Fabulous foyers create indelible impressions
If spring fever has you itching to do some interior decorating, why not use your pent-up energy and creativity to fashion a fabulous foyer? This often-overlooked space is one of the most important rooms in your home because it creates an indelible impression on your guests. Your entryway will either whet their appetite for more or leave them cold.
Here are some tips you can use to make this all-important space sensational.
Grand entries that tower up to the sky can be breathtakingly beautiful. But if you’re not careful, they can also come off as cold and stiff — the last impression you want to make on guests who are visiting your home. If you have a spacious two-story entry, your goal is make this opulent space feel warmer and more welcoming. That sounds like a daunting task, but with the right furniture, lighting, art and accents, it’s easy.
One of the biggest mistakes people make when they decorate their large foyers is using furniture that doesn’t match the scale of the room. I die a thousand deaths when I see a small table with spindly legs pushed up against a huge, empty wall in a spacious foyer. Small sofa tables or petite desks simply get swallowed up in big entries.
A better choice would be to find a larger, heavier piece of furniture that can hold its own in the room. How about an antique wardrobe? Too often these showplace pieces get hidden away in a bedroom where no one ever sees them. I’m a fan of putting them on display in the foyer, where they can dazzle guests and help out by holding their coats.
Another of my favorite looks is to place a weighty cabinet or chest of drawers against a large wall in the entry. Then, hang a substantial piece of killer artwork above the cabinet, such as an impressive oil painting finished out in a gorgeous frame.
You can also warm up your entry by creating an intimate seating arrangement with upholstered furniture. I tucked two comfy chairs under the window in my foyer to make a cozy nook that’s so welcoming, it’s become my favorite spot for morning coffee.
Once the big pieces are in place, you can further improve the ambiance of your foyer with a few carefully chosen accents. I almost never use the overhead chandelier in my entry, partially because I hate to change the bulbs in the blasted thing, but mostly because I prefer the warm light that lamps can achieve. Add an Oriental rug for warmth and powerful accessories for interest, and your foyer is finished.
Intimate vestibules
If your home sports a small vestibule, you can still style this diminutive space so it makes a huge impression on your visitors. Since you don’t have a lot of space to work with, everything you put in this important area will make a strong statement, so choose carefully.
If you have room for furniture in your vestibule, pick a cabinet that stands about waist high. Hang a beautiful mirror over it to reflect the light and create the illusion of more space. Then, find a beautiful lamp to showcase atop the cabinet. Fill in with a few carefully chosen accents, like a silver tray to hold your keys, a unique platter propped up in an easel for background and a faux fern for color.
If you don’t have room for a stick of furniture, make the space grand by transforming it into a mini art gallery. I visited a home once where the small entry was filled from floor to ceiling with an impressive collection of botanical prints. The effect was magnificent and so easy to replicate. Cover your walls with a grid of similar pieces or create a marvelous montage that crawls over the walls with wild abandon.
Mary Carol Garrity owns several home furnishings stores in Atchison, Kan., and wrote several books on home decorating. Write to her at nellhills@mail.lvnworth. com. Her column is syndicated by Scripps Howard News Service.
