Old Meets New Foyer Ideas & Reveal
3 foyer ideas to mix new decor with old sentimental items for creating a personable, welcoming entryway for guests and family.
We finally reclaimed the foyer after 5+ months of water mitigation, reconstruction, and of course throwing in the regular ol’ Facebook Marketplace furniture find.
Ahhh deep breath. I missed this view so much.
It looks a tad different than it did before thanks to the dining room makeover, a paint color change (Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace to be exact), replacing the DIY frosted crystal light fixture that was destroyed in the water accident, swapping in this secondhand cabinet I found, and a few other foyer ideas in decorating.
In just a week or so, we’ll be decking it out for Christmas, but I couldn’t resist styling it with some fall leaves first.
Though here is the real before from the day we moved into this house…
…and how this whole foyer refresh started…
The day after 100 gallons of water poured from our HVAC system in our attic all the way down to this first floor, the water mitigation team showed up with sledgehammers, and we had to scramble to pull all of our family photos off of the walls as they started ripping out drywall in four rooms.
I never fully realized just how much home was a part of my inner peace until that moment, and I remember just plopping down on the sofa and having a good cry after the demo team left. We were really lucky since I know so many people lose their entire homes to tornadoes, fires, and earthquakes. I don’t discount that for a second.
This was nothing of that scale, if anything just a massive inconvenience, but the stress of living through a massive renovation when you weren’t at all prepared to be thrown into it is a heavy weight day to day.
I literally feel my muscles relax and my jaw unclench when I look at this view now. Lola sleeping there on the dining room rug is obviously much more relaxed now too.
3 Old Meets New Foyer Ideas
1. Foyer Table with Mirror
This little carved marble topped console table cabinet that I scored secondhand feels like pure joy every time we walk through the front door. And the mirror is convenient for last minute hair/face checks before running out for the day.
I love all of the little traditional details in this spot.
The fall leaves are just now at peak in our area, so the burst of fall colors needed to be celebrated for a minute.
These carved details make me feel so many feels too.
2. House Portraits Beside the Front Door
Right beside our front door and our office doors are painted portraits of my and Robert’s childhood homes.
(By the way, house portraits are a great, thoughtful gift and can be rather inexpensive to make using this watercolor app.)
Every time I walk down our stairs, I see them and am reminded of our roots. That top house is where my parents still live and where I lived from the time I was 6 years-old.
Robert and I lived with them for about 2 years when we were struggling to make ends meet at the beginning of our marriage on my beginner teacher’s salary and Robert’s time spent finishing his degree on the GI Bill.
It’s where we brought Olivia home from the hospital, and that house will always be a bit of home in my heart. Robert feels the same way about the “Big Yellow House” where his parents still live.
3. Stairway Gallery Wall with Family Photos
We seized the opportunity to update the family gallery wall since we’d barely integrated Regan’s pictures after she was born. #secondchildproblems
Every single family stage and milestone moment is on these walls, and I get to look at them every day.
You can see my trick for creating the perfect gallery wall here. It’s so easy to do and fun to play around with different configurations with picture frames until you get it just right.
I keep debating if I should add a runner to these stairs and maybe swap out the balusters for a design that’s minimalist. What do you think? Leave it as-is or go for a stair runner / railing update?
Do you have any other foyer ideas you’d throw in? How have you decorated yours?
We still have our bathroom remodel to show soon that I cannot wait to share!!! It’s turning out to be everything I dreamed of and more!
But for now, I’m pumping the breaks and just enjoying this view.
…at least until I add Christmas garlands everywhere in here next week. 😉
The link to the mirror doesn’t work. Would you kindly let us know where it’s from?
Thank you!
Hi. The mirror is linked here https://rstyle.me/+JRDrmM5699B7iAxvnV2ZcA
DON’T change the balusters. I am so tired of home renovations (crazy since that’s what everyone does) where perfectly good stuff is tossed out and replaced with another style. I say they are traditional, non offensive, not falling out…Keep them. Wonder if anyone would read a blog where people just paint, redecorate? Probably NOT but that is my point. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas.
I love your railing. I would only change it if you ever decide to open the other side to the dinning room. A runner would be nice for noise reduction. Two growing girls and all of their friends running up and down the stairs will get noisier with time. I think it would add more traditional charm as well. You always make great decisions for your home and family. Trust your judgment! Love you, (Mom)
Hello! I just found you and just love your style and design skills! I personally think you should go for a stair update! I do think the balusters could be fun to change but everything is truly lovely as is if you decide not to change a thing! I too love a stair runner! I think it adds charm and is cozy underfoot but it does hide the lovely wood. I ALSO love a good reclaimed, vintagey, gorgeous newel post for that matter. Whatever you decide I’m sure it will be so beautiful! So glad you’re on the other side of the renovation and can soak up the peace and satisfaction that comes with a fixed and finished project.
I absolutely love your railing, so I wouldn’t change it! I feel like it brings so much traditional character. But I personally like stair runners because I’m so clumsy (more traction!) so I vote yes for that!