My clients and I agree that the living room has two primary features: fireplace, built-in bookshelf (complete with a rolling ladder), and one problem: an ambivalent relationship with the adjacent entry. Currently there is only a dated railing separating the rooms. The height is awkward from either room, and leaves both spaces feeling incomplete.
One solution that we will pursue is to install a full-height but see-through wood screen (supported at both the raised floor and the ceiling) to separate the two rooms. There are two ways of going about this: build new or find old wood screens that we can refurbish and customize to fit the available height and width. The entry can transform into a dramatic room of its own if we paint the wood screens (or the mounting supports) a dark stain or even a lacquered black. Then, we can install the same wood material (or a matching material) over at the coat closet, replacing the current mirrored surfaces. To cohere the space, we can find floor tiles that match what is existing, to cover the currently carpeted stair and landing.
