Modern Entrance Halls

Fine FinnishA pair of crafty designers on a serious budget show that though their apartment may be short on square footage, it’s long on charm. Photo by Petra Bindel.

Here's a detail from the closets in the entrance hall—they were constructed to allow room for a rolling bin beneath. Photo by Per Magnus Persson.

The skylight over the home’s entrance “helps simulate a feeling of grandeur and creates an airy and welcoming atmosphere,” says Bjerre-Poulsen.

The ornate facade of the Art Nouveau building carries over into the entrance. The floral pattern of the original tile floor begins in the entrance hall and continues throughout the apartment; it is offset by a sleek iron table from Minim.

Though the house is a mostly wooden affair, a sense of transparency pervades, thanks to many windows and the glass front door.

The gradually inclined entrance ramp and open plan help make the house accessible to a range of users.

After entering through the front door, visitors pass over the large koi pond on a cast-concrete footbridge chiseled to look like stone.

A mirror near the mailboxes in the lobby gives the illusion of more space. A team from Lighting Planners Associates, based in Japan, added the uplights behind the bench for effect. The architectural firm left the ceilings raw concrete to make the space "more enigmatic," says Schultz.

Amanda designed the upstairs studio with its own entrance and a small kitchen and bathroom for when she, Adam, and Awa come to visit.