Foyers

The foyer is the entryway to your home, and it is usually connected to several rooms in the space. It is the first thing people see when they enter your home. Conversely, the foyer is the last thing that people see when leaving your home, so we want visitors to receive a great impression both coming and going. In the world of decorating, the entrance of a home should excite you and begin the color story that will unfold as you move through the space, so that you want to see more of what lies beyond. Let’s peek into the foyers of a Gardenia, Mandeville, and Begonia models to see how the foyers can draw you in and make you want to see more, somewhere in the Heart of The Villages.

•  Gardenia Foyer
The Gardenia foyer is usually a wide entrance hall and there is room for an entryway console, but this homeowner did not want any furniture in the space. Though they did not want furniture in the space they still wanted it to look impressive and tie into the rest of the home. We decided to add wainscot to the hallway to visually ground the space. The wainscot would add interest to the walls the same way a piece of furniture would add interest to the space, but the wainscot does not take up any space. The wainscot was painted all white from the top of the chair rail to the bottom of the baseboard and it was installed around the entire foyer. We installed two large watercolor pictures of coral. The coral was painted in layers of blue and framed with a silver frame. The opposite wall received three mirrors hung in a pyramid pattern. Finally, we placed a large 5’x8’ rug in the foyer and filled the hallway from side wall to side wall. The foyer is not full but it does not feel empty. I notice that when walking through the foyer I did not miss the furniture at all.

•  Mandeville foyer
The Mandeville foyer is small but still very worthy of decoration. In this foyer we placed a black lacquered Asian themed chest that is very eye catching. Above the chest we hung a large photograph by Alan Maltz, titled “Walk on the Wildside”. This photograph is a snowy egret in his mating plumage on a background of black. The picture is both fun to look at matches the elevated look of the table and other chinoiserie pieces in the space. On each side of the front door there are rose Asian vases and beside the table is a blue and white chinoiserie garden seat. The small wall beside the closet has two panels of an Asian screen that visually tie into the table that is on the opposite wall. Finally, we added a very casual, natural color, 4’x6’ seagrass rug to the space. Seagrass rugs can take a beating and will perform well in high traffic areas. This foyer is just a taste of what the rest of the home will reveal.

•  Begonia Foyer
The Begonia foyer, which is similar to the Gardenia foyer, did have a chest to greet guests as they enter. The chest is a stunning woven rattan and wicker that works well with a Tommy Bahama look. We added a very large mirror with a dark bamboo and metal surround, and it looks like they were purchased as a set, but they were not.
The foyer looks nice at night with a lamp on the table and we chose the stacked elephant lamp titled, ‘whimsy” from Currey and Co. Also, we added a permanent botanical made of Winward orchids to the table. These orchids will never have to be watered or pruned. Also, we added a real nautilus shell mounted in a tripod holder. You can always use large shells in your space no matter what your style of décor. Shells have natural texture, and they are neutral. The wall opposite the chest received a large photograph of a warm sunset in Key West.
The photograph is also from Alan Maltz and is titled, “Silver Palm Sunset”. In the Gardenia or the Begonia when you hang art opposite the mirror, the art can be seen reflected in the mirror when you are standing at the bar or in the kitchen. Finally, we added a custom-made rug into the space. This rug is synthetic sisal, and it can be cut to fit the exact size that will fit the space. The band around it is dark to make it pop and the synthetic sisal is very durable.
Call Ruth your full service decorator at: 352-804-2056
or Contact Us

After Images Below