7 ways to deck up your foyer
Photographs: Shutterstock
The entryway or the inside entrance of your home is a unique space and should be well designed. While some may have a grand two-storied volume often housing a staircase others could be as modest as a corridor, just leading to the entrance door. The foyer could differ in shape and size. It could be wide or narrow depending on the size of the house. Architect Deepa Agarwal lists different ways to decorate the foyer.
1. If your home lacks a definite entry, design and arrange furniture like a double-sided bookshelf, console, seating and furnishings to create the illusion of being one. A simple floor rug or a change in flooring design or a pendant light to rescale this entry is a great way to physically define a space. This separates the space, creates a defined entry and can be decorated differently as compared to the room it opens into.
2. As the foyer suffers from continuous foot traffic, ensure that you have a durable rug/mat which can be shaken out, easily vacuumed or washed for the entry. Similarly the floor should be easy to vacuum or mop. You can use carpet tiles instead of a single carpet as you can wash individual tiles, arrange them in various patterns and even replace them when they’re worn out.
3. If you live in a region that gathers a lot of dirt or debris, consider placing a heavy-duty entrance mat (a natural coir one) outside the front door and have a second rug or mat inside the door. The colour and the texture of the floor (porcelain tile patterns, rustic or polished stone, carpets rugs, etc) gives character to this space, so choose it carefully.
4. Foyer is a place where you tend to leave and pick stuff like umbrellas, shopping bags, keys, etc. Make sure that there are storage racks to accommodate them. In an Indian context, a bench designed with storage is a great spot to be introduced in the foyer where you can sit and remove or wear shoes. In case a bench cannot find space you can place a shoe rack in the form of a console.
5. Mirrors can also be used at the entrance foyer or on the wall. On one hand mirror can help reflect light into the entrance and can provide that last glance to check your appearance, placing a mirror facing the entrance door creates bad feng shui as it may take away positive energy from the house.
6. The foyer area should be well lit, allowing natural light for safety purposes. Choose light fixtures carefully as they give personality and make the space appear larger. Apart from overhead lighting, downlighters and table lamps can also be used.
7. Foyer is a great place to introduce colours, place objects or your favourite collections. Depending on the room you have, a foyer can accommodate objects like piano, centre tables, consoles along the wall, or simple paintings or pictures on walls.
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Deepa Agarwal
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