Monday, April 7, 2014

Foyer plans - so many options, no coherent ideas

Though it seems ages away, we are only about 4 or 5 weeks away from moving in to our new house. Walls are primed, plumbing ready, electrical putting in the lights and switches this week. I'm getting antsy and weary and weepy -- partially because it's been so long, it's now so close, and it will still be a long time yet.

As the time comes, I realize how much I have yet to do, how much crap we have, and how much more we need once we get in the house.

I've been thinking more and more about what I want to do with the front entry. Or, foyer, as it is known. For those who do not know, it's called FOY-yay. Not foy-YER. It's French.

So anyway, our front entry is enormous. It is the common entry area for both the main living suite upstairs and the rental suite downstairs. If you look at the drawing below, you will see the basic layout.
Front door (left) Garage door (right)

Now, we already have a bench. The Guy bought it when we were still living in the other house. I haven't seen it in about 9 months, so I have no idea what it looks like any more. If its ugly, we will return it and I have an old bench I will recover, so either way, we have it under control.

Above the bench, I plan to put a mirror.
Mirror from Lowe's
In front of the door, I want to put a large area rug. This will be to catch dirt and pull the room together.  These are the two rugs I like, but neither will look good with the picture I want to put over top of the closet on the 5 foot ledge that is there.

I have a phenomenal painting my Dad brought back from Ukraine one of his first trips there. Long before he got married and ended up settling there. It is a watercolour nature scene of a tree and is in a wooden frame that leans towards being burgundy in colour. I have no picture of this picture at all. 

So, in retrospect, neither of these rugs will really suit it at all.


Do you see my dilemma?

On the wall behind the main door (so directly across from the bench) I want to put this show cabinet. I have become the crazy person who likes everything to be neat and orderly and put away.  (Side note: What has this marriage done to me????) The idea is that The Guy and I will share this with the tenants downstairs so that winter boots or 45 pairs of flip flops are left by the front door (I'm totally talking about me with the flip flops) and yet we will all have access to the shoes we need.
Ikea STALL shoe cabinet
My conundrum aside from the rug choice is the picture choices. There are 5 spots that could be places for paintings, photos, knick knacks, statues, etc. The ledge over the closet (centred green swirl) I wanted to put the painting from Ukraine, two large vases, and a statue of two people entwined.

Over the shoe cabinet, I plan to do something like a small photo gallery.
Do not judge my Paint art gallery.
 The trouble will be the GIANT empty space further along that same wall.  The ceilings are about 10 feet give or take. The space in the top left green swirl is about 4 feet wide. Over the stairs going down  (not swirled) is another 3 foot space where I plan to put some sort of saying in sticky letters.

Going along the wall heading upstairs (top right green swirl) is room for 3 or 4 photos "walking" up along the stairs.  There is NOTHING BUT WALL SPACE in this foyer.

Seriously. SO MANY OPTIONS.

So, I am calling upon the designers, the artists, the nosey, the opinionated to share with me their thoughts. I don't want to overwhelm the space. I don't want it to be so busy no one can stand to be there.  However, I also don't want it so empty it looks like an entryway to an apartment building.

And yet, if it meant I could move in tomorrow, I would paint it all orange and hang whips on the walls.

28 comments:

  1. Whips...interesting ..very interesting. Well back to my opinion...the shoe cabinet is a fantastic idea...and based on the your overall vision..I think this works.

    The biggest issue you seem to have is the placement of items. The idea that having to much WALL SPACE is rather humerous...many people would be envious of your worry!

    Generally speaking it sounds like you have given this some real thought. The fact that the biggest issue is the carpet... now that choice might depend on the actual foot traffic. How dirty might it look based on your general area. Does it matter that is might look wet, dirty, or is the idea that is blends in or compliments the other parts of decor. That right there is your balance. Do you want people lookign down at the rug, or taking in the general design elements you have put so much more thought into.

    My personal choice is having people find the entry inviting and yet informal enough to have them enticed into 'what is inside'.

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  2. Thanks, Mervin! I love the shoe cabinet. I want a rug that not only collects the dirt and rain, but hides it as well as looks good. I also want to know what should be in the large space near the downstairs -- one large picture, many smaller pictures, etc.

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  3. A couple of thoughts.
    1. We bought a simple, neutral rug for our entry hall (you've seen it in many pictures on my blog), and it works without competing for attention.
    2. The blank wall: what about framing out a patch of chalkboard paint and using it as a note-leaving place? or a place for Lil E to draw?

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    1. I was thinking about the chalkboard, but the wall is super high and drops directly down the stairs into the basement. Too much chance of injury there! I do like the simple rug idea. That will be better not to draw too much attention to the floor.

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  4. such a complicated layout! I myself refuse to use a rug near a door - they get nasty so fast and are so hard to clean. I think you've made some great choices already. You go girl!!

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    1. Thanks Anne! I hope it will all come together some day. Actually, I just hope to move in some day!!!

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  5. Wainscoting and panel molding for stair cases will give it a French or Early American feel depending if you use bead board for the wainscoting or not. Space the panels at 20 to 30 " with 4" to 6" in between. Then you could paint the insides of the panels in a monochromatic color or even wall paper the center or possibly paint ornamental accents next to the moldings. There are many styles you can do this which would open your options immensely. As a decorative artist I see it quite often as for answers to these tough stairway issues

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    1. Ooh wainscotting is LOVELY. That might be a "someday" option. I like it!

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  6. Congratulations on your new home. I know the feelings you're experiencing quite well as we've built three new homes during our married life.
    Personally, I'd keep it simple with just the mirror over the shoe storage cabinet and art over the double doors along with a pretty rug for catching stuff off ones shoes. Since this is a shared space I'd make sure the rug is one that can easily be cleaned, maybe even by hosing off. If you want to add extra interest to the area, I'd paint the walls pretty bold color.
    As for the word foyer, there are both English and French pronunciations. Neither end with the yay sound surprisingly as so many say it that way. I prefer the American version myself.
    English (click the speaker icon):
    http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foyer
    French:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP2H8OqB7cA

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    1. Thanks, Becky! I don't know how you've done it. One build has had my stomach and shoulders in knots for months!! Bravo to you and your hubby.

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  7. I can only imagine the sense of anticipation and trepidation you must feel all at the same time - I don't have any opinions to offer. My brain is not in a very creative space at the moment, so I would probably default to painting it orange and hanging the whips! ;-)

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    1. I am super excited and anxious about it all. That tends to be my only two emotions! I will try the orange and whips. The Guy might be freaked, but he will deal.

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  8. I like the idea for the photo gallery. I need to do something to ours, its turning into a "mudroom" type area. Thanks for the ideas, lady!

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    1. Kyla, I'm so glad you could get some ideas from this. I have a few more from everyone's help, so I'm excited to get it down. You know, sometime before I retire.

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  9. How exciting and I like the photo gallery idea too. I think it would look great if it was all tied together with a repeated colour maybe. I'd also go with mirrors to a.) check yourself before walking out the door and b.) bounce around some light and make the space feel larger.

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    1. Heather, I love the idea of a colour to tie everything together. I'm hunting for pictures to use now!

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  10. Love the choices you have made already! Looks like you are getting some great ideas in the comments - I think the space will be fabulous!

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    1. Thanks, Dani. I can't wait to get in there and start putting these great suggestions into play!

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  11. I am glad you like that water colour. It is the floodplain of the Dnipro River in spring time, somewhere in Kyiv.

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    1. I remember what lengths you went to bring it home, Dad. I'm glad it's where it belongs!! (I mean with me)

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  12. You have a wealth of possibilities. My recommendation is to give yourself some time for the answers to come to you. Patience is hard sometimes, but good answers will all make themselves known to you as you go along. Try things out in the new space, take a look, and move forward slowly. If it takes you a week, or three, to find the right combinations of things that work for you in that space, that might still be alright, don't you think?

    Who knows? Maybe that reddish line in the rug on the right will be sorta burgundy and go with the watercolor's wooden frame that goes toward burgundy? Then perhaps a spot or two more of burgundy in vases or small pillows on the bench might tie things together. It is so much easier to tell when all the components are in the same space and ready for viewing together.

    The best of luck to you as you head into these last phases of preparations for moving into your new home. Please post photos here later on, showing what you end up with.

    Elsie
    Houston, TX

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    1. Thanks so much, Elsie. It's hard to remember to take time to let it flow.

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  13. Hey, so exciting! If you are like me the worse part of anything is the very beginning and the very end... I am not one to wait patiently. So, in looking at your plan, with your lovely green swirls, it makes sense to me to go with thinking focal... when you or your guests round the corner to head up stairs = a focal piece there. I'm not sure what that ledge is like over the foyer closet, but a beautiful lush plant (don't know if you can access it?) is a very nice way to add something with out it being competitive with everything else in the small space. If you are very symmetrical, you could mirror your art choice with a (same-ish sized ) mirror on the opposite wall to your focal art, when you are leaving you could see full length of your self... this is very hard to verbalize, for me anyways, too visual. I am sending you a sketch.

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    1. I love the sketch (it initially wrote "scotch"!) you sent, Laurie. I think you're totally right about the plant. I think focal point will be the thing.

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  14. Orange with whips for sure. ;) haha
    I agree with whoever else said wainscotting to break it up. Or you can do a whole gallery picture wall down the stairs. I think that looks beautiful as well, but all those frames and to get them to all work together can be tricky and expensive.

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    1. I love the idea of a gallery. I'm thinking I will go to a lot of garage sales this summer looking for the right ones, Kathryn!

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  15. I would put the shoe cabinet center the wall...because the door is going to swing back... so you don't want it to hit the cabinet. Also, it will allow incomers the space they need when loading their shoes. And this will take care of your empty wall dilemma. I think putting a rug in the foyer is a great idea. However...I would put like a welcome mat outside. This will help with dirt control. Based on the images of things you have chosen...the space is going to have a casual contemporary to modern feel. That being said I would go with the orange rug because it has more of a punch to it. Also I would add accessories. Is that cabinet wide enough to place accessories on it? And Congrats on your new home.

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    1. Thanks so much, Trish. A welcome mat outside is a great idea. Though, my husband has one for his favourite team and I am NOT going there!!!

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