5 Elements to a Great Foyer

Foyers add value to houses. They make entryways grand. They make houses feel more important. We love them, yet often neglect decorating them. After all, it is just a pass through space. Think again! Your foyer is the place to make a great first impression. It is the place to welcome guests. Even more importantly, it is the place to greet YOU when you come home. It’s that transitional space that helps you slough off the work a day world and move into the private sanctuary of your home!
When decorating your foyer, keep in mind that you want your entry to reflect your overall design taste and give a hint of things to come.

Lighting
Light fixtures are a great way to add personality to a space. Take the ‘Plane Jane’ down and hang something beautiful! Weather you hang a chandelier or a rustic wrought iron piece, go as bold as your space will allow. It’s all about impact.

Flooring
Just because you walk on it doesn’t mean it can’t be beautiful. If a gorgeous inlay tile pattern is out of your budget, don’t despair. Go with a throw rug. They come in literally every color and every style for every budget. This is the perfect opportunity to introduce your color palate and set your design tone. To prevent your rug from ‘traveling’ and for safety sake, place a ‘no-slip’ rug grip under your rug. They are inexpensive and come in two styles. One for rug-on-carpet and one for rug-on-hard surfaces like tile or hardwood floors.

Walls
Now we’re getting to the fun stuff. What makes up your foyer if not for the walls? These vertical surfaces are begging to be decorated! You can do it with paint (a great way to add color) and you can do it with art. Foyers are a fantastic place to hang art. Wall art literally takes up no floor space whatsoever and adds tons of style.

Furniture
Most of us don’t think of furniture when we think of foyers, but we should. Obviously we’re not talking about the big poofy couch here. If you’re graced with a large entry you’ve got room for a console table and maybe a bench or chair. How often might you sit there, if you had a place to sit, to fix your shoe or dig for something in your purse last minute? How about a mirror or a decorative coat rack? It’s all about comfort and convenience…yours!

Plants and Accessories
Plants bring spaces to life with color, shape and the fact that they’re alive! And they don’t take up much floor space. Think tall. Fill the vertical space in your foyer. If you don’t use a tall potted ‘tree’; place your smaller plant on a pedestal, hang it or display it on a small shelf. Now that you have a console table or even a shelf you’ve got a place for accessories. The last thing you want is knick-knack clutter that needs to be dusted. Think of one bold piece like a beautiful vase, a statue or a dried flower arrangement. Keep it strong and simple. Tall floor standing candle holders work well in these spaces. If your foyer it tight on space consider installing a niche between the wall studs. If you want to get really fancy, add a recessed light to it so you can showcase your accessories.

Make the most of your valuable real estate. Make it yours. Make it beautiful.

About the Author

Cathy Robertson is an Artist and writer for Fine Art Castle. Have fun, informative decorating & design articles delivered to you! Sign up for our monthly Newsletter today at http://www.fineartcastle.com/decoratingtipsanddesign.aspx . Or stop by and take a peek at our Fine Art Prints for your Canvas Art decorating needs at http://www.fineartcastle.com