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What Are the Best Tips for Decorating a Foyer?

Tara Barnett
Tara Barnett

The foyer is the entryway into a home, but as it is not a room used for sitting, entertaining, or other common activities, decorating it can sometimes be difficult. One of the best tips for decorating a foyer is to think about how it will be used for a while before committing to any design choices. As the foyer is often the first impression guests have of a home, it is also a good idea to think about what decorations and thematic choices best represent the house and the people who live there. An entryway can be as functional or as decorative as a family desires, but in order for it to fulfill its potential, it must meet the needs of a specific household.

Most of the best tips for decorating a foyer have to do with planning. In some cases, people primarily use a foyer as a place for guests to remove shoes or wait for other people to get ready. Some families, particularly those with children, use a foyer to hold school supplies and other items needed in order to leave the house. How a person uses the foyer should be the primary concern when thinking about decorating it.

A foyer may feature a place to hang coats and outerwear.
A foyer may feature a place to hang coats and outerwear.

For people who primarily use the foyer for sitting and waiting, chairs and a side table might be most useful. Storage might be more important for people who have a lot of shoes sitting around by the door. In some homes, the foyer might be a place for more unusual furniture or storage, such as a wine closet or art supplies. Professional buildings might decorate their entryways to represent a company, and this entry might include beverages for guests.

Decorative items, such as vases, can also be functional.
Decorative items, such as vases, can also be functional.

Decorating a foyer requires not only functional elements, but aesthetic ones as well. These might include wallpaper, paintings on the walls, or even family heirlooms. An entryway is a room that is not typically used for extended sitting or other long activities, so people often choose to make a loud design statement here.

Many people believe that this entry space should represent the people who live in the house, so items specifically relating to the household are often placed here. This may include family photographs, heirlooms, and other items that tell guests about the family and bring up pleasant memories for the household. Additionally, many households change foyer decorations seasonally so that the entry room is always festive. Holiday cards, seasonal decorations, and other changeable items can be used to make a foyer beautiful in year round.

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    • A foyer may feature a place to hang coats and outerwear.
      By: indigolotos
      A foyer may feature a place to hang coats and outerwear.
    • Decorative items, such as vases, can also be functional.
      By: zhu difeng
      Decorative items, such as vases, can also be functional.