Have never seen this before ...

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

Or maybe I'm just a rube (entirely possible) ... A fireplace in a foyer! This is, of course, a rather grand foyer and more like an entry room -- I suppose the actual foyer is where the black and white tile appears, although I might call that a vestibule instead (at any rate, it's obviously a pass-thru space) ... but I was just not expecting to see a fireplace here. I actually love it. What a nice welcome that would be for those coming in from the cold, and a lovely introduction to a beautiful home. Perhaps a bit extravagant, but it doesn't seem pretentious at all ... just warm and inviting. Maybe it's the dreary, gray skies I see out the window that have me salivating over this.

Have YOU ever seen a fireplace in a foyer?

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Anglophilia

5 years ago

I've seen this many, many times, especially in houses built either in the 19th century, or in lovely, very large houses built between 1915-and WWII. Often, the entrance halls were large enough for a sofa and chairs near the fireplace. It makes for a very gracious home.

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Comments (11)

Rita / Bring Back Sophie 4 Real
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I see that quite a bit in London townhouses. It seems like such a waste, doesn't it?

PS I noticed your picture is from a new build. The townhouses I see with this setup are old, very old. I figure it was important to have a lot of fireplaces back in the day to keep the house warm.
User
Original Author
5 years ago
Well, at first I thought it was a waste, but then I couldn't stop thinking how lovely it would actually be, especially for those who often entertain guests. I'm envisioning a reception with folks moving throughout the house. This space would actually be comfortable for a small gathering to stand around the fire, drinks in hands. I think in that light, it kinda makes sense and the area becomes more than just a pass-through. I think of my own foyer, and how we merely move in and out of it, but never linger there.
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User
Original Author
5 years ago
Gracious. Yes -- the perfect descriptive term for this.
Fori
5 years ago
It reminds me of old hotels in the mountains...Ahwahnee, Old Faithful Inn, Lake Crescent Lodge...

Basically, I expect a gift shop around the corner.
Rita / Bring Back Sophie 4 Real
5 years ago
Here is the entrance to a house in Belgravia I know. The house is quite large, about 10,000 square feet, huge for London. The entrance though is not particularly large and conducive to entertaining. The one Ida Claire shows is much more spacious.
Sammy
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Perfection...until I noticed that it was a gas fireplace (or “fireplace”). :/
User
Original Author
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I have no issue with a gas fireplace; in fact, I find them preferable for the ease alone. (And it's still fire.) ;-)

Rita, I found a few other photos online with about as much space as in the one you shared. Definitely not conducive to entertaining or lingering. I think the space has to be JUST RIGHT to make this concept work well. Too big and it's just a cavernous room. Too small and it's a rather silly add-on. Just right and Goldilocks is a happy girl.
User
5 years ago
My immediate reaction was English/irish or house converted into a grand hotel. Like the one where I had my wedding reception, up in the hills a few miles from my home town in Ireland. It is so lovely. And yes, fires were essential. My mother was quite skilled at maintaining a fire all day and getting it to the point of never being fully extinguished. One needs those embers the next (freezing) cold morning. Fire scares the bejesus out of me, I have decorative logs, fairy lights and large candles in my fireplace. I am good at pretending ;-)
Moxie
5 years ago
Monticello has a fireplace in the entrance hall.
Yayagal
5 years ago
Yes please.