Foyer Designs 101

What is a foyer?

Foyer stems from French origins. It refers to an entrance hall or an opening in a house, flat, apartment, or common public space. The word foyer has become interchangeable with entryways, entrance halls, and hallways with time and use. It is a space where you can welcome a visitor or a guest when they enter your house. Foyers are also spaces where you can ask people to wait. 

Typically, foyers were used to allow people to wait to meet the owners of the house. Butlers or maids asked guests to wait in the foyer while they fetched the homeowners. Nowadays, foyers are used as spaces in large houses and apartments, such as an opening aesthetic to the entire space's decor. 

Foyer and entrance

An entrance to a house may or may not have a foyer. Not all entrances are designed to look welcoming. The difference between an entrance and a foyer is given below.

• Foyer entrance

When an entryway has been redesigned to have elements to allow guests to sit, wait, or browse around.

Many people use the entrance of their home or apartment as a foyer by building in a design that can optimally utilise the space in this manner. 

Most foyers contain a large light, bench or chairs, a table, a coat rack, etc. In the lobbies of hotels, foyers contain elements to help entertain people while they wait.

An entrance does not necessarily need to be decorated. It simply can be an outlet or inlet into another space. 

• Foyer length

If you consider building a foyer, then take the rule of thumb when it comes to foyer dimensions, should be roughly 2-4% of your home's total square feet. 

• Large space

Usually, foyers are quite palatial and spacious. A large home would have a large foyer, especially depending on whether the house is single or double-storeyed. Large and grand sized foyers are sized anywhere between 20-30 feet. Medium-sized foyers are often scaled at 6 feet. 

• Small space

Depending on your home's size, you can decide what portion of the entryway to convert into a foyer space. If you have a relatively smaller space, you can still convert it into a foyer using visual illusions. Add a few pieces of furniture around the entryway, which gives it a feel of a space where people can wait. 

Importance of foyer designs

Designing a foyer can be an easy task, especially depending on the size of the foyer. Irrespective of whether you have a large or a small foyer, the best part about designing a foyer is that there are some particular furniture and home decor items that a foyer requires. The idea is to find a way to accommodate all these home decor items into the foyer without cramming the area or wasting the available floor space. 

A foyer should be designed keeping in mind it requires storage space for coats, hats, and any other items. A foyer contains other key elements: carpets or rugs, wall art such as paintings or frames, decorative items like vases, hanging or pendant lights, chairs or benches, console tables or shelves. You can even mount a large mirror in your foyer area to give it the illusion of a larger space. 

Foyer designs based on themes

Looking for the perfect set of foyer designs according to a theme? Are you someone who enjoys redecorating their foyer space from time to time? Read on to find out ways in which you can style your foyer based on a theme. 

• Christmas foyer designs

The holidays allow us to redecorate our homes beautifully, especially at Christmas time. When it's Christmas, redoing the home decor and home interior becomes a staple task. One of the best areas of the house to redecorate during Christmas is the foyer. This is the point where you will be greeted by people when they come to visit, or even by carolers, and you want to make sure your foyer designs are Christmas ready. 

Decorate your front door with a large wreath, hang tinsel across any plants or greenery that you may have outside your front door or across any stairs, banisters or shelves either within or outside your foyer space. On your shelves, table, or any flat, floating space, you can place small decorative Christmas statute pieces. You can even leave out a plate of cookies!  

• Nautical foyer designs 

Looking to give your foyer a nautical beach vibe? There are some easy fixes you can undertake to make your foyer look like a coastal wonderland. Start with the wall colours, make sure they are done in shades of blue and white. You can then add furniture into the foyer space. 

Wooden furniture or cane furniture are great options to consider when doing up your foyer in a nautical theme. You can even hang up wall frames or wall art with images of beaches, lighthouses, or use seashells, pebbles, starfish, etc., as decorative items. To top it off, hang up an anchor that can double up as a wall-mounted rack or hook! 

• French-style foyer designs 

A French-style aesthetic is extremely ornate, elegant, and filled with over-the-top home decor. If you want to style your foyer designs with a French style, then opt for pieces that give the allure of elegance. Go for a white-washed wood style and wall colours that boast whites and neutrals. 

You can even play around with elegant and rustic pieces in terms of the home interior design, creating a balance between comfort and beauty. Use fabrics, wallpaper, and accessories with botanical prints, subtle warm colours, and curves for an authentic french style foyer design. 

• Industrial foyer designs 

Opting for an industrial theme when it comes to your foyer means focusing on all aspects of the interior decor, especially aspects such as the flooring and ceiling. For the perfect industrial theme, use flooring material made of concrete, hardwood, or marble. Accentuate the floors with plush rugs. If your home interior has architectural details, then make sure they remain exposed. Brick walls, large pieces of artwork, bold colours, and mirrors with an industrial finish are great pieces to add to an industrial themed foyer design. 

Don't forget the lighting. This is one of the main home decor items you can play with to give your foyer design an authentic industrial finish, use hanging light fixtures, pulley lighting, or any lighting that has the ability to hang from the ceiling or give a little flair and character to the room.  

• Minimalist foyer designs 

Keeping it minimalistic is one of the most trending ways to do up your home. When it comes to foyer designs, minimalist designs are in vogue because they go with absolutely any home aesthetic. The main thing to keep in mind when going minimal is to ensure you keep the foyer clutter-free. Ensure only minimal pieces of art or furniture are placed in your foyer. 

You can place a large mirror in your foyer, which has either a simple or a contrasting design but make sure it is simple. Keep the colour scheme singular. You can use wallpapers to do up one of the walls. If you have furniture, keep the colours neutral and singular. Whether you have a single wall rack and a bench, or a more ornate space, you can consider adding a small plant or a mirror to give your minimalist foyer design some character.

Foyer designs and furniture

Let's take a look at ways to build into your foyer design with some amazing ideas for home decor pieces you can place to build your foyer better.- 

• Shoe rack

A shoe rack is the perfect foyer furniture item, as you often take your shoes off. Having your shoes near your entryway is a solution-driven aspect to storing all your shoes in one place and adding a piece of furniture as part of your home decor at the entry to your home. Depending on the space you have, you can either build a shoe cabinet or rack into the wall or have a standalone piece in your foyer. 

• Console table

You can place a console table in your foyer, with its size and dimensions by the foyer's surroundings. The console table could be a separate piece of furniture or attached to the walls. You can have a console table built from wood or metal or any other material you may want, in line with the home interior. Your console table can be used for placing statues and frames on or can be left empty.

• Wall shelf

Some foyer designs have wall shelves that are built into the walls. You can place a wall shelf under a mirror, above a console table, or on the side of the door. These can be used to place small home decor items like candles or frames or hooks on them for hanging coats and hats. 

• Storage cabinets

Storage, being one of the prime reasons for having a foyer, gives you a great reason to have a storage cabinet in the foyer. These cabinets can be used to store shoes, coats, hats, or any other item. If you aren't someone who really uses their foyer space, then this is a great way to utilise some space to stow away other items in your house. Storage cabinets make for great furniture and add character to a home interior if placed optimally.  

• Foyer storage unit

If you're looking for a perfect storage unit for your foyer, then go for a design that can also double up as a console table or shelf. This way, you end up getting the value of two items for space taken up only by one! 

Foyer home decor accessories

• Mirrors

Mirrors are wonderful pieces to add to your foyer, not only do they help to enhance a space and make it look larger, but they also help in reflecting light to make a space look brighter, and that's exactly how you would want your foyer space to look like when someone enters. Use vertically long mirrors or mirrors that have a huge width or circumference for your foyer. 

• Statues of idols

You can add statues of religious idols in your foyer, depending on your faith. These help to provide positivity and good vibes to the surrounding space. Upon entering your home, your guests will get a glimpse of where your devotion and faith lies. 

• Carpets and Rugs

A must for every foyer, adding rugs and carpets to overall foyer designs completes the look. Rugs or carpets help in adding a pop of colour to the foyer space and even act as dirt absorbers for people's shoes when they are entering your home.

Entry wall colour combinations

Have you wondered what are the best colour combinations for your entry wall? You want to ensure that your entry wall colour complements the rest of your foyer, as well as the home interior. Go for colours that are lighter in shade, such as pastels, neutrals, or nudes. Remember, this is the first point of contact a visitor has with your home and sets the tone for the rest of the house. 

Foyer colours

Some of the best colours for foyer designs are white, pink, brown, and blue. Of course, the colour of the foyer largely depends on the aesthetic of the home too. Ensure that you choose a light shade or a neutral shade to paint your foyer with. Considering the foyer space will have furniture and home decor pieces, ensure the colour goes with all these elements. 

One of the warmest colours to welcome guests and visitors is yellow. You can choose to paint your foyer in a shade of yellow. 

Foyer wallpapers

Wallpapers, in terms of home interiors, are trending right now. When someone enters your home, the first thing they see is your foyer interior, so why not do it up with an interesting wallpaper? Depending on the theme of the rest of your home, you can choose to cover one wall in your foyer with wallpaper. 

Generally, people cover the wall adjacent to the main door or the wall opposite a person upon entering. Choose from patterned wallpapers to wallpapers with abstract prints. Remember that your foyer will also have other home decor items like a mirror, cabinets, shelves, etc., so ensure that the wallpaper complements all these aspects. 

Foyer Lights

Generally, people have warm lights in the foyer or entryway. Since this is a welcoming space that you want to create, it should have a minimal and classic lighting design. You can go for hanging lights from the ceiling, depending on the dimensions of your foyer. Assess the amount of illumination required in your foyer, depending on the amount of light that's coming from outside, as well as the space available to you.

Foyer plants ideas

Having plants in your foyer is a great way to make space feel more homely and welcoming. There are many classic foyer or entryway plants to choose from, which remain evergreen perennially, and are very low maintenance. Opt for tall plants in quirky vases such as a fiddle-leaf fig tree or Meyer lemon tree. Alternatively, if you want to create a huddle of smaller plants, opt for the snake plant or Amazon lily. These are great plants to have indoors and look great all year round. 

Indoor foyer plants

If you're planning to put plants in an indoor foyer space, ensure that you go for plants that are not just low maintenance but also require low light, depending on where you are placing these plants in your foyer, they may not receive enough sunlight. Go for a lucky bamboo plant or a spider plant, or even a nerve plant. These can be placed in vases or jars that are bought according to the aesthetic of your home decor. 

Hanging plants

Hanging plants are another great option for an indoor foyer space. Instead of clogging the floor space, you can get beautiful begonias, fuchsias, geraniums, or petunias to hang from beautiful vases near your entryway. There are many indoor plant options for hanging available to choose from. The best part is that these plants easily form part of the home decor and add more character to your home instantly! 

Home entrance lights

How well your home is lit can set the mood for the rest of your home interior. Choose from chandeliers to pendant lights or from dimly lit bulbs to victorian lights for your foyer space. You can even opt for backlit lights or lights that are mounted into a false ceiling. Make sure your home entrance lights can beautifully light up the foyer, giving a visitor a great first impression of your home. 

Summing up the best foyer designs 

In conclusion, whether you opt for a Victorian theme or a quirky abstract theme, HomeLane can help you do up your foyer in a great way to set the tone for the rest of your home interior or home decor. While it can be a daunting task, start your way by measuring your foyer and then picking from the best of foyer designs. Don't forget to pick the perfect wall colours, wallpapers, optimum lighting, furniture, home decor pieces, and plants. After all, your foyer is the one space any visitor will always remember, so be sure to make a great first impression!