How to Create a Foyer (when there isn't one)

There is something about coming into a home that has a foyer, an entryway, a vestibule.

It says, "Come on in! Welcome. Stay awhile."
It's the welcoming committee for the rest of our home.

But not everyone's home or apartment is blessed with such a space.

Many front doors open directly into the living room.

However, it's not hopeless! You can create the feeling of a foyer.


House to Home Elements to Consider:

• Lighting: table lamps, hanging swag lamps, floor lamps, uplights (can lighting), candles
• Softness: rugs, rug runners
• Seating: benches, chairs, ottomans, stools
• Storage: dressers, credenzas, armoires, large covered baskets, stacked luggage, night stands, umbrella stands, hooks
• Personality: family photos, travel prints, souvenirs
• Reflection: mirrors, glass, mercury glass
• Life: plants, flowers, clocks with pendulums

The primary thing to remember is that you'll either need a physical barrier or a visual one.
A physical barrier literally blocks the view of the rest of the room.
A visual barrier gives the viewer decor to instantly view in the front door area;
it separates and sets the entryway apart from the rest of the house.
Even if it's only a few square feet, give your home a place
in which to pause before entering the rest of the house.

Make it Organized & Pretty

If you only have one wall near the front door and no coat closet or console,
compact helpers work perfectly here.

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If It's Compact, Make an Impact

A slim and sleek shelf  topped with a gallery wall of precious photos
makes a spectacular statement.

The drawers below the shelf hold keys, gloves,
the dog's leash, gadgets, whatever. 

Brilliant!

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Define with Molding

Give the spot its own personality.
Frame the wall you'll be using to draw attention to it.

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Define with Wallpaper

Accent wallpaper makes a dramatic statement
that can be fun for a transition space.

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Define with Wainscoting

Easy-to-apply wallpaper or the traditional wood panels
create instant cottage appeal.

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Paint It Happy

A dresser or console painted in a fun, vibrant color is a sweet way
to say "Hello" to your family and friends.

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Display It Happy

Your collection of heirloom and thrift plates needs to be displayed somewhere.
Why not the entryway?

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Use a Hall Tree

If you only have three to five feet of space
(and perhaps you're renting and can't alter the wall in any way),
the classic hall tree may be just what your entryway needs.

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Focus on the Front Door

Painting the inside of the door is probably
the easiest fix and the most eye-catching.

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Illuminate with Swag

You can create a small square of foyer space simply by
flanking the front door with sconces,
spreading a rug upon the floor,
and hanging a lamp from a hook over the spot.


(If there's no nearby outlet, use an extension cord;
secure it as close to the floor molding as possible.)

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IKEA to the Rescue

A tall or low Expedit shelving unit can be used
between the space near your door and the rest of the room.

(We have the black/brown 5 cube by 5 cube unit and love it!)

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A House (Er, Room) Divided

In a larger or longer room, a screen or hanging divider
is an excellent solution for a lack of defined landing area
once you've entered the home.

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Tile Transitioning

My friend Gina from The Shabby Creek Cottage
tiled a tiny space by her front door.
She says:
"Making a grand entrance isn't all that easy
when you have a 2 ft. by 4 ft. square to do it in.
No room for big furniture. No big open space to decorate.
That's okay, I like to keep things simple..."

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Family Friendly

Children love their own personalized space!
Give them one (or two, or three, or more...).

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Lean a Mirror

Even a chunky wardrobe mirror works well to define a visual vestibule.
I like Old Time Pottery and Hobby Lobby's selections.

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Nook Necessities

Maybe you have a bitty spot that is more like a crevice than anything else.
Shelving, hooks, and baskets can help to organize your homecomings.

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Armoire

Not only is it great (hidden) storage, but it looks great, too!
A mirrored one is perfect for last-minute primping.

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Recycle That Pallet 

Yet another pallet creation, and it's fantastic!

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In My Home

My basement cafe has no foyer to speak of.
Here's how I used the wall behind the door
so guests can park their purses or primp.

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I hope that this encourages those of you who have lost hope of having a foyer!
Try creating one; you will feel proud to enter and to invite others into your home!

Have a beautiful, blessed day making your home!

A Season of Light

I decided not to decorate for Christmas this year.

I opted, instead, to decorate for the season of Winter

with a special theme of "light",

Jesus being the Light.

Now I'll show you our slightly Christmas decor
and our slightly more wintry decor.

Some of these pictures were taken during daylight
and some were taken in the evening.
(There's nothing wrong with your monitor.)

We'll start outside.

I love the warm and welcoming feeling of candles lit in windows.
It reminds me of trips that my family has taken to Pennsylvania,
where it's common to see lights in windows in many homes during evenings all year round.
I brought that tradition back with us to our home here in South Carolina.

(It's a really sunny day!)

On our porch, you are welcomed by this triple-tiered planter
that I found at Lillian Vernon years ago.

I cut some cedar, pine, and arborvitae branches off of the trees in our yard,

added some large silver plastic ornaments and a few pine-cones, and called it "good".

I found this iron bistro set on Craigslist for $50.

This glass box displays greens and a candle,
while the vintage door cone has been lined with burlap and filled with green.

C'mon inside out of the cold, y'all!

I'll make you a mug of hot cocoa and whipped cream to warm your tootsies!

Take your shoes off, grab a throw, and snuggle up on the love-seat.

Above our precious piano is a pin-board of a few of my favorite things: 

Christmas and New Year's antique postcards, circa 1910.

Evergreens are so much fun to use in decorating.

Why? They add color and life to a dreary season.

I smile every time I see these roses, which were given to me by a dear friend.

I fashioned bitty boxwood wreaths from trimmings of the shrubs in our yard

and added them to the shelves in our dining room hutch.

Vintage silver glass ornaments and sparkly silver shine happily.

My grandmother's Shiny Bright ornaments hang from the candle sconces.

In the living room, the mantel displays a forest of glass and glitter trees.

Hanging behind the window panes are some swallows that I fashioned from sheet music.

Can you tell that I love birds?

(There's a nest under the smaller dome.)

Adjacent to the fireplace is a credenza,

huge and heavy and perfect along this wall.

(It is also getting a makeover some time soon.)

The black and white prints are of Charleston, South Carolina,

my favorite city on the planet (so far).

If you squint, you can see that the bitty houses under the cloches sparkle with glitter.

Squinting will also ensure that you don't see the dust on the lamps.

More candles, more greenery, more ornaments!

On the left, you can see the arm chair that I've slip-covered.

This is the basement theater room, which I hardly ever share with you, 

since it's dark and hard to photograph (there are no windows in the room),

but I did my best, and here is one wall of it.

More silver ornaments in tall jars!

The tiny "fireplace" is actually a heater, and works very well, I might add.

The room next to the theater is the basement coffee house, le Cafe de Sous Sol 

(which, oddly enough, means "the basement coffee house").

In the windows of the cafe, Miss S hung paper snowflakes 

that cast their snowy shadows through sheer curtains.

Along the ledge, another forest of silvery trees await snowfall.

This is the side yard of our home, the entrance to the cafe.

The pine needle-filled boxes are raised-garden beds which now lie fallow.

This mirror greets you as you enter the cafe.

(Here's more about this space at Christmastime.)

Across from the window in the kitchen area are a few of my favorite things, too.

The open shelving holds a few heirlooms, but the rest of the things

are Goodwill, Salvation Army, and yard sale finds.

English ironstone in many different patterns!

I don't regret painting this whole wall in chalkboard a few years ago.

My friends, family, and even I  have designed vignettes on this huge black "canvas".

And last, but not least, everyone's favorite decor of the season,

back upstairs in my kitchen:

Lord, you keep the lamp of my life burning brightly.

You bring light into my darkness.

Psalm 18:28

How do you decorate for winter and bring light to this season?

I'm hanging out with Richella for her 41st Grace at Home Party. Partying with Kate at her 135th Flaunt it Friday gig.