TIPS TO SPRUCE UP YOUR FOYER ON A BUDGET
Your entryway is the first room that guests see when they come into your home and the last room they see when they leave. Because of this, you would think that if there were ANY room that you’d want to make a great first impression with, it would be this one. But it rarely gets the TLC it needs (kind of like me…wink wink).
Why?
Well, people don’t usually spend much time in the entryway; it’s more of a ‘pass-thru’ or ‘transitional‘ area rather than a ‘sit back and relax with a glass of wine’ zone (I, however, have been known to drink wine anywhere).
So, how do you add personality and interest to your entryway without spending a whackload of money?
You keep reading!
1. PAINT YOUR WALLS THE RIGHT COLOR
In an entryway that’s separated from the main living areas, paint color is the best way to freshen up and update. In most layouts, whether the living room/entryway shares the same space or if the foyer is a space unto itself, it’s best if the foyer is painted a light, neutral paint color.
The entryway is usually the hub of the home and has pretty major functions flowing off of it. While the ODD layout can accommodate a foyer with personality (like a small, vestibule-style entryway), the more flexible your paint color is the easier it will be to build a color palette in the rooms surrounding/attached to it!
Benjamin Moore Ballet White and White Dove
This next foyer looks gorgeous in Sherwin Williams Austere Gray. However, because of the green hue, it will limit the color choices for adjoining rooms – not making it impossible, just not as EASY as a more neutral color…
POPULAR, FLEXIBLE PAINT COLORS FOR ENTRYWAYS
I highly recommend off-whites, in particular WARM off-white paint colors for their versatility. A few of my favorites include Sherwin Williams White Duck and White Heron as they’re hybrid colors, bridging the worlds of several popular neutral shades, including cream and taupe.
If you want to see a round-up of some of my top warm neutrals, check this out.
2. PAINT THE INSIDE OF YOUR FRONT DOOR
While painting the outside of your front door improves your curb appeal, painting the INSIDE of it can transform your entryway’s entire personality! Whether your entryway is its own space or in the same space as your living/dining room, or open-concept space, defining your front door…
- adds personality
- creates a focal point
- is an opportunity to add an accent color that suits your home’s surrounding finishes!
This next foyer is pretty open-concept to the dining room beside it…
Benjamin Moore Black 2132-10
We painted the door AND the trim to make the front door more of a focal point for the space, same with the photo below…
The Best Paint Colors for the INSIDE of a Front Door
Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze and Colonnade Gray
Plus, the color of your front door is easy to change when you get bored! My next client started with Sherwin Williams Mineral Deposit…
And changed to Benjamin Moore Iron Mountain for more contrast…
3. USE ACCENTS & DECOR THAT WINK TOWARD YOUR HOME’S PALETTE
Your entryway should be a polite introduction to your house, letting you know what to expect once you make yourself at home. Now, it doesn’t need to be a LITERAL translation, however, picking up on some of the textures and colors in adjoining rooms is a great way to create flow from the front of your home and onwards.
For example, you might have some artwork or an area rug in your living room with blues and greens in it. You would then repeat these same blues and greens in your front entry via accents.
It’s about providing ‘visual links and winks’ from space to space.
Sherwin Williams Creamy and Benjamin Moore Steel Wool
For the above entryway to look connected to the adjoining rooms, they should contain at least one of the dominant accent colors seen here. There doesn’t need to be a lot of repetition, but a polite nod to the entryway is a great way to link the spaces up.
A FEW THINGS TO NOTICE
Sometimes large entryways can feel unfriendly. Adding a gorgeous area rug, rather than just a doormat is a great way to
5. IMPROVE YOUR FOYER’S LIGHTING
Whether it’s an entryway or an entire home, your lighting plan makes all the difference between a space that thrives and a space that dies.
If you have a booby light, replace it with something more decorative. If your ceilings are low, opt for a flush or semi-flush mount fixture. High ceilings are great for accommodating pendant lights.
The 14 Best Modern Beige & Tan Paint Colors
And don’t stop at wire-in lighting, add a table lamp or two!
Seriously, a gorgeous console table, hutch, or dresser adds function, and beauty, and looks even BETTER with a beautiful table lamp on it! I also have a table lamp in our entryway and use it 10 times more than the ceiling light. At night, it’s a soft backdrop to our living area, while still being functional when we transition through the entryway to other spaces. We have it on a timer, so it comes on in the late afternoon and goes off later at night.
All this room needs is a table lamp and it’s done! Sherwin Williams Pure White and Tricorn Black
5. ADD SOME FUNCTION
I love this Ikea cabinet. It’s cute when closed, great for SMALL foyers, and adds some serious function – and it’s affordable!
I don’t have a photo of that bad boy in a client’s home, but the above visual will give you the idea – it’s only 12″ deep, and it will fit almost anywhere! (I do rely 100% on my E-design client’s photos so don’t always have exactly what I need).
And it doesn’t need to be IKEA to do the job. A console table with baskets or doors is another way to add function (and style) to your entryway…
Sherwin Williams Repose Gray and Tricorn Black
This next entryway doesn’t have a closet and opens into the living and dining area. Defining it with a handy hook wall is a great way to add function and personality.
Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray
If you have no closet but have room for a cabinet and bench, a freestanding unit can do the job just as well…
There’s a lot of storage in this cabinet – toques, hats, shoes, and more!
READ MORE
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Get the Online Paint Color & Update Expert that DESIGNERS hire!
Chat soon,
ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN 2014, UPDATED IN 2023
And it probably didn’t cost you a “whack load” of money.