The style of entertainment here could be anywhere from classical to country to jazz to blues to Broadway to pop.  Entertainers and event schedules are listed under The Peace Center’s web site.  There is a huge variety of shows and performances presented in Greenville in the way of the performing arts.  The local theater group called Centre Stage, presents Broadway and Off Broadway plays, dramas and musicals. The Greenville Little Theatre, previously mentioned is another local community theater group.  If you love the symphony, you must hear the Greenville Symphony Orchestra.  There is also a wonderful selection of events from The Carolina Ballet Theatre, if you are partial to ballet.  The arts are all alive here!  You will not be disappointed.  You might want to visit the Warehouse Theatre, or go to Café and Then Some for a fun and entertaining dinner/theater experience. 

Are you tired after all this fun in just one day?  You will be comfy and pampered back in your room at The Pettigru Place.  I hope you caught their wine and cheese serving this afternoon.  If you need a midnight snack there are drinks in the old fashioned ice box, and the endless cookie jar is never empty.

If you have the budget for it, you might want to stay in a different location each day of your visit, just because there are so many good selections.  Sounds like a lot of packing and unpacking, but you might enjoy the experience offered from staying closer to The Peace Center too.  The Westin Poinset is a very luxurious and historic hotel.  It has all the Southern hospitality and signature comforts you could ask for in the perfect Main Street location.  The Westin Poinset is the only four-diamond hotel in Greenville.  It was constructed by W. L. Stoddard in 1925 and has a 1920’s elegance and charm about it.  There is a romantic piano bar and a work-out room.  The Westin is known for having “heavenly” beds.  The Spoonbread Restaurant offers American Cuisine and a great breakfast buffet. 

Also a good choice is The Marriott Courtyard in Downtown Greenville with its contemporary décor and modern architecture.  You can enjoy winter ice skating in the new rink here and there are bicycle rentals available year round.  Rick Erwin’s Seafood Nantucket Restaurant is located in this hotel and offers great food.   This hotel sponsors Greenville’s Signature Experiences Tours.  They have some amazing things to tell you about planning a long vacation in Greenville, and they know exactly what is happening when.  Well worth checking into, just for the package options available and the not so common suggestions. 

These hotels might be a little pricey, but think of the free experiences offered in this area.  Almost everything is free once you get here, except for meals and performances and a place to stay.  It just might budget out for you.  For example Falls Park is free, on Wednesday nights you can take in a free movie experience from Fidelity Investment’s Moonlight Movies.  Classic movies are shown in Falls Park under the stars.  It is perfectly fine to bring your lawn chair, blanket and a cooler.  At intermission lay back on your blanket and take in the show of the stars from the night sky.  Both events are absolutely free.  The window shopping is free.  The hiking trails and waterfalls are free.  The open markets and festivals are free.  Music on the streets is free. 

If you really enjoy this place, and who wouldn’t, you might want to plan to come back in October for the St. Francis Fall For Greenville event.  It is a world of tempting tastes, sights and sounds and aromas from one end of Main Street to the other. This is only one of many planned events held during the year. 

So what is another good place to stay?  Keep to the downtown Greenville area and enjoy The Hyatt Plaza for a night or two, it is a beautiful place right in the center of the city.  The really great thing about this, among many other wonderful things, is that you can walk right outside the door to experience the BB And T Main Street events.  These are the weekly music series on Main Street that continue for 28 weeks from March to September featuring jazz, blues, oldies, and soul music.  There are little tables right outside The Hyatt in front of a courtyard with a beautiful fountain where you can enjoy the concerts as well as your morning coffee and paper. 

There are always colorful sights and enchanting smells at the TD Saturday Market.   You will find the freshest farm produce, baked goods, meats, cheeses, seafood and other specialties.  They are all locally grown.  Have a gourmet cup of coffee; enjoy the live music and interactive events.  Learn about lifestyle tips at “It’s More Than A Market” which features a weekly educational chef demonstration. 

Tired of walking?  Take the trolley.  Downtown it is free, compliments of The Greenville Drive.  The city operates and maintains two trolleys.  They are a lot of fun to ride and very convenient.   

September is the beginning of the apple picking season in this part of the country.  Come enjoy the whole experience. Great orchards abound and are happy to see you.  Visit the famous ball park and see a great game, maybe you will even see the ghost of “Shoeless” Joe Jackson.  Go to the Greenville Zoo.  Experience the Chautauqua Festival that is a journey back in time where you can hear the story of the Civil War as told by those who were there.  History is alive here; how many times can I say that?  There are more than 500 historic sites marked and ready to be explored.  Visit Lake Conestee and have a natural outdoor experience.  Take a tour of waterfalls in the area, there are many! 

Follow The Swamp Rabbit’s Trail to Travelers Rest.  There are a million other trails too.
The Highlands are only a few hours away, but now that is another story.  Charleston is not too far away either, neither is Myrtle Beach.  You won’t want to leave Greenville though, save those destinations for another day.  There is enough to do here without all the driving.  Rest, play, relax, enjoy!

I think you get the idea, I’ve only given you the tip of the iceberg – you must go to Greenville, South Carolina and check out this wonder of the South.  Happy journey!