We're talking about first impressions here," announces Dann Foley of Dann Foley Design Associates, Ltd., when he considers the design work of a foyer. "The trick is to make sure you have one piece of over-scaled furniture like an altar table (something very narrow and long and high) and that gives us the opportunity to put things on top like porcelain or Murano glass or a great box. It's all about styles and proportions," he instructs.

Dann's vision "is about the mix. It's what we're known for," he notes. " My thought is to bring in antique pieces versus the standard piece and juxtapose it against something modern like lamps and then use a mirror as the bridge between the two. I would flank the table with a pair of upholstered chairs which are retro in their detailing but traditional in their shape," he explains.

For fabrics, "we like to use a series of pieces with a mix of materials and finishes for warmth and personalization," he adds. Considering the beautiful aqua ultrasuede as the body of the pair of wooden-footed chairs, he sees wrapping the back of the chairs in the wedgwood blue and peat-colored Asian-inspired geometric pattern, with lumbar pillows in the saddle and white palomino hide, piped in the tailored multi-colored stripe velvet in wedgwood, saddle, chocolate, and moss green. The Schumacher fabric is the "perfect neutral diamond quilted pattern to upholster a bench to go under the altar table," observes Dann. "I'd do a highly-polished nickel nail-head for it of one-half to three-quarters inch to give it punch," he says.

Dann's "White Tiger" wallpaper is hand designed and hand finished by Dann Foley Design. The paper is rolled out in 100-foot lengths with artist painstakingly painting each layer of finish by hand. "This particular paper involves seven layers," he recalls. He then cuts the paper into 24-inch squares and lays it in alternating directions "which creates a subtle grid, depending on the scale and size of the space," he observes. "I like to combine it with a crown molding painted in a platinum finish." The scene is set off with the warmth of a wooden floor in "Cracked Pepper" in ebony and walnut combination. "That's an exquisite blend of finishes and should be done in a matt finish and hand-planed," he directs.

In the end, "it's all about styles, materials, finishes, and a variety of proportions," he enthuses.