What would you do with this foyer…

last year

I’m underwhelmed with my foyer. When you enter the house, there’s a tiny dark vestibule, then this square-ish foyer. I like my little wicker chair but I keep wondering if I could do better. No one sits here, ever. But usually the newspaper or mail gets tossed on it. We pass thru this space 100 times a day so a center table isn’t going to work.

It’s a tricky space due to the radiator (if it were gone, a cute bench on that wall would be great) and the very shallow space on the other wall.

Maybe I just need a different chair? Bigger? so I can pile more packages and mail on it?

Toss some ideas at me… I’m in need of inspiration.

Other furniture in the house leans toward clean lines a la Stickley mission oak and our walnut dining table (and new walnut tv stand just ordered from Room & Board which is why of course I suddenly think I need something new here).

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Sueb20
Original Author

last year

Well, I’m attempting to use something I already have, but this seems small. Or maybe it’s fine.

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Comments (107)

nicole___
last year
Exchange the art across from the chair with the mirror. Keep the plant, keep the tall chair.
Sueb20 thanked nicole___
Sueb20
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
I think it’s hard to tell scale and ”feel” in the pics, but right now I am liking the mirror as is with the dark chair and plant. I moved the plant from another radiator, where it’s lived for years, so I think it’s ok with heat.

The mirror doesn’t fit on the wall with the art. Too wide.

I will keep in mind the idea of replacing the mirror with art, in case I find something!

If the rug stays out, I might have to recover the seat cushion…

ETA thank you all!!
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Ida
last year
I think it's perfect exactly as you have it now, with the taller chair. I would, however, put the rug back. It's not needed, but adds to the charm.
Sueb20 thanked Ida
Eileen
last year
last modified: last year
I too think the mirror is too heavy over the radiator. Mtn suggested a montage of small artwork. You could incorporate a small decorative mirror in the montage, one just large enough to check your hair and face to see if you're presentable enough to answer the door.

Here are some busy-busy examples.
Sueb20 thanked Eileen
Kswl
last year
last modified: last year
The mirror feels too heavy for that spot, filling up almost all the horizontal space. It also looks like a classic vestibule mirror to me, so even of I kept the chair in place I’d relocate the mirror and replace it with an oval one or artwork.
Sueb20 thanked Kswl
Ally De
last year
Gosh, I'm probably going to make all of this worse, but I LOVE that rug and I like it in that space too. LOL.

Aren't you glad you're getting a million opinions? :)
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Bunny
last year
Anybody able to give me a quick explanation of foyer vs vestibule?
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Sueb20
Original Author
last year
Bb, in my case, at least, the vestibule is a tiny room that you first enter when you come in the front door. There is a door between it and the foyer. I am not 100% certain my terminology is correct… but I think it is.
Feathers11
last year
Yes, that is correct. Vestibules are popular in my neighborhood among older homes and serve as buffers against the weather. The foyer is the central area you enter into and decide which way to go. In 2-story homes, the staircase is usually in the foyer.
Sueb20
Original Author
last year
The best thing about it in our house is that you can close that inner door before opening the front door so the dogs can’t try to go out and jump on the pizza delivery guy.
party_music50
last year
Your house is gorgeous. I have and love radiator heat, so I can relate. I have only one radiator covered and that was made by my father. I love it because the cover functions as a table. You get that from the marble slab, but my eye wants to see a larger piece of marble… enough so that it extends beyond the sides and front of the radiator by at least two inches. I think the extension would balance it all better.
Sueb20 thanked party_music50
Bunny
last year
I have neither vestibule nor foy-ay'. Open my front door and you're in the living room.
Tina Marie
last year
Both foyer and vestibule look great Sue! I actually like that mirror there and also the rug.
Sueb20 thanked Tina Marie
mtnrdredux_gw
last year
Bunny, the colder your climate the more you need a vestibule and/or foyer!

Sue, you've shown it before, but what is the horizontal wood piece in the vestibule?
Sueb20
Original Author
last year
Mtn — not sure, maybe part of an old bureau or sideboard? I bought it at a thrift shop and added coat hooks. (We don’t have a coat closet in the front of the house.)
Sueb20
Original Author
last year
I am sorry I can’t respond to each comment but please know that I appreciate and consider each one!

I am pondering something like just terri’s idea, if I opt to move the mirror to the vestibule. I wish it was a little easier to move these two big wall hangings to just try it out for a minute. I also wish I had gotten a larger marble slab as party music suggested but it wasn’t cheap so I don’t really want to get a new one. Easier to move the mirror, haha.
Sueb20
Original Author
last year
I wonder if the mirror was originally in the vestibule? Look at the wood in both.
Sueb20
Original Author
last year
I wonder if the mirror was originally in the vestibule? Look at the wood in both.
Eileen
last year
Tiger oak.
Sueb20 thanked Eileen
Bunny
last year
Sue, you've already gotten some great ideas and I have no real design chops anyway. But seeing the beautiful mirror up close makes me think it needs to be reunited with the rest of the vestibule. The foyer has a different, lighter feel, so maybe a different mirror, or none, would be better.
Sueb20 thanked Bunny
Arapaho-Rd
last year
Sue, I was going to ask that or if you could move it there! Have you taken it down to show a photo of the bare wall over the radiator - ignore my request if you rather not!
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mtnrdredux_gw
last year
last modified: last year
Can you get two people to just hold it up in the vestibule space so you can take a pic and decide if you like it there? When someone comes to the door, will the mirror be what they see when they look in? Or is your exterior door solid?
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Sueb20
Original Author
last year
The mirror would be perpendicular to the front door… and the door has a curtain.

DH is cool with moving the mirror. Stay tuned.
Sueb20
Original Author
last year
Arapaho-Rd
last year
It looks like it always belonged there!
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Feathers11
last year
Did you remove the one with hooks? Where will the pizza delivery guy hang his coat while getting your change?
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mtnrdredux_gw
last year
i like it there!
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badgergal
last year
Looks perfect there!
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Funkyart
last year
Looks like it was made for the vestibule! Perfect!
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Sueb20
Original Author
last year
Yeah so it took me 4 years to figure this out.
summersrhythm_z6a
last year
I am wondering if the mirror was at that spot 100 years ago. After all these year it went back to its 1st place. :-)
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Cran
last year
Yup! they belong together.
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Annie Deighnaugh
last year
Perfect location for the mirror!
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Kswl
last year
That’s better looking and also a better place for that last minute, out the door check of one’s teeth 😎
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teeda
last year
Perfection!
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blfenton
last year
I might have missed this but what did you put in its place?

Love its new location - it seems to have space to breathe now and the wainscotting and the mirror are perfect together.
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lizzie_grow
last year
Very nice!!
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Sueb20
Original Author
last year
This is probably better.
DLM2000-GW
last year
The mirror is in the perfect spot now - looks amazing. Not sure about either art choice - both look good, not great, (although I LOVE the second piece!). I go back and forth about which looks better. My brain wants to put something there in landscape format - exaggerated long skinny landscape format. got anything like that lying around to test LOL?
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Sueb20
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
Let me check my inventory…hm, nope.

I’m finding it a bit tricky to find something that works with this guy.

Which is why I put this up originally.

DH is a photographer so one of his 8 million photos could go there too. He’s got some cool sunflower shots that we could enlarge and frame. Maybe change out the photo seasonally!
rubyclaire
last year
I like both pieces of art and thought the larger one was better but I also think the smaller one looks pretty good, too. Space has a little breathing room.
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Sueb20
Original Author
last year
I actually put the smaller one back, at least for now.
Sueb20
Original Author
last year
btw I’m still not sure if the rug is staying.
olychick
last year
I love the larger painting with the chair in place - it looks like perfection to me, along with the mirror in it's new spot - looks like it was meant to hang there.
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lisaam
last year
Sueb, you have a wonderful collection of art.— it’s so nice to see what charmed you.
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Arapaho-Rd
last year
last modified: last year
The smaller one gives some "breathing room" and compliments with the other artwork....and the rug looks great now!
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jck910
last year
Personally I love the rug (my colors) but it is too small. A rectangular one would be better in that space
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Sueb20
Original Author
last year
Lisaam, thank you! Art is one of the few things DH likes to shop for/spend money on, lol. Almost all of the art in our house has a story, too, about why we bought it, what it reminded us of, the location (many purchased on trips), etc.
Judi
last year
I would get rid of the chair and focus on creating a mini art gallery in that space.
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