Designer-Approved Picks for a Welcoming Foyer
Looking for a quick way to make a big impact on your home’s decor this holiday season? Update your entry space to create a welcoming foyer! It’s the first thing guests see when they enter and it will make a big impression.
Your foyer should be a warm welcome to all who enter, so spruce it up by updating a few essentials.
In our last foyer decorating post, we talked about the basics. Now we’re here to help you shop! Virtually, of course. Take a keep at our Amazon.com selections for nine different foyer decor elements, from mirrors and ottomans to books and objects.
Designer-Approved Picks for a Welcoming Foyer
We hope you like the recommendations our designers prepared. This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.
MIRROR
Mirrors are universally a good idea for entryways. We love artwork to make a statement in a foyer. But a mirror is pretty and practical: It gives everyone a chance to double-check their makeup, hair, and outfit on their way out the door. They also help reflect light around what might be a small, dimly lit room.
We tend to opt for a round mirror, as they can break up the right angles of doorways, console tables, and windows which dominate an entry.
For our selections, we picked a dramatic “hanging” mirror and one with a chic brass frame because they’re versatile and pair well with most styles.
OTTOMAN
No matter how large or small, a foyer needs a place to sit for a second—especially if you’re a shoes-off household. While a large-scale ottoman or bench work well (if you’ve got the space), we suggest a pair of ottomans.
These petite poufs can be stashed under an open-concept console table for easy storage while adding a design element. Pull them out when guests need to remove their shoes, and then tuck them away.
Our picks are rich in texture: woven, braided, fringed, and more. The texture adds to your welcoming foyer’s design without distracting from other elements (like family photos, artwork, or decorative items).
BASKETS
Speaking of shoes off: baskets. If you’re going to ask guests (or your own family) to remove shoes, you’ll need a place to put them. A stylish basket or two is the perfect spot.
In the basket, shoes are off the ground (away from pets, kids, and clumsy people!) and out of sight. They’re also perfect for concealing umbrellas, whether wet or dry.
Here are a couple of our favorite woven baskets. One of them even comes in a set!
VASES
Sculptural, artistic vases are a must-have for entryway shelves or tabletops. Pick a neutral hue in a fun shape, texture, or pattern and it’s a versatile decorative element. Fill them with seasonal florals or greenery to up the ante of your welcoming foyer. If you prefer a season-less look, find some life-like faux greenery that coordinates with your decor and keep it up all year round.
Whatever you decide, our designer-approved finds are sure to be right at home in your entry!
DECORATIVE BOWLS
Another option for a curvy object that can break up square, right angles is a decorative bowl. Use one as a spot to toss keys, sunglasses, and more on-the-go essentials or fill it with moss spheres to keep it decorative, rather than functional.
We love our picks because they provide a hint of metallic glam to any entryway decor.
DECORATIVE OBJECTS
Bring in your unique personality and tie the entryway decor to the rest of the home’s design aesthetic by carefully selecting a couple of decorative objects. We love to bring meaningful items from our clients’ collections into the foyer to really set the home’s tone.
We highly recommend you do the same! But if you haven’t found your perfect objects, take a peek at some of our favorites: A modern statue that plays with negative space will draw attention. A pair of mid-century modern sculptures in a gold finish can create symmetry on either end of a console table. A petite wood garland can hang off of a shelf or stack of books to add dimension.
PLANTERS
Bring the outdoors in by including greenery in your foyer design (whether real or faux). Can you tell that we love a mid-century modern-inspired plant stand? Well, we picked two, and, honestly, we could’ve shared more! One option is sleek and chic, while the other is fresh and fun.
If a tabletop plant is more your speed, we recommend picking a patterned planter as an added element of dimension—like our pick.
TRAYS AND BOXES
Similar to decorative bowls, trays and boxes can be a dropzone for everyday essentials. Boxes conceal them for a cleaner look, while trays make them easy to grab and go.
Lately, we’ve been loving the faux-shagreen finish on boxes and bowls. This finish mimics stingray skin, a unique circular pattern that’s similar to pebbled leather. Shagreen paired with brass is a match made in heaven. So we found a few options for you to shop!
An always-favorite is an inlaid bone finish on boxes or trays. It’s classic and timeless.
BOOKS
You didn’t think we’d forget coffee table books, did you!? It’s a must-have on our list of welcoming foyer design essentials.
Stack a few neutral books that will blend into your decor’s backdrop and place a decorative object on top. Or pick a colorful one—like this Miami Beach pick—that’s lively enough to stand on its own and make it a centerpiece of a shelf or console table vignette.
Books can be used in so many ways, so keep these workhorses around.
We hope you’ve enjoyed shopping our designer-approved finds and that they’ll inspire you to make a change in your foyer decor.