Decorating a large space can be both liberating and intimidating. Large rooms invite large artworks and rolling carpets, but how do you choose the right ones?
To decorate a large foyer, you need to decide how you want your space to feel. Use bold colors to impress your guests, textured fabrics to create a cozy atmosphere, or layer light colors for a clean, relaxed feeling. Mirrors will make your space appear even larger, while textiles will draw it inward.
There are so many ways to decorate your large foyer. In this article, we will discuss and talk about 15 of the best methods for conveying the feeling that you and your guests will have when entering your home.
Contents
To impress your guests:
If your main goal in your foyer is to make a statement or awe, then here are some ways you can use your large foyer to your advantage.
1. Use bold colors and patterns
Bright colors always create a “wow” factor in a design. They can be busy and overwhelming in a small space, but a large foyer is the perfect place to add a pop of color. Use deep reds and golds to make your home feel like a Hollywood villa, or use bright green and yellow for an arthouse effect.
Select your key colors and find a few coordinating pieces that you can place in your foyer. It will naturally guide the human eye through the space by distributing the objects in the room, making it feel impressive and intriguing.
Eye-catching patterns will also awe your guests and can be used alongside vibrant colors. A black and white diamond-patterned rug like this Modern Area Rug by Summit adds contrast to your space and brings movement to the room. Don’t be afraid of striped wallpaper or the occasional touch of animal print either.
2. Add an accent wall
An accent wall is a great way to liven up any space, including your entryway. By adding an accent wall directly opposite the entrance door, your guests will be instantly impressed as they step inside. You can use a single color to keep it simple or a variety of colors to enhance the effect.
Your accent wall in the entryway is also the perfect place to maximize printed wallpapers. Dark floral prints are both dramatic and beautiful, while bright tropical prints are fun and playful. This dark Murwall floral wallpaper features white and pink chrysanthemums on a black background, adding depth and drama to any room.
3. Hang a large portrait of your pet
If you want to stun your guests while paying tribute to your furry friend, nothing says “I love my dog” more than a giant portrait of them hanging in your hallway. You may need to spend the money to get a high-quality photo so you can blow it up to a large size, but it will pay off with the repeated joy of your guests.
You can use a high-resolution photo of your pet for a high-end look or even get a custom oil painting to showcase it majestically. A pop art-style edit will also impress visitors while turning a little more into everyday artwork.
4. Install a chandelier
If you have a very large foyer with vaulted ceilings, the space is practically begging for a chandelier. A sparkling, multi-armed chandelier hanging in the center of the room will always be impressive, and if you have a window above your front door, it’s even better.
If the Victorian-inspired lights don’t work for you, then this contemporary Firework Crystal Chandelier adds a contemporary touch to the entryway lighting. Made by GDNS, this hanging fixture looks like a silver firework frozen in time. Striking pieces like this work wonders in a large foyer.
You don’t have to go with a crystal piece either. Modern pendant lights combine metal curls with continuous LED curves to create functional pieces that also serve as industrial art. The modern LED chandelier SUNMOO has an adjustable cable length, so you can hang it in the center of the room or leave it closer to the ceiling to enhance your design, making it invisible.
Woven chandeliers are also perfect for the eclectic or transitional home and will impress your guests in a more subtle way. These lights encompass hand-woven pieces made from rattan or bamboo, which are both modern and vintage at the same time. The N/B Bird’s Nest Chandelier adds an extra element with its intriguing shape, helping to distribute light throughout the room.
5. Place a sculpture in the center of the room
Whether you choose an exotic jade piece or a native artwork, a sculpture in your foyer will set the tone for your entire home. Guests will immediately understand that you are someone who enjoys beautiful things, from statues to champagne.
A freestanding artwork also creates a centerpiece for the space. It gives your guests something to admire as they enter your home and mingle during parties. By placing it in the center of the room, guests are encouraged to explore the other areas of the room where you may have more art hung or not.
To create an inviting feeling:
If you don’t want your large foyer to overwhelm your guests upon entering, you can create a softer space by adding layers of wood and textiles. Read on to learn more about decorating a wide and welcoming entryway.
6. Add soft textiles
Softening a room is as simple as adding soft things. Think plush rugs, blankets, and pillows. These things may seem more appropriate in your living room than in your foyer, but they can certainly warm up your foyer as well. The space will feel softer and more intimate, yet still easy to clean. Choose a large rug with subtle patterns to keep the carpet lively but not overpowering.
Add a bench against one wall of the room and place a thick throw on it to create a space for guests to rest while putting on their shoes. Add more seating with matching chairs and plush cushions so guests can snuggle up while waiting for their ride home.
7. Decorate with wood
Wood elements always bring warmth and familiarity to a room. Perhaps it reminds people of earlier times when most furniture was made of wood, or maybe it’s the pleasing tones of the material. Either way, decorating your large foyer with oak or maple will make it feel inviting.
If you have hardwood floors, you are already on your way to having an inviting living room. You can also add one or two wooden benches, a coat rack, and a console table for your keys and flowers.
If you don’t have hardwood flooring, you can use additional decor pieces to create the same warmth. Wainscoting adds a hip-height layer of wood paneling to the wall, and you can paint it any color you choose. Even if it’s painted, the look of the wood will give the room a cozy feel.
You can also create an accent wall by mounting reclaimed wood pieces. A chevron pattern of alternating tones keeps the wall interesting while also bringing the energy of the room inward. Take your design to the next level by installing an accent ceiling. Plank and Mill panels made from reclaimed barn wood can be easily attached to the ceiling or walls, softening the light in the room and giving any home the feeling of a cozy cottage.
8. Bring the outdoors in
To seamlessly transition into your entryway, you can bring the outdoors inside. Placing plants around the foyer adds greenery and keeps the space feeling fresh. You can choose many smaller plants and distribute them throughout the large space or select a few large plants to minimize maintenance.
If you have a skylight, you can place a table directly underneath it to house an orchid or a few fresh-cut flowers from the garden. The more elements of nature in the space, the more cozy it will feel.
A live-edge table is a stylish piece of furniture that supports the flow from outside to inside. Artisan Born creates a beautiful live edge walnut console table that is perfect for keys, school books, artwork, and plants. Use it as a gift for parties or as a quick standing desk to finish an email before heading to the office.
9. Display travel memories
Why keep your life experiences hidden until people reach your living room or bedroom? You can share your memories and family moments right from the first step into your home. By placing mementos from your life in your foyer, your guests will instantly feel at home. You are sharing your life with them, making your home open and accepting.
If you want to maintain some privacy, save the family photos for the living room. However, you should be proud of the items you have collected throughout your life and travels, and the perfect place to display them is in a large foyer.
10. Hang floral prints
After rolling out the patterned rug, collecting a few wooden pieces, and finding the perfect fiddle leaf fig tree, you can give your large entryway the finishing touch by hanging a few floral prints. From classic Monet reproductions to watercolor originals, a floral painting is soothing and beautiful and will give your guests the feeling of being home.
A set of prints is an easy way to decorate an entire wall of your foyer. This set of six Vintage Pink Botanical Roses by Prints Made Perfect has warm and inviting tones and is the perfect placeholder if you need something on your walls now while you work on investing in pieces for a lifetime.
For a bright and airy look:
If you want your home to feel light and airy, then use your large foyer to your advantage. Open spaces invite calm and serenity, and you can enhance this through decoration.
11. Paint it white
A common design trick to make a room appear larger is to paint it entirely white. While you don’t have to enlarge the space, you can use the all-white appeal to give guests a sense of ease. Layer different shades of white and slightly change the planes between the floor and the walls to avoid a washed-out look.
By using white in your entryway, you also create the backdrop for a clean and peaceful home. If you can keep the living room spotless, the rest of your house must be spotless as well. This can be intimidating, so it’s essential to add a few pops of color to keep the feeling airy and not sterile.
12. Use light blue tones
For those pops of color, light blue tones are an ideal option. Think of found beach glass pieces; pale and pretty. The color blue has a calming and stabilizing effect. It is a color loved by so many that it will soothe your guests. By combining white and various shades of light blue, your home will have an airy atmosphere, like a coastal estate on a summer day.
Serene Spaces Living Bud Vases offers six sky-blue vases that you can distribute throughout your foyer. Place them on floating shelves at chest height or higher to direct the eye upward. If you have a skylight, this is the perfect way to invite guests to look up at it.
A blue glass lamp with a burlap shade brings a touch of the sea into your home, and the Decor Therapy table lamp would go well with any rustic-style side table.
13. Hang a mirror
A large mirror will make your foyer appear even larger than it is. It will open up the space and make guests truly aware of the expansive room.
A slim mirror with a narrow frame is perfect for keeping the space open, but if you crave a touch of familiarity, choose a full-length floor mirror with a whitewashed wooden frame. Guests will not only admire the tasteful decor but also enjoy having a place to check their appearance before dinner.
NeuType produces a variety of minimalist mirrors that work well in large foyers. The full-length aluminum alloy mirror offers clean lines and an elegant enhancement to your open space. Place it alone with the included stand, lean it against a wall for the ultimate relaxed feel, and mount it vertically or horizontally if you decide you need the floor space.
14. Keep it minimal
An overcrowded room hardly feels open or airy; by paring down your foyer, you expand the space for guests, physically and mentally. Limit the furnishings in your foyer to a minimum, but don’t completely eliminate them. Instead, choose graceful pieces that effortlessly blend into the space instead of heavy furniture that weighs it down.
The material of the furniture also affects the minimalist effect of the room. Dark stained hardwoods and black velvet rugs are not the materials you should choose here. Instead, go for wicker and driftwood or linen and glass. By repeating these mediums throughout the space, your foyer will have a cohesive and elegant atmosphere.
15. Hang curtains
A large foyer can feel too grand if not decorated properly. If it’s too empty, it will feel cold. If it’s too white, it will feel sterile. When choosing a design that relies on both open space elements and whiteness, you need to counteract these effects.
One way to do this is by hanging sheer curtains. It’s simple, but it works. The fabric will soften the space, making it feel peaceful rather than unfriendly. It will also bring movement to the room, breaking up the solid white walls.
Naturally, you need windows in your entryway to hang the curtains on. It can be the windows beside your front door, but it’s better if they’re on the sides. When the windows are open in the summer, the fabric will blow in the breeze, contributing to the lightness and airiness of your foyer.
You can also hang the curtains on any windows that you can see from your living room. Let’s say in your kitchen or living room. This will further invite your guests into your home and continue the relaxing atmosphere.
Conclusion
There are many ways to decorate a large foyer: choose fewer pieces that truly fit your home and use the space better instead of filling it with decorations.
The way you decorate your foyer should also match the rest of your home so that your guests are not confused. You can ensure consistency by selecting a few key colors and textures to use throughout your home as a foundation for your style.