how to make a bold entryway

Summer Thornton embraces the unexpected, creating a foyer with fantastical color and whimsical accessories.

When Andrea Levoff and her husband purchased a rundown Italianate in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, their ambition was to retain its original 1876 opulence, while outfitting it with color and personality—especially in the roomy entryway. For help executing her vision, Levoff enlisted Chicago-based interior designer Summer Thornton, who provided her clients with a bold palette à la The Royal Tenenbaums. Walls coated in Benjamin Moore’s Cinco de Mayo, a Persian rug, a striped staircase runner, and a cache of vintage art marry the bohemian and preppy strains of the home’s aesthetics. “Designing the room was a lot of fun,” says Thornton. “When your client requests a pink foyer, you can tell it’s going to be a good time.”

WALL COLOR: Cinco de Mayo (1286) by Benjamin Moore DEER HEADS: jaysonhome.com  MIRRORS: chicantiquechicago.com LAMP: revisionchicago.com UMBRELLA HOLDER: Cyan Design from wayfair.com  RUG: revisionchicago.com  STAIR RUNNER: starkcarpet.com