How They Pulled It Off: A Custom-Built Foyer That Transforms an Uninviting Entryway

For a couple returning to the city, Dunham Robinson designed a bespoke built-in that adds depth and dimension to their new apartment.

Text by

Grace Bernard

Photos by

Nicholas Venezia

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Welcome to How They Pulled It Off, where we take a close look at one particularly challenging aspect of a home design and get the nitty-gritty details about how it became a reality.

When the New Jersey suburbs have been your home for over two decades, a return to New York City can bring many things: excitement, anticipation, and—when it comes to navigating the city’s housing stock—nerves. Having left the city in the early 2000s to raise their three sons, a pair of now-empty nesters entrusted design and engineering studio Dunham Robinson to renovate their newly purchased 1,210-square-foot apartment in Manhattan’s West Village.

Dunham Robinson transformed a couple's new apartment with a warm entry sequence defined by an oak storage piece in the foyer.

Rather than one pendant light, a smattering of little globe lights expand above the dining table. This way, the couple can have a small table-for-two or comfortably host a group without being focused under one centered pendant light.

Before they could truly call it home, the apartment needed a few key updates: smarter, additional storage; a refreshed aesthetic; and improved circulation. It had to feel like a family home with spaces to socialize and relax. "It’s kind of a semi-empty nest," says architect and founding partner Rachel Robinson, because the couple still wanted to host their three boys when they came home from college and elsewhere.

A wood shelf is the perfect spot to place a pair of keys.

The former galley kitchen was effectively enlarged by wrapping new cabinetry around the corner to face the dining room. "You’re taking something away from another space, but we did it in a very careful way," says Robinson. "It was just this one simple extra bit of storage that visually opened the kitchen to the rest of the room."

Devoid of a defining personality, the "blank slate" apartment was a chance for the couple to express how their taste has evolved over the years. While clever design solutions are found throughout the apartment, one of the most transformational elements, and one that encapsulates the renovation’s goals, is a new built-in foyer piece that anchors the entryway and extends across the wall. "One of the things we always do with our clients is listen closely to how they need to use the space, and then diagnose how it isn’t meeting those needs and what adjustments we can make," says Robinson. "Reworking the foyer with this large built-in piece was a big part of that."

The living room is furnished with Crosshatch Chairs by Eoos and a custom oak mirror designed by Dunham Robinson.

In the two bedrooms and the living room, custom built-in pieces below the windows creatively conceal the HVAC units while adding storage.

How they pulled it off: A built-in foyer that transforms a uninviting entryway

Emphasize the entry sequence: The entryway—or lack thereof—was one of the first things the team noticed about the apartment pre-renovation. "There was this missing component—architecturally and even emotionally." says Robinson. "You just kind of spilled from the hall into the dining room." It's an especially important consideration when the world outside your doorstep is the city that never sleeps. Measuring two feet deep, seven feet long (or 12 feet long including the door) and eight feet tall, the foyer piece anchors the space without overwhelming it. Beyond creating an entry sequence, it enhances the flow of the apartment and adds much needed storage as a coat closet.
Don’t be afraid of depth: "When adding depth to a space, the initial reaction can be that it is going to make the space feel smaller or more closed off. For us, it was about designing specifically for this space without pinching off the openness of the room," Robinson says. Careful proportions, strategic placement, and integrated solutions, as seen with the foyer piece, add depth without creating a cramped space. The focus isn’t on taking away space, but rather on using it more effectively. Color and texture can also enhance depth. Here, a coat of pale-blue paint and leather details do the trick.
Create continuity: The foyer piece is built from natural, unstained oak in a hue similar to the new floors for a warm, cozy ambiance. The material is offset by textural accents and details like the leather-wrapped handles on the cabinet. The built-in extends across the wall and crosses over the threshold, creating a comfortable sense of enclosure.

Dunham Robinson designed the secretary desk.

While there are undoubtedly perks to a quiet apartment, the couple also enjoy their time hosting friends and family in an apartment with a welcoming entry and a coat closet built for two (or more!).