When it comes to hosting, the entryway is one of the most important rooms in the house. It’s the very first thing guests will see as they enter your home, so the foyer has to make a good first impression. You’ll surely usher guests into the dining room where you’ve put on the dog, but if the entrance that greeted them was lackluster, it’s hard to turn things around.
For function and beauty, there’s a number of ways to decorate your foyer to welcome guests in style, but it only takes a small faux pas to overshadow the good. Spots for storage, a coat rack, and a rug that can withstand the weather are all necessities for designing an entryway, but other additions should be avoided at all costs. Here’s what to keep out of your foyer according to interior designers.
Meet The Experts
- Yvonne McFadden is an interior designer and founder of Y. McFadden Interiors in Atlanta, Georgia
- Maggie Griffin is the principal designer for Maggie Griffin Design in Gainesville, Georgia.
- Andi Morse is an Atlanta, Georgia-based interior designer and owner of Morse Design.
Hector Manuel Sanchez
Clutter
The entryway is a magnet for the material fallout of everyday life. As you come and go, the space can collect the things you bring with you, like shoes, coats, bags, and keys.
“A well-designed entryway is the first opportunity to set the tone for the rest of your home and introduce your guests to your style and personality. Clutter in your entryways strays from this great impression,” says Yvonne McFadden of Y. McFadden Interiors in Atlanta, Georgia.
To counteract clutter, incorporate storage opportunities into your entryway. This allows the space to hold all of the things you need, just hidden away. Gainesville, Georgia-based interior designer Maggie Griffin also reminds us that just because things are out of sight, that doesn’t mean they should also be out of mind. Mail, sports equipment, and school supplies don’t need to be greeting guests, but don’t forget about them.
Hall Trees
In the fight against clutter, these designers advise built-in storage like a closet or small-scale solutions, like drawers and decorative boxes, rather than a big addition like a hall tree. The foyer is often a small space, so a hall tree can be overbearing. Plus, having anything too large can simply become a part of the clutter that we’re trying to avoid.
“We shy away from hall trees,” McFadden says. “Even though they may be structurally beautiful, that gets lost once a pile of heavy winter coats is left hanging on it.”
Word Art
“Make sure to have a console or cabinet where a pretty piece of art can be placed above it,” says Andi Morse from Morse Design in Atlanta, Georgia. However, she warns to be mindful about what kind of art you choose. “Avoid word art,” she says. “I feel that dates your home.” Instead of an aging slogan, a painting or statement mirror will do the job and make a prime first impression. These forms of art can speak to the character of a home and those who live there without blatantly spelling it out.
The Wrong Lighting
Ushering guests into a dark home isn’t ideal. Designers suggest a layered approach to lighting with multiple sources of ambient light. This involves light fixtures at multiple levels, like a lamp on the table, sconce on the wall, and chandelier or spotlight on the ceiling. For at least one of these things, McFadden is partial to a statement light fixture to bring warmth to the foyer.
“Layered lighting is important to add depth to the space,” adds Morse. “Entryways can have as much depth as the rest of your home.”
