Welcome to our gallery featuring a large collection of gorgeous foyer design ideas.
Whether casual or formal, the foyer is the very first thing a guest sees when entering the home, and as my mother always reminds me, “first impressions are important.”
Related: Shingle Style Foyer | Mountain/Chalet Style Foyer | Minimalist Foyer | Northwest Style Foyer | Black and White Foyer | Mansion Foyer | Cottage Style Foyer | Eclectic Style Foyer | Victorian Style Foyer | Shabby Chic Foyer | Celebrity Foyer | Country Style Foyer | Southwestern Style Foyer | Mediterranean Style Foyer | Tropical Style Foyer | Asian Style Foyer | Rustic Style Foyer | Industrial Style Foyer | Beach Style Foyer | Transitional Style Foyer | Traditional Style Foyer | Scandinavian Style Foyer | Craftsman Style Foyer | Fantastic Mudroom Ideas | Spanish Style Foyer
Some of My Favorite Foyer Designs
Below is a diverse collection of some of my favorite designs.
Let’s kick off this collection with what was once considered the ultimate in foyer design. Check out that staircase and ornate woodwork. It’s beautiful for sure, but not for everyone and not for every house. Keep scrolling for more current and contemporary foyer ideas.
With a two-toned wooden floor and wooden stair treads, this house maintains the essence of the old wood-themed foyers. But what makes it fit for contemporary designs is the delicate railing and the use of excessively light colors for the walls and window frames.
Best for houses with a high-rise ceiling, this foyer speaks of beauty and sophistication. Vintage-style light fixtures with a magnificent chandelier coupled with indigo glass windows against crème-colored walls form the perfect entrance to a grand house.
While not ornate or ostentatious or large, this foyer is nicely appointed with wood flooring, a quarter-turn staircase and entries flanking each side of the space.
See the rest of this home here.
Simple and elegant are two words that best describe this foyer design. Ideal for people who prefer minimalism and clutter-free living, this foyer strategically combines wooden elements with lots of whites to create an entrance that is traditional and modern at the same time.
This foyer embraces the old world charm by going all brown and golden. From the floor to the stairs and then the coffered ceiling, deep chestnut wood is generously used along with chocolate-brown foyer furniture and lantern style lights to make this foyer truly attractive.
This house uses ivory white shades against the deep mahogany wood resulting in a warm and homely foyer. A sleek couch, geometric chandelier and some pots of greens bring life to an otherwise plain space.
This Italian villa-style foyer houses a decorative railing, a plush silken sofa, and a grand flower vase to highlight the pallid marble floor and muted beige walls.
This rustic foyer is completely wooden-themed except the main wall facing the entrance. An ornate wooden table set against the stone wall with a large framed mirror is a unique way to welcome the guests.
This monochromatic foyer seems like the ideal design for studio apartments. Jute chenille baskets, a sleek and slender metallic lamp, and a round hanging light make great adornments to a bare space.
This foyer redefines the idea of a rug. Instead of runners, it ‘carpets’ the entrance with a zigzag mosaic tiled floor that matches the chestnut furniture and railings. Wall-length windows opposing the foyer provide a brilliant view of the lush scenery outside and give the place a more open look.
This dual-toned foyer perfectly balances black and white which are the go-to shades when it comes to interior designing for modern living. A pot of greenery adds a hint of color while the flat-bottom vases are a chic addition.
This foyer makes dramatic use of lighting. The hallway is kept dark with dim lights and a deep black-brown wooden wall. The abstract painting accentuated by the hanging lamps and the cube-shaped seats adds an artistic touch.
This foyer is full of luster and shine. Although no decorative item is used, the trio of long cylindrical lights in the center of the place and the fascinating use of a wooden wall makes this foyer stand out.
This foyer is designed to give a view of the entire house proudly. Open walls give a peek into the living and dining room while the sandy wooden floorboards are kept common to all the rooms for a truly integrated look.
This foyer is simple yet majestic at the same time. A small leather seat is stylish as well as a functional addition while the use of skin-colored tiles amidst wooden floorboards creates an illusion of a carpet. The bunch of glass lamps and a pot of green also make great adornments.
This foyer seems more like that of a hotel room instead of a residential house. From lustrous marble floors and ceiling lights to the blood-red geometric tiled wall, it is filled with an extravagance that will wow all observers.
This modern house pays tribute to the Stone Age with its gray and white walls and stone floor. Add some stone statues and your guests will feel like they are traveling back in time.
This foyer design is overflowing with beauty and grace. Never-seen-before cobalt blue spiral staircase seems like a flowing waterfall while the wooden railings match the sandy floor and the plush sofas in the living room.
This design doesn’t really consist of a separate space for a foyer. Instead, it opens fully into the living room and gives a complete view of the entire floor.
This foyer is so open and wide that it’s hard to separate it from the rest of the house. Grand floral carpets line the floor on both sides of the entrance while the imposing seats offer a place for anyone to relax for a while.
For a house that wants to go big on style and grandeur, this foyer design is the ultimate choice. While the various plants add life and color, the place uses a mix of various hues of brown for a really magnificent entrance. Take notes from this foyer on how to incorporate bricked walls in modern designs.
This monochromatic foyer is the perfect example of how to balance the ultimate duo of black and white.
This gorgeous foyer has a dark wooden main door with sidelights that stand out against the light beige walls and tall ceiling that is dominated by a large golden chandelier. This is complemented by a large arched transom window that brings in natural lights to the white marble flooring.
This is a spacious grand foyer with light tones on its marble flooring tiles. These are further brightened by the natural lights coming in from tall glass windows that reach all the way to the high ceiling. This angle shows the wooden accent underneath the second-floor catwalk.
This grand foyer has a tall ceiling adorned with a large wrought iron chandelier that glows warmly complementing the beige walls and columns. This also gives a warm quality to the dark wooden steps of the stairs and its wrought iron railings.
The textured gray stone walls of this foyer work well with the hardwood flooring that is topped with a red patterned area rug for a welcome mat. The stone wall follows the curvature of the staircase and is adorned with a small wooden table bearing a lamp and decors.
The white crystal chandelier hanging over the dark patterned area rug of the foyer matches well with the bright white walls brightened by the second-floor glass doors. These bright elements are balanced by the dark brown hardwood flooring as well as the wrought iron railings of the stairs extending to the second floor.
This is a charming foyer filled with various potted plants that give this a unique welcome to the guests. This goes well with the glass walls that bring in natural lights brightening the dark flooring and the white cathedral ceiling. This is then complemented by the brown wooden door and the China cabinet.
This is a simple foyer with a couple of Greek-style columns guarding the entryway for a dramatic effect that is augmented by the patterned accents on the light gray marble flooring. This matches well with the light gray walls making the door and the matching dark wooden windows stand out.
Aside from the motherly advice, the entryway to the home is also an exit–the family sees this room last when leaving for the morning. Entryways typically house the exterior clothing: coats, hats, boots, among other items.
An entryway may have a grand staircase, it may be small and open directly into the main living area, or it may act as a mudroom.
Either way, the entryway is an important room that is not to be overlooked when designing your home. The important functions it serves are subtle when done right, and obvious when the room isn’t working optimally.
The rooms featured in this collection range in style from casual and modern to traditional and formal, and have many different layouts.
We hope you’ll enjoy this eclectic collection!
See 1,000’s of Foyer Designs in Our Foyer Photo Galleries
Southwestern-Style Foyers
This charming Southwestern-style foyer has terracotta flooring tiles that set an earthy contrast to the white walls and the white siding of the staircase. This bright sides of the staircase makes the patterned tiles of the ledges stand out along with the shiny brown steps.
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Celebrity Foyers
This celebrity foyer has a beautiful zebra fur area rug in the middle of the complex earthy flooring. This goes well with the gray concrete walls of the entryway and the brown waist-high cabinet on the far glass wall. This glass wall brings in brightness along with the skylight in the middle of the light gray ceiling.
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Country-Style Foyers
This Country-style foyer has white wainscoting to complement the subtle striped light gray wallpaper. This makes the dark patterned carpeting of the stairs stand out along with the dark banister of the white wooden railings that extend to the second floor.
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Mediterranean-Style Foyers
This is a Mediterranean-style foyer with a charming arched wooden main double door that stands out with its dark brown tone against the beige curved walls. This matches well with the curved waist-high cabinet bearing flowers in a vase adorned with an elegant wall-mounted mirror.
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Foyers with Wainscoting
This small and charming foyer has white wainscoting to complement the light beige walls and hardwood flooring. This makes the potted plant stand out with its dark brown earthy jar at the corner beside the staircase with light-gray carpeting on its steps.
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Modern-Style Foyers
This Modern-style foyer has earthy brown floor tiles that match with the dark brown main door, wall panel, and the wooden ceiling. These are complemented by the gray concrete walls that are brightened by the natural lights coming in from the open door and its glass sidelights.
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Black Foyer Ideas
This elegant foyer has a black theme that is applied on the patterned tiles of the flooring, patterned black and silver wallpaper as well as the wooden main door and closet doors lining the wall across from the modern console table and its elegant mirror.
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Mid-Century Modern Foyers
This is a Mid-Century Modern foyer with bright red-orange double doors to serve as the main entry. This is flanked by two brilliant floor-to-ceiling glass windows that bring an abundance of natural lights onto the dark flooring tiles adorned with a planter under the stairs.
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Large Foyer Ideas
The earthy brick walls of this large foyer set a balanced contrast for the dark hardwood flooring and the white wainscoting. The pots of the plants match this wainscoting while the waist-high cabinet pairs well with the dark flooring.
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Tropical-Style Foyers
The tropical plants in the glass vase stand out in this Tropical-style foyer with a dark hardwood flooring matching with the dark wooden table and the frames of the glass doors and windows. These windows and glass doors showcase the lush greenery of the scene outside.
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Small Foyer Ideas
This simple and small foyer has a beautiful dark wooden main door with simple carved designs on it and a silver door handle. This matches well with the frame of the wall-mounted mirror that stands out against the bright beige walls and tray ceiling.
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Contemporary-Style Foyers
This is a simple and welcoming Contemporary-style foyer. The light tones of the walls and ceiling are complemented by the yellow glow of the recessed lights as well as the small table lamp on the wooden rustic drawer with a unique antique aesthetic to it.
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Red Foyer Ideas
This elegant and large foyer has curved red walls that make the white wall accents stand out as well as the white doors. This is paired with a large crystal chandelier in the middle hanging over a small round silver table bearing white flowers in a pot.
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Farmhouse-Style Foyers
This simple Farmhouse-style foyer has a comfortable sitting area for the guests besides the dark wooden main door that matches with the dark hardwood flooring. The sitting area has a built-in wooden white bench with a patterned cushion.
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Gray Foyer Ideas
The light gray walls of this charming foyer are a nice complement to the wooden double doors that has glass panels on it. This also complements the hardwood flooring that is topped with woven area rugs underneath wrought iron lantern-like pendant lights from the light gray ceiling.
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Asian-Style Foyers
This simple Asian-style foyer has a distinctly Chinese flair to its red panel screen that is filled with patterns. It acts as a room divider between the foyer and the rest of the house. This matches with the designs on the built-in cabinets on the right.
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Mansion Foyer Ideas
This is a spacious mansion foyer with light tones on its marble flooring tiles. These are further brightened by the natural lights coming in from tall glass windows that reach all the way to the high ceiling. This angle shows the wooden accent underneath the second-floor catwalk.
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Rustic-Style Foyers
This small Rustic-style foyer has a log cabin feel to its walls that are made of log beams stacked on each other. This is complemented by a worn-out hardwood flooring that makes the dark wooden legs of the console table and gray cushioned chair stand out.
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Foyers for Great First Impressions
This gorgeous foyer has a great first impression for the incoming guests. It first welcomes with a large circular colorful patterned area rug on the dark hardwood flooring. Then there is the elegant small console table that bears a table lamp that stands out against the white wainscoting and the beige walls that are all complemented by the large chandelier.
Click here for all foyers great for first impressions
Industrial-Style Foyers
This small Industrial-style foyer has a white textured brick wall that is complemented by the distressed hardwood flooring that transitions to a black and white checkered flooring upon crossing the threshold of the entryway to the rest of the home.
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Yellow Foyer Ideas
The sunny yellow walls of this charming foyer are complemented by the bright yellow glow of the dome pendant light hanging over the round wooden table. This is standing on a round area rug that accents the hardwood flooring along with the border lining from the doorway.
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Scandinavian-Style Foyers
This Scandinavian-style foyer has beauty in its simplicity. It has a gray concrete flooring that goes well with the dark planter on a wrought iron pedestal as well as the black frames of the main door that alternates with the glass panels. These are all brightened by the white walls and ceiling.
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Green Foyer Ideas
This foyer features its elegant green patterned wallpaper above the white wainscoting. This wainscoting contrasts the hardwood flooring that is mostly covered with a large patterned area rug. This is topped with a small wrought iron and crystal chandelier that hangs from the white ceiling.
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Craftsman-Style Foyers
This simple and homey Craftsman-style foyer showcases the primaryful wooden structures that give this foyer a unique look like the wooden door, ceiling and the dark brown wooden cabinet with glass panels for decors. Across from this is a brilliant stained glass window.
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White Foyer Ideas
This elegant foyer is dominated by the white wooden walls, wainscoting, white wooden doors and the white ceiling with recessed lights. These are further brightened with its contrast to the dark hardwood flooring, wrought iron railings and the wooden banisters of the stairs.
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Spanish-Style Foyers
This Spanish-style foyer has curved light gray walls that follow the round ceiling that hangs a gold modern geometric pendant light over the bright pink patterned flooring tiles. This makes the wooden bench stand out as well as the wooden main door.
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Foyers with Pendant Lights
The small and compact foyer has gray walls that make the dark wooden elements stand out like the armchair and console table adorned with a large mirror. These are all topped with a simple glass spherical pendant light hanging from the white ceiling.
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Beach-Style Foyers
This simple and bright Beach-style foyer has a small white wooden structure that equates to a small mudroom of sorts. It has a wooden seat for one, hook for the hats and coats and there is also an umbrella rack below the small vanity mirror.
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Brown Foyer Ideas
This foyer oozes with luxury and style and warmed by the fireplace with a wooden mantle that complements the dark brown wooden walls. These are paired well with the brown leather cushioned armchairs surrounding the central table in the middle of the beige marble flooring.
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Transitional-Style Foyers
The brown patterned marble flooring of this Transitional-style foyer is perfectly matched with the wooden main doors as well as the drawers on the side bearing a table lamp across from the light brown and white staircase with simple wrought iron railings.
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Beige Foyer Ideas
The charming arched wooden main double door stands out with its dark brown tone against the beige curved walls. This matches well with the curved waist-high cabinet bearing flowers in a vase adorned with an elegant wall-mounted mirror flanked by wall lamps and paired with a beige cushioned chair.
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Traditional-Style Foyers
This Traditional-style foyer has an elegant round dark wooden table in the middle of the large colorful patterned area rug of the hardwood flooring. This is paired well with the wrought iron railings of the staircase that contrasts the light tones of the fireplace mantle.
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Types of Foyers and Entry Points
Most people take an entrance foyer for granted unless they’ve lived without one.
In our last home, the main entrance to our home was our kitchen. And I’m talking directly into the kitchen.
Our son was born in that home which meant whenever we brought the stroller into our home, we wheeled it right on through our kitchen. Then there’s the lack of shoe and coat space which can quickly clutter the entire space.
Our new home has a large entry foyer where we have space for a coat wardrobe, shelves, hooks, and seating. It’s a feature we really appreciate having lived without it. Even a smaller entryway, such as a mudroom, can add that extra convenience.
Update… our current home now has a dedicated foyer area with a closet. It’s great to have but a foyer space, but one problem is that we live in a split level home and so there’s a short staircase leading into the foyer area which limits the space. When we see guests off, it gets crowded if we go into space with them.
We stand above seeing them off which is kind of weird. Nevertheless, we’re very happy to have a dedicated entry area at the front door. FYI, we also a mudroom through the garage door, which is very handy.
Interestingly, we aren’t alone. One of the most common complaints homeowners have with their existing homes is a lack of dedicated foyer space. We love watching renovation and home-buying TV shows and the foyer is often in issue… such as requires more than one or when house hunting, dazzling prospective buyers with a grand one.
While a large foyer may seem excessive, and perhaps some of the grand foyers below are excessive, they serve a great purpose for any home.
2 Main Types of Home Entry Rooms
There are 2 main types of home entry rooms. They are:
- Foyer; and
- Mudroom.
Some homes have neither and enter into the living room or some other space. This isn’t ideal. It’s much better to have a dedicated entry space.
The foyer is usually a home’s main entrance via the front door. It may be grand or modest. It’s a place where people can be welcomed and place their outerwear and bags.
The mudroom is a common entry via an attached garage or a rear door. It’s the entry most used by kids and the household generally. It’s often too small given the amount of stuff that it must store, especially a household with kids.
This article focuses on foyers. You can read all about the types of mudrooms here.
Foyer Features
1. Shape
Foyers come in all shapes, including hexagon, round, octagon, rectangle and square. In open concept home designs, the foyer may not seem to be a dedicated space but instead opens directly into living space such as living room and/or kitchen.
This doesn’t necessarily mean there isn’t a foyer. As long as there is some space upon entry, that can be deemed a foyer space.
Examples of a round foyer:
2. Height
If I had to choose one room to have a taller ceiling it would be the living room. However, the foyer is a close second. Foyers with tall ceilings create a grand entrance. Usually these foyers have a staircase with upper landing.
However, a great foyer need not be 2 stories. It can have a basic 8 or 9-foot ceiling.
Here are some examples of foyers of varying heights:
3. Style
Foyer style will typically mimic that of the home overall. For instance, you wouldn’t want a rustic foyer in a modern home unless you’re really into an eclectic look.
There are several interior design styles which mean there are several foyer styles. The following illustrates some basic foyer styles… please keep in mind that while the following provides examples of some foyer styles, the potential style and decor is limitless.
There are a modern, contemporary, traditional, rustic, cottage, mid-century modern, tropical, Asian, art deco, craftsman, Mediterranean and country to name a few of the predominant styles. And then there are designs that incorporate two or more of these.
Examples of different foyer styles:
4. Size
When planning a home, you might think it a waste to dedicate any serious square footage to an entryway, but in my experience allocated at least 25 to 50 square feet is well worth the cost. In fact, it’s not terribly expensive square feet (not like a kitchen for example) and so you might be inclined to bump that up to 80 to 100 square feet.
We currently have about a 40 square foot foyer, which is pretty small. Another 30 square feet would be fabulous.
For instance, in our 30 square feet, all we can fit is a small bench for sitting on or placing objects on. It would be nice to have more space for a larger bench and perhaps a foyer console table. Yes, you definitely want to consider furnishings for your entryway as well.
However, furnish sparsely. You don’t want a cramped entryway. The furnishings should be functional, but also enhance the look of the space. A cramped foyer, no matter how nice the furnishings, will not look good.
That said, you don’t want your entire house to be a foyer. There are definitely diminishing returns to foyer size (for any room size for that matter). At some point, it’s just wasted space unless you have an art gallery in your home and so your entryway is a showpiece.
Another consideration is the overall size of your home. If you have a 5,000 square foot home, it should have a larger foyer. The foyer, within a size range such as 30 to 300 square feet, should be commensurate to your home’s overall size.
2 ways to give the impression of a larger foyer is to incorporate some mirrors and/or have taller ceilings.
Here are some examples of different sizes:
5. Foyer Cost
As a person considering building a home, I’m constantly looking into the cost per square foot. It’s a frustrating practice because the range is huge, which should be obvious. Therefore, it follows that the range in cost for a foyer can be huge. You can spend a ridiculous amount or keep it bare-bones.
That said, you’re typically looking at $125 to $200 per square foot depending on flooring, windows, the staircase, walls, and height.
At $150 per square foot, a 75 square foot foyer will cost $11,250. Obviously, you can adjust the cost numbers yourself… but a decent foyer won’t cost too much more than $10,000 and in many cases less.
6. The Staircase
The staircase is so important to home design, we dedicated an entire post to it. Needless to say, the staircase, if there is one, is usually a focal point of the foyer. In my view, it’s important to give your staircase serious design consideration. It really can enhance your home’s interior design. We deem the staircase so important that we have a dedicated gallery and article for staircases here.
7. The Floor
The most common flooring materials for foyers are:
- Hardwood
- Tile
- Laminate
- Carpet
- Vinyl
- Marble
My favorite, like many other people, is hardwood. In fact, hardwood is ideal for an entryway because you don’t need the muting/warming benefits of carpet. Tile can be great in humid climates though.
If possible avoid laminate. It’s simply not as nice as hardwood or even quality tile for that matter. Vinyl is durable and less expensive but won’t offer the “wow” factor you might want in your home’s main entrance.
Here are examples of foyers with different types of floors:
8. The Walls
Wall decor in foyers can follow the rules of the living room. It can be simply white or be more elaborate. Obviously one wall will contain the front door, which is also an important choice for your home – both on the inside and outside.
Wall options include:
- Paint
- Wallpaper
- Brick
- Wainscoting/Beadboard
- Wood paneling
- Glass
- Concrete
There really isn’t one best wall option. It really depends on the rest of your home.
Here are examples of foyers with different types of walls:
9. Foyer Furnishing and Storage
Our foyer has a closet which is fabulous for storing our coats and guests’ coats. It’s very handy. I recommend installing a closet if you have space and budget.
Other furnishing options for a foyer include:
Table: This could be a table placed in the center of a large foyer or if a smaller foyer, butted up against the wall (console table). Both look great. Whatever you do, avoid creating a cramped space. A table isn’t worth it.
Chair(s): If large enough, you can place a chair or two in the foyer. This is a nice touch, perhaps nicer than a bench. I like chairs flanking a console table if there’s space. However, I think most foyers opt for some form of a bench.
Mirror(s): A foyer is a great place for a tall mirror so you can check yourself before heading out. It also adds a nice decorative touch if you get a nice mirror. Since it doesn’t take up much space, most foyer designs can accommodate this. However, you want to be careful that the mirror is placed so that people won’t bump into it when getting ready to leave.
Bench: If you get only one furniture item for your foyer, a bench of some sort is probably your best bet. There are many styles and designs you can choose from. We have a simple 2-level bench that does the job nicely. However, you can certainly buy a more elaborate bench that includes storage and built-in coat rack above.
Shoe Storage: If you don’t have a closet and you prefer not having shoes strewn all over the foyer, someplace for shoes is a necessity. A simple shoe rack will do the job or a nice mat.
Umbrella stand: I live in a place where it rains a LOT. While we don’t have an umbrella stand for lack of foyer space, it would be handy for us and guests.
Coat rack: If you’re without a closet, a solid coat rack, if you have space, is great to have. Nobody wants to dump their coats on a bench or worse, the floor. A sturdy coat rack can accommodate several coats and doesn’t take up too much space.
10. Lighting
One of the hardest home features to choose for any room is the lighting. You must choose the type of light and decide on the fixture from literally thousands of fixtures.
However, if you have the height and space, foyer lighting is a no-brainer. It screams CHANDELIER. A chandelier is perfect for the foyer. It creates a dramatic and well-lit entrance for guests. It’s a feature you may be able to see from other parts of the home.
Keep in mind there are many smaller chandeliers you can choose from. It need not be some massive grandiose chandelier.
If a chandelier isn’t a viable option, you can consider the following:
- Floor lamps;
- Recessed ceiling lighting:
- Wall lights; or
- Skylights (obviously you need artificial lighting as well for the night time).
Here are some foyers showcasing the different lighting options:
