The foyer or the entryway of your home is like the first look inside your house that makes a lasting impression on all your guests and also changes the entire look of the interior. As they say, the first impression is the last impression, and because it matters so much, it is important for the lighting of your entry foyer to be exceptionally beautiful and unique. Aside from just the aesthetics, the lighting also has to be perfectly balanced in order to achieve the ideal kind of warmth and coolness inside your home.

The best kind of lighting also creates an inviting entrance and further sets a beautiful mood, ambiance, and atmosphere inside your house. There are a plethora of foyer lighting styles with a multitude of different designs, shapes, colors and sizes that are currently available in the market. Pick your favorite style below and completely transform the entry foyer of your home by creating the perfect illumination that is simply breathtaking.

1. Chandeliers

If you are looking to make a grand and fancy statement about your home, chandeliers are one of your best choices to accomplish your goal. These beautiful lights manage to light and brighten up most of the spaces in your home in an absolutely amazing manner, especially the entry foyer. They contain arrays of multiple lamps that usually hand within branched frames which is why chandeliers are commonly installed in living rooms, lounges, hallways, lounges and dining rooms.

Chandeliers come in a variety of different styles, shapes, and sizes, each adding a bold and a glitzy look to your entryway which makes quite an impression when you have guests over in your house. They are also known by other less common names such as suspended lights, girandole, and candelabra lamps. These were invented during medieval times, most popularly used by wealthy people.

Chandeliers in those times could be easily moved from one space to the other and were really costly, which made them true symbols of luxury and status. Classic chandeliers consist of hanging crystal prisms that illuminate the room by refracting the light while on the other hand; contemporary chandeliers use direct light from lamps instead of using crystal prisms. This offers a more subtle and minimalist look altogether.

Nowadays, modern chandeliers have become quite the trend for foyer lighting ideas since they offer a modernized touch, often with LEDs and small mirrors. These lights are more like a combination of classic and contemporary chandeliers. You will find a variety of different types of chandeliers that are most commonly used in today’s times.

Crystal Chandelier

Crystal chandeliers are typically made of dangling crystal prisms, and the glass usually consists of chemical content, for instance, lead crystal. This helps add a multitude of special qualities to the chandelier like softness, clarity, and resonance. Even within crystal chandeliers, you will a number of styles and designs, ranging from contemporary to romantic.

Cage Chandelier

As the name suggests, these are metal caged chandeliers that consist of illuminating lights in the middle. The metal structure in this chandelier replaces the typical central stem that supports the decorations, which in turn, leaves more space and room for lights, candles, or any other similar kind of embellishments. Some common and popular cage chandelier styles often feature candles, crystals or shades in the center.

Candle Style Chandelier

This is one of the most popular chandelier styles that a lot of people prefer for their foyer entryway. This is because it consists of lights that are shaped like candles and look really stunning. A traditional candle style chandelier usually consists of five or more arms, each of which consists of a candlestick shaped light or bulb.

Bowl Chandelier

This is another very popular chandelier bowl that uses glass, metal or ceramic bowl which is suspended in the air with the help of rods. The lights are centered in the middle of the bowl shape which further helps it radiate upwards and then slowly and softly the light moves down through the bowl, beautifully lighting up your home space.

2. Pendants

Pendant lights are more of a modernized option for entry foyer lighting, but can also work equally well in traditional spaces. An interesting thing about pendants is that they manage to create an illusion of taller spaces that helps draw your eyes upwards, and the light softly illuminates from the hanging piece. Pendants are described as light fixtures that hang from the ceiling and are suspended in the air with the help of either a rod, chain or a cord.

These are also commonly called ‘drops’ or ‘suspenders’. The fact that pendants are hung in a straight line makes them ideal for entryways, dinette sets, and kitchen countertops. The modern-day pendants are often compared with chandeliers since they are quite similar in appearance.

Some of them use fluorescent or halogen bulbs while a few other varieties use low voltage energy-saving lights. When deciding on pendant lighting for your home, it is best to first consider the bulb quantity, the size, and the suspension system. This is because pendants are typically placed in sets and are relatively smaller in size, so it is important to create the ideal combination of size and suspension in order to create the perfect lighting.

Additionally, it is also vital to create the right kind of definition by placing them at a height that allows an unhindered view while you are sitting or standing. Below are a number of types of pendants with different shapes or sizes.

Drum Pendant

This pendant style is obviously named after its shape which looks like a drum. The shades also look like drums in which a circular metal frame is covered with the help of a stretching material or cloth. The drum-shaped pendant is suspended in the air with a single rod or chain.

The bottom of the shade can be open or close, depending on your personal preference and where you want to hang the pendant. One thing to remember here is that if you use a darker colored shade, it will allow less light to shine through it and lighter shades will result in more radiance.

Saucer Bubble Pendant

This is believed to be a classic ‘must-have’ style of pendant light with an iconic design that has apparently transcended through trends and multiple eras. As the name suggests, this design looks like a hybrid between a saucer and a bubble that seems to have been pressed together from both the top and bottom. A traditional sauced bubble pendant consists of a steel wire skeleton that is covered with a layer of translucent plastic.

This plastic allows light to shine through it, while also cutting the glare. These are also extended high up in the air with the help of supporting rods or chains.

Globe Pendant

Globe pendants are called as such because of their obvious round shape, and they are also often referred to as spheres, globes, and orbs. These sport a very midcentury kind of look, given how they have evolved since the 1950s and 1960s. Globe pendants are quite luminous since the round or globs is usually made of glass and contains bulbs or lights placed in the center.

These are typically used singularly, but if you wish to make a bold and dazzling statement in your entry foyer, you can hang a cluster of these pendants together. Also, if you are more of an adventurous experimenter and want to play with these beauties a little, you can set them at different drop lengths which will look absolutely stunning, to say the least.

Multi-Light Pendants

This pendant style is characterized by multiple different lights that are at the center of a single pendant. The shape of the pendant can vary according to your preferences but has to contain multiple light fixtures. The key here is to maintain balance because you don’t want the different lights to clash against one another and create a harsh glare.

This style can also include different rods or chains emerging from a single central point with small bulbs or lights hanging at the end of each chord or rod.

Bowl Pendants

This style sports a slight similarity to the saucer bubble pendant, except that it consists of an inverted bowl-shaped pendant. Bowl pendants are believed to be the most ubiquitous lighting style, considering how their design is so sleek and simple yet so functional. Since the bowl is installed in an inverted manner, it casts the light in an upward manner rather than downwards.

Abstract Pendants

This is a great option for foyers and hallways where you want a decorative ambient lighting system to place in the center and give an artistic touch to the entire space. The fact that lighting designers are always experimenting and trying to come up with unique and new ways for homeowners to embellish their homes with fancy lighting is what has resulted in the creation of these abstract pendants. They are truly abstract with no fixed or standard shape and design.

3. Semi-Flush Mounts

This lighting style may not be as popular as chandeliers and sconces, but they are truly unique and special. A flush mount is defined as a lighting fixture that is attached to the ceiling without any holes or gaps, and they are made to around a ceiling light bulb flush. They are neither too long nor short and are considered to be “just right”.

They are different from the other light styles in a way that they don’t particularly hang from the ceiling. A type of flush mount is “semi-flush mount” which is often referred to as the “unsung hero” of low ceiling lighting designs. This is because these lighting fixtures have a very compact size that is ideal for low-ceiling spaces and areas.

Even though they aren’t as majestic and fancy, they are perfect for giving your ceiling canopy that extra “oomph” factor. Low-lying ceiling lights are also very aesthetically pleasing because just a few inches of suspension used in semi-flush mounts result in a mise-en-scène kind of lighting that may be illuminating in an upward or a downward manner, depending on the size and shape of the light fixture. Common and popular designs include bowl, dome or drum-shaped.

4. Wall Sconces

These are best described as the ultimate “sleek lighting” fix to all your light dilemmas! Also called wall lights, wall sconces are simply light fixtures that are attached to a wall and use the support of a wall. Since they don’t use the ground or any other thing as a base, they require electrical boxes in order to work.

Wall sconces may typically use a traditional torch, gas light or a candle for illumination, however, those were more popular in the historic times during which candle sconces were greatly in use and were made from silver or brass, especially in the 17^th century. During the 18^th century, the silver and brass were replaced by ormolu and porcelain. A typical wall sconce is nothing but a simple lamp that is fixed to a wall but even, so they have a variety of different styles and designs.

Lantern Wall Sconce

This style of wall sconce uses a lantern, as the name also suggests, and is majorly designed to bring in a traditional touch to your home. Given its style and structure, it best for outdoor lighting. Lantern wall sconces are used by many homeowners in their homes’ entryways because they allow so much light to shine through that helps make a lasting impressing in terms of the ambiance and beauty of your home.

They can be hung on any wall where the light flickers and emanates from inside the lantern in a beautiful manner.

Wallchieres

These sconces are all about the prominent decorative element that greatly sets them apart from all other types of wall sconces. The detailing on these lights is incredibly intricate and stunning. The unique name “Wallchieres” comes from the fact that it is like a hybrid version with a combination of a torchiere floor lamp and a wall lamp.

This is also why they are distinctly slim, tall, long, and slender. Since Wallchieres are all about details and decorations, they are popularly used indoors where they manage to add a wow factor to your overall home décor. While you can also use a simple floor lamp or a torchiere floor lamp individually, the major benefit of using Wallchieres is that they don’t take up any floor space.

This makes it very easy for homeowners to decide where to install them. Some ideal places or avenues for using Wallchieres can include entry foyers, next to furniture pieces or in your bathroom. Wherever you install them, they will add a great touch of light and style flawlessly.

Flush Mounted/Half Moon

This is the most common and preferred lighting style among wall sconces. This because a flash mounted sconce is very compact, small and can easily be installed tightly against the wall. Since it comes in a variety of styles, shapes, and designs, you can install them both indoors and outdoors.

A unique characteristic about half moon or flash mounted wall sconces is that they end up washing the entire wall with light. It basically makes you feel that your entire wall is covered with light because of the way it radiates that lighting effect. In doing so, it creates a very unique and beautiful design element and significantly adds to the overall aesthetics of your home.

Candle Sconces

These sconces are like a throwback to old times, given how they used to be a must-have for home lighting some centuries ago. While back in those days people actually used candles for illumination, it has now been replaced with bulbs that hugely resemble candlesticks. Candle sconces are popularly used in modern times by homeowners, especially inside their homes since these provide a very antique, rustic kind of an effect.

There is a variety of these sconces available ranging from wrought iron sconces to wood to brass. These sconces are also quite popular for creating an intimate kind of an environment since they don’t give off much light. If you are using candle sconces for your entryways or entry foyer, you might have to install a couple of them to generate more light.

5. Recessed Lighting

This type of lighting is also known by other common names like pot light, can light and downlight, and is typically installed in a circular hole or opening in the ceiling. As the name suggests, the lighting is shone downwards, in a recessed manner and the light appears as if it’s shining from a hollow opening in the ceiling. So, the resulting light fixture is more like a pot or canister since it is cylindrical in shape.

Recessed lights were also used in ancient times, and the first ever recessed lights were developed in Detroit, Michigan during the 1940s by the Kirlin Company. The lighting fixture is these lights consist of three main parts which are: the bulb, housing, and trim. The housing is another name for the fixture which basically contains the lamp holder, and itself is installed in the ceiling hole.

The trim refers to the visible part of the lighting that you can vividly see when you look up. It also refers to the thin line that circles around the edge of the light. Lastly, the bulb is, of course, the source of light, and there is a variety of different types of bulbs that can be fixed into the recessed fixture.

6. LED Strip Lighting

This is quite a new and most versatile kind of lighting that is also referred to as modern minimalistic lamps. These are super cool, funky and fancy kinds of lights that are going to bring a new kind of life to your overall home decor. These come in a strip form that you can easily attach on your wall, suspend it or simply wrap it around furniture pieces.

Either, way, it looks fantastic and quite trendy and modish.

7. Lamps

They might seem old school yet are really stunning; lamps never go out of style. Although they do take up quite a big chunk of space, they add that extra visual factor to your home that is aesthetically pleasing. Be it floor lamps or table lamps, they are an attractive solution to all your lighting woes.

The best part about lamps is that you can easily move them around, experiment with them and change their position. So, if one day you decide that you want to change the entire lighting look in your entry foyer, simply move the lamps around! You can also play with different kinds of bulbs that are used inside lamps in order to diversify the level of coolness and warmth you want inside your home.

Not only do lamps provide the best kind of illumination, but they are also equally elegant and graceful, and make a great impression on anyone who sees them. Have you picked out your favorite yet? Be it lamps, chandeliers, or pendants; make sure to strike the perfect lighting balance in your foyer, for you want to create enough illumination which should also be subtle and intimate.

17 Different Types of Entry Foyer Lighting for a Dazzling First Impression (Photos)