A foyer is the introduction to your home. If you are lucky enough to have a dedicated foyer space, make the most of it!
Even if you only have a sliver of wall next to a door that opens into a living space, treat it to foyer status with some of these ideas.
Wallpaper
If you have a foyer/hall space that is contained and doesn’t continue into other rooms, wallpaper can be a show-stopping way to introduce personality into your home from the moment you enter. And don’t forget the opportunity to treat the ceiling to something special too!
The foyer projects in progress here are slated to get some gorgeous wallpapers, and one of them is getting a fabulous complementary wallpaper on the tray ceiling inset.
Millwork
Nothing adds elegance like millwork. Adding walls or wainscoting of wood paneling is beautiful but can be a costly proposition.
A simple, less expensive way to add character and charm is to just create panels with mitered trim pieces and then paint both the panel and the the walls in a semigloss paint so the whole thing appears to be painted wood.
We employed this trick in the foyer of my parents retirement community apartment and it added so much - it is one of my mom’s favorite details :)
For the right and very wrong (?!) way to add wainscoting to a stair wall, see THIS.
Paint
Paint is by far the easiest weapon to deploy in upgrading a foyer space. Even something as simple as painting stained stained wood risers of the stairs the trim color and upgrading an oak bannister and bland entry door interior with glossy paint in a contrasting color (black always works beautifully) will instantly elevate the whole space.
This is the sketch showing the paint plan for this quick and easy upgrade to this vacation home foyer.
Sometimes painting the balusters as well is appropriate - and sometimes painting the stair treads is a nice option, especially if the wood is in rough shape.
Colors can also be a nice way to set the mood, like the royal blue door and railing in this casual coastal foyer
or the whimsey of these ombre painted stair risers…
Gallery walls
Artwork or gallery walls are another possibility for adding unique charm - these are especially effective on a stair wall and can showcase family history or collected artwork. We have hung SO many gallery walls over the years and they always create personality-filled impact.
This grouping was just installed on the elevator landing of this condo, another is on the stair wall just beyond.
Light fixtures
Trendy or builder grade lighting is one of the fastest things to date a home. Replacing the ceiling fixture or chandelier is an easy update for a foyer that can reset the whole mood. This post has info for choosing the right size and hanging height for light fixtures.
Wall sconces and/or table lamps, if you have a horizontal surface, are additional places to add charm.
Furnishings
Foyer furnishings can be both practical and pretty! Don’t leave your foyer naked…this imaginary generous foyer is pretty, but think how much more inviting it would look with a table or chest and a lamp on the stair wall, and some potted plants flanking the door!
Add a console table or chest if space allows, or even a wall hung shelf if space is tight - it gives you a perfect place to have a bowl to drop keys, or a tray to coral mail on your way in the door. Add a mirror for a last minute check on the way out the door to make sure you don’t have spinach stuck in your teeth!
Add an ottoman or bench or ceramic garden stool - pretty for a touch of color and pattern, and also an ideal place to sit to put on shoes or to set a bag whilst putting on a coat.
Be sure to add a coatrack - free standing or wall hooks - easy for guests and for you if no coat closet is available nearby.
In this tiny condo entry, we replaced an unsightly metal bifold door with this charming alcove painted teal and including coat hooks, storage baskets for scarves/hats/gloves, a bench for putting on shoes, and a umbrella stand.
And an umbrella stand is always a practical and pretty addition by the door. It gives a safe space to stash wet umbrellas. Keeping a couple of umbrellas on hand available to offer guests if the weather turns inclement before they leave is a gracious gesture. Adding some vintage walking sticks to the mix s a pretty look too.
Rugs
Don’t forget rugs to define a foyer space and add a safety factor to help prevent slipping and falling.
Check to be sure the door will open without catching on the thickness of the carpet for a foyer rug. Most entry doors have a threshold so you should have some clearance built in, but always check the sample and rug pad to be sure before deciding on a carpet size.
Stair carpets could be a whole other post as there is a lot to factor in, but here are a couple of important caveats:
Be sure to choose an appropriate construction for carpets - cut pile carpets, for example, are generally not ideal because they may show the backing where bent over a step - bend the sample 90 degrees to see how it will fare before deciding.
Also be aware of how a pattern will be broken up on the stairs. Large scale patterns, like medallion oriental style runners, will never lay out evenly and may look awkward. A smaller pattern or stripe is usually a much better choice. And textured solids can be enlivened with contrasting tape banding on the edges.
This stripe was an ideal choice for the back entry stairs in this antique colonial. The colors add a little zip and reference the colors from adjacent rooms, tying the spaces together visually.
As they say you never get a second chance to make a first impression…
