Don't be afraid to make a design statement in the foyer
Entry halls are the perfect spots for interior design packed with WOW. Often homeowners are afraid of making a statement for fear of getting it wrong. Designers are more courageous and can deliver foyers with a punch. The ingredients are the walls, the furniture, the lighting fixtures, the flooring and, of course, a mirror or some art or even both.
• The walls: Foyer walls are the ideal location for printed wallpaper, an unexpected color, or a specialized wall finish such as lacquer, glaze or a decorative faux-finish. Turning plain drywall into a focal point is easier than you think. Strips, typically 8 inches by 10 inches, of vertical or horizontal wallpaper or paint provide a knockout foundation for anything placed in the foyer. Another successful wall treatment for a foyer is a mural.
• The furniture: Foyers generally are furnished with a console or chest. These serve as a collector of keys and handbags and perhaps as overflow storage for housewares such as linens. If your budget allows, this is a good location for investing in a very special piece of furniture such as an antique or vintage collector's piece. Otherwise, a nice chest or an interesting console could be embellished by painting the piece in unique punchy colors like chartreuse and turquoise.
If there is additional space, tucking some stools underneath a console or flanking a chest with a pair of chairs is welcomed by visitors, especially nervous young men waiting for their dates to appear and getting interviewed by caring parents. It's the perfect place for a brief awkward meet and greet or the pizza delivery guy.
• The lighting: Razzle and dazzle them. A beautiful bell jar lantern, a chandelier or some other sparkling lighting fixture is always appropriate for the foyer. There should be a certain ambience to the foyer, meaning it should not be lit like a surgery room, so add a dimmer if necessary. Atop the console or chest, a pair of unique lamps would look stylish and add a bit of ambient light, in case you don't want to have the chandelier on. They would also be a good source of light to leave on when out for the night. Nobody likes to walk into a dark house.
• The flooring: It used to be that flooring at the entrance of a home was to be rough and coarse, but that was when roads were unpaved and dirty. Foyer flooring is a chance to make a design gesture, like with a pattern or beautiful medallion surrounded by a border. Others approach flooring in foyers as an extension of the flooring used throughout their home, but then change it up by placing an Oriental carpet or rug at the center of the room - and the use of an area rug will keep dust and dirt from being dragged into the home. A couple of suggestions: Select a rug with a pattern to help conceal any markings, and avoid light colors such as white or ivory.
• Wall hangings: Some people believe a foyer is THE place to have a mirror above your console or chest so you can see your appearance as you enter and exit your home. Others see it as more of a place to display a nice work of art or a collection of prints. Lucky are those who can have both.
• Joseph Pubillones is the owner of Joseph Pubillones Interiors, an award-winning interior design firm based in Palm Beach, Florida.
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