Stylish Foyer and Hall Spaces

Maximize the Space in a Small Foyer or Hall with Style

Do you love the look of those stately homes of England with their huge entrance halls? On this side of the Atlantic, your home probably wasn’t blessed with an entry even half that big. However, even if your foyer or entry hall lacks enough space for a couple of inviting benches and a walk-in closet, you can still make it appear stylish and welcoming with a bit of planning and interior design deception.

Why deception? Because mirrors are the quickest and best way to visually expand small spaces, a fact that famed interior designer Billy Baldwin demonstrated way back in the 1930s, when many of his New York clients lived in apartments that lacked foyers and coat closets altogether. Indeed, in his own New York apartment, Baldwin cleverly used freestanding walls and bookcases to create an entry area and a pair of antique armoires to hold coats.

You can make your entry area feel more like a room by creating the same kind of visual differentiation between it and the adjacent living areas. In addition to freestanding walls and armoires, paneled screens can be used to set the area off from the rest of your home.

Don’t be overly concerned that creating a visually separate area will make the space seem smaller. Making the space look like what it is; a place to greet guests and make them feel welcome in your home is far more important.

Use mirrors liberally. Rather than hang a two by three foot mirror suitable only for checking hair and makeup on your way out the door, consider placing a pair of mirrors five feet in height, one on either wall at the side of the front door. In front of these mirrors, place shallow chests of drawers for storing boots, gloves, umbrellas, hats and purses. On top of each of these chests, place matching vases filled with lovely silk or real flowers. The mirrors will reflect the flowers, vases, chests and each other, instantly doubling the visual space while creating a space that is visually stunning and totally functional (even for a busy family).

If you can find a pair of matching coat racks, place one of these on each side of the entryway to hold coats without crowding the space.

Be sure that your entryway is well lighted for the purpose it serves by placing two slender lamps on either side of each vase. You don’t have to use 100 watt bulbs, but don’t go any lower than 60 watts in order to keep the area adequately lighted.

Always remember that your foyer is the first impression that guests and visitors have of your home and you want that impression to be welcoming and visually appealing. Don’t be afraid to infuse your foyer décor with your own personal taste, adding a few ornate frame family photographs or a few well placed trinkets.

©2007, Kathy Burns-Millyard