Trompe l'oeil... sort of....

I have been playing around with what you might glimpse through the hall door if it is open just a little and here's the current conclusions:

first idea

This is the photo that planted the seed - I had a picture of a hall and inner hall.  I t had been taken square on from the front; this is as rare as hen's teeth as it turned out.

I like the effect but there seem to be too many interior walls and the stairs seem too far back for such a small house.  I began a search for an alternative.  

current option

There wasn't a perfect alternative but this one seems close enough.  It does actually show a staircase going down from this landing on the left which lines up very nicely with where the one from the basement would be.  It doesn't give us much inner hall as such but at least the arrangement does cover the idea of shutting off the 'outside entrance' from the 'private' areas of the house.

better with light

Now that works just fine with a light coming up from downstairs - aka a small torch hidden round the corner.