The Foyer

Heritage Foyer Table by Butler

Although it’s now a commonplace addition to today’s homes, foyers originated in France around the 1850’s as a gathering area with a fireplace for theatergoers to keep warm in between acts. Pronounced (fwa-yay), the foyer finds it’s modern use as a place to meet guests and accommodate them before they make their way throughout your home.

The foyer is the “main lobby” of your home.

It wouldn’t be difficult to imagine some horrible waiting room and lobby experiences. While some are lavishly outfitted with comfortable furnishings and soothing music, most are filled to the brim with uncomfortable seating, hideous decor and screaming children as the soundtrack playing in the background. And it’s usually on repeat.

Whether or not guests will ultimately feel comfortable in your home has a lot to do with the look and feel of your foyer.

First impressions are everything and getting this space right is an essential design challenge to tackle.

The size of your home’s entryway is, obviously, the largest determining factor in how you can design it and what you can ultimately do with the space.

Because the size and actual use of the foyer varies from home-to-home, there tends to be a few common elements found throughout.

Among these common shared features are a central light fixture. We’re not talking about fancy chandeliers here, but if there was no lighting of any kind, it would be more of a closet than a foyer. Also fairly commonly found in foyers are some sort of table, bench or other accessories holder of some kind (umbrella stands are popular in these spaces).

Aside from these few similarities, foyer designs vary from overly elaborate to merely functional and can contain any number of bells and whistles or bare essentials; all depending upon your lifestyle.

Regardless of what you envision for your home’s entryway, here are a few tips to keep in mind when designing your foyer:

  • Keep it open and avoid clutter at all costs. The more open it is, the more welcoming the room tends to feel.
  • Lighter wall colors make the room appear larger, which is great for smaller spaces.