The front entrance vestibule

We have a sidewalk that begins from a portion of the driveway and leads to two steps that takes one to the front door. There was a covered porch before you entered the house.

Living in Minnesota there are two certainties I picked up on quite early — when you enter someone’s house, offer to take off your shoes (we do automatically in our house but I do not make guests take them off unless they offer); when entertaining in the wintertime expect your floors to get wet and snowy and dirty, unless you have a beautiful rug in your foyer, then expect that to get wet, snowy and dirty. Well, we were tired of that. Again, in my husbands vision, and like those in British homes, he wanted to add a vestibule. Practical in that it would provide another buffer against the elements, it would also allow a warm space for people to enter and get comfortable before “joining the party.” Roof lines would need to be changed, and to keep things in proportion we had to “butt out” the dining room and powder room by about 20 inches each. Nothing is ever as simple as it seems. Enjoy the photos.