• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Emily A. Clark

easy interior decorating ideas

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Our Home
  • Shop My Style
  • Contact

Working With: No Foyer

April 22, 2013

It’s been a while since I’ve done a “working with what you have” post, but I’ve gotten a few emails from readers who don’t have “official” foyers in their houses and are wondering how to deal with a front door that opens directly into the living space.

Southern Living

 

 

Here are a few ideas for creating a pretty—and functional—entry, even when space is limited:

 

 front door in living room via Southern Living

Southern Living

With furniture placement.  It’s okay to walk into a room and see the back of a sofa or a pair of chairs.  Instead of “cutting off” the room, it’s actually a great way to visually create a separate entry way.

 

 

living room small entry via The Hunted Interior

The Hunted Interior

With a wall treatment.  I love how Kristin used molding and wallpaper to create a pretty foyer vignette on her living room wall in the photo above.  You don’t necessarily have to have a lot of wall space to make a big impact.

 

This homeowner took a similar approach by applying board and batten here:

 board and batten to create an entry via The Old Painted Cottage

The Old Painted Cottage via Houzz
 
 
 

 

small entry solution via BHG

Better Homes & Gardens

With accessories.  This spot by the front door could function even if the chest wasn’t there.  Add a textural basket, a cute boot tray, or an umbrella holder and some hooks for a pretty drop-off spot.

 

 

Small entry with hooks and a drop box

Without a piece of furniture.  Although a chest or console is nice, you can still have functional entry without taking up valuable floor space.  A ledge shelf (especially with hooks underneath) gives you a pretty spot for a bowl or flowers. 

 

I also love how they used wallpaper to further define this small entry:

 

Small entry with ledge shelf and wallpaper via Deakins Design Group

Deakins Design Group via Houzz

 

 

 

large floor mirror for a small entry via Apartment Therapy

Apartment Therapy

By using a big mirror.  Large floor mirrors are great because they take up little space in a tight area but visually open up the space, almost adding an extra window in the room.  (If you have the space, layering the mirror with a small console makes this spot work even better.)

 

 

How have you worked with a small or non-existent entryway in your home?

 

See more “working with what you have” posts here.

You Might Also Like

  • Gift Ideas for Younger & Older KidsGift Ideas for Younger & Older Kids
  • Pretty Chairs for Messy PeoplePretty Chairs for Messy People
  • 5 Ways to Use the 2020 Pantone Color of the Year (Classic Blue)5 Ways to Use the 2020 Pantone Color of the Year (Classic Blue)
FacebookTweetPin

Filed Under: foyers, Simple Design Ideas, Working With What You Have

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Heidi says

    April 22, 2013 at 2:40 pm

    Love these images. I have a small home with a front door that opens directly into our living space and then, after a small piece of wall that’s only as big as the door, there’s the dining room – there’s no wall to put a console or a bench. We’ve put a few hooks on the small piece of wall behind the door but it gets overrun quickly. I’m always looking for new inspiration for this particular spot in our house!

    Reply
  2. marty (A Stroll Thru Life) says

    April 22, 2013 at 2:42 pm

    Great ideas, my door opens directly into the living room too. It forms a hallway to the rest of the house, so it kind of makes an entry. I just have a lovely painting sinc that’s all the room there is. Hugs, Marty

    Reply
  3. 17 Perth says

    April 22, 2013 at 3:00 pm

    Oh my gosh…You have no idea how excited I am to see this post today! This is exactly what I am trying to work with–no foyer! You walk directly into my living room (and it is a relatively small living room at that). This really has my brain working–and excited to try a few of these ideas! Thank you!

    Reply
  4. Janna McCalley says

    April 22, 2013 at 3:01 pm

    Our entry is just like that too…Cute anthropologie hooks, a bench and wicker baskets did the trick to make it pretty and functional!

    Reply
  5. Elizabeth@ Pine Cones and Acorns says

    April 22, 2013 at 3:07 pm

    Emily, these are some fabulous ideas! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  6. Elizabeth @ The Little Black Door says

    April 22, 2013 at 3:33 pm

    Great inspiration Emily! I’ve got a foyer, but it is small enough it is almost like not having one. :)

    Reply
  7. simplymodernhome.com says

    April 22, 2013 at 3:50 pm

    We’ve got a foyer but these are great ideas for so many people living in apartments or condos. I definitely could’ve used these tips a few years ago!!

    http://simplymodernhome.com/

    Reply
  8. Kates says

    April 22, 2013 at 4:13 pm

    This is unbelievably helpful. My husband and I are in the house hunting process and I know from browsing real estate listings that most of the homes don’t have foyers and I am a big fan of foyers. This will help when visualizing the spaces! Thanks!!!!

    Reply
  9. Jennifer@ClassicStyleHome says

    April 22, 2013 at 4:19 pm

    I used to have the same problem until we remodeled and made a foyer. But, before that I positioned the sofa as a barrier between the door and living room with a sofa table behind it. Worked great!

    Reply
  10. Kelli @ Life at 818 says

    April 22, 2013 at 5:32 pm

    Yes! I have the smallest entry known to mankind! The only thing I could fit in there was a tiny table. Hope this isn’t tacky, but here is the link to the post I did about it.. and seriously, if anyone has a better idea of what to put in that tiny spot, I’m all ears!

    http://kellitfox.blogspot.com/2012/01/just-couple-of-little-projects.html

    Reply
  11. theanatomyofdesign.com says

    April 22, 2013 at 6:32 pm

    love all your ideas…they all point to the fact that you can create an entry spot just by making a focal point. great post!

    Reply
  12. Morgan S. says

    April 22, 2013 at 6:47 pm

    Great post – I suffer from the lack of foyer situation too!
    Morgan of Style Oyster

    Reply
  13. Melanie says

    April 22, 2013 at 6:49 pm

    I have this issue in my home, these are great inspirational images! I also love these “working with what you have” posts, so fun and practical for everyone!

    Reply
  14. Chaney @ May Richer Fuller Be says

    April 22, 2013 at 7:19 pm

    This is a wonderful post! I’ve had that BHG image bookmarked forever now – love it. Thanks for gathering all of these images!

    Reply
  15. Mellodee says

    April 22, 2013 at 8:05 pm

    Our first home many years ago was essentially a small tract home that the previous owners had renovated and expanded a bit by adding a 2 room & bath second floor and removing the wall between a bedroom and the living room/dining room combo on the first floor. It made a very large open and light filled room that we actually loved. However, the front door opened directly into that expanded space right in the middle of this large room. I couldn’t come up with a single thought of how to create a workable entry no matter how many things I tried. We considered adding something to the front outside, but it just wasn’t workable and affordable. I loved that little house and we lived there for about 15 years, but I absolutely hated the front door opening right into the middle of the room every time the doorbell rang! Every house since then has had a foyer!!

    Reply
  16. Caroline Nolazco says

    April 22, 2013 at 8:52 pm

    I love this! So many of those photos are actually my favorite. I prefer makeshift entrys to formal ones anyway!

    Reply
  17. Jenn Moore says

    April 22, 2013 at 9:24 pm

    Some of those photo are some of my favorites as well! My front door opens into the hallway and stairs. I put a piece of “old” wood with some vintage gym hooks on the wall and a rustic wine barrel mirror there for hanging backpacks and jackets and having some extra light (via the mirror reflecting the light that comes through the glass in the door). We don’t even have enough room for a bench! It is still one of my favorite spots in the house. I can’t wait for a REAL foyer one day!

    Reply
  18. Uhu work says

    April 22, 2013 at 10:21 pm

    Many peoples want to earn money on internet without any investment but there is many online jobs which have many investments. Now you can earn without any investment with Just clicking and Earn daily upto 10 Dollars.
    Join this Best opportunity to make money online without any investment or Charges.
    HotProClicks.com

    Reply
  19. marshallhousematters.com says

    April 22, 2013 at 11:32 pm

    I’ve always liked the idea of using a book shelve as a physical divider between an entrance door and the rest of a room

    Reply
  20. Julia Konya says

    April 23, 2013 at 12:04 am

    Love this, in our house you walk right into the dining room :( and it’s hard to find solutions.

    Reply
  21. Audrey L says

    April 23, 2013 at 1:51 am

    Perfect timing! We’re looking at houses in our beloved neighborhood and my #1 complaint is that they don’t have a designated foyer (shotgun-bungalows…): the door just opens into the space between a dining room and a living room. All I can think when we look at them is, “How can I LIVE here? Where does my jacket go? What do you do with my gloves, keys, flashlight, and dog leash?:

    In our apartment, we don’t have much of an entryway, but the door is at least in the corner of the living room. We backed our couch to the door so that it makes a little entry hall (glad to see that it’s allowed because it felt wrong when I did it). There’s enough room there for the essential dog stuff, jackets, and our bikes, and there’s a nice landing pad straight from the door for the keys, gloves, flashlights, etc. I’d rather that the landing pad be next to the door, but we’ve learned to work with it, and it is the first piece of furniture you bump into in the apartment which helps keep it in use.

    Still though, I’m torn at what to do if we buy one of these shotgun-bungalows. They are most similar to the first picture in the post: door in the MIDDLE of the room, but it almost always tends to open into the dining room here. Then it seems like too-much-table-town. Dining table + entryway table + buffet table = too much table town… *Sigh…

    Reply
  22. reginag says

    April 23, 2013 at 11:40 am

    Im in awe. Fabulous designing.

    california interior designer

    Reply
  23. René says

    April 23, 2013 at 12:42 pm

    Love this post! Great examples of creating an entry – something I struggle with in our house for sure!

    Reply
  24. Kirsten RealInteriors says

    April 23, 2013 at 12:49 pm

    Our entry is in it’s own tiny hall (about 5×3) and contains 3 doors so there isn’t a lot of floor or wall space to work with. I added a large rug that covered the entire floor so the entire area could be comfortably used when people are coming in with wet shoes. Nothing worse than balancing on a tiny rug because you don’t want to step on their floors. We have hooks behind the door which is nice because all the hanging coats aren’t the first thing you see coming in and helps it feel less cluttered. I added a shallow two shelf book case with some art and accessories to create a focal point and also provide a surface for dropping keys, room for a couple of baskets and I put a boot tray on the bottom shelf so shoes could be tucked in their out of the way.

    Reply
  25. Kristin Jackson says

    April 23, 2013 at 2:45 pm

    Thanks Emily! One day I will have a grand foyer & an office… but until then, I am working with what I have :) xo-K

    Reply
  26. Lisa Hamel says

    April 24, 2013 at 1:26 am

    Great post! Foyers are almost non-existent in the average homes in Phoenix, so I love your suggestions.

    I actually have two doors that open onto my living space–one from the carport and the other from the front yard. My front door foyer is defined by a beautiful console table my father built, and my carport foyer is defined by wall hooks, a small picture, and a wooden bar stool turned occasional table. They work for me!

    Reply
  27. Koming Minga says

    April 24, 2013 at 8:01 am

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    Reply
  28. sarah says

    April 24, 2013 at 5:10 pm

    We have the same problem, however, our front door is smack dab in the middle of the room. Everyone just walks right into the living room. Any ideas on how to treat this situation?

    Reply
  29. Sue Erneta says

    April 24, 2013 at 6:17 pm

    Great post, Emily! We have no foyer too but I created a little nook out of our living room so we have a place to dump our stuff. Check it out in this old post:
    http://sueathome.com/2012/06/20/the-big-reveal-foyer-makeover-part-3/

    Reply
  30. Muhammad Khalid says

    April 25, 2013 at 9:42 am

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    Reply
  31. Candice says

    April 28, 2013 at 3:35 am

    Hi Emily! Can you tell me more about the first photo. The room is eerily similar to our living room and I’d love to see more of it if possible. I love the layout! Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • Emily A. Clark says

      April 28, 2013 at 12:43 pm

      Hi Candice, It was featured in the Feb. 2011 issue of Southern Living but that was all of the info I could find. I may have to search for that issue in my piles of magazines….

      Reply
  32. modular office furniture says

    May 2, 2013 at 9:21 am

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe + Follow

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS

Archives

Categories

Footer Widget Header

As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. 

Footer

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2023 · LBD Pro V on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Copyright © 2023 · Emily A. Clark · Blog Design by Little Blue Deer
Privacy Policy