Decorating a Foyer

Set the mood for your entire home.

by Joan Gaither

So you’re itching to deck-out an area of your home, but the budget’s a little tight. Or you want to try your hand at interior design, but want to start with baby steps.  What’s a girl to do?

Decorate her foyer, of course! Your foyer is the small, separate entranceway into your home. It bridges the front door to the main room. The advantages of decorating the foyer? It’s small--easy on the budget--and it’s a pass-through area--meaning you can go “over the top” with your decorating.

If you’re fortunate enough to have a foyer with a small, bordering wall, use it to express yourself. Here’s your chance for an accent wall. Paint the wall a rich color that blends well with your house’s color pallet.   Buy several mirrors from a hardware store and fit them with painted or stained moldings. These mirrors will reflect the entire length of your living or great room, making it seems much larger.  Remember, the illusion of space is next best thing to having it.

If mirrors aren’t your thing, mount the molding anyway and get creative with the space inside. You can paint it a contrasting color, or hang a great remnant of wallpaper.  FYI: Wallpaper goes in and out of fashion, but it’s about to come back strong!

Finally, place a narrow table against your wall. This table isn’t meant to be functional, so have some fun accessorizing. A lamp is a great start.

Homes with a front door that opens into the center of a room can be a challenge. Try to make it work for you instead of against you. Place a 36” high bookcase on either side of the door.  This tends to lead the eye into the room, and gives you an extra area to display knickknacks and accessories.  If you have a screen door, place one bookcase on the opposing side.

Nobody likes lounging in a room that reminds them of a basketball court. Foyers can inexpensively set the mood for your entire home, and make a great weekend bonding project for you and your hubby.