Walking Through That Door
Hi! Thank you for tuning in today! It is the middle of winter for me right now and I personally love winter, I am a polar princess. Partially because I tend to run hot, but also because I love a good coat. During winter, the ritual for leaving your home gets an extra layer added on to it. In the warmer months, it’s easy to just grab keys, phone, wallet and get out the door; but in the colder, wetter months; there is a whole routine of putting on a coat, hat, gloves, scarf, boots, and the whole thing is reversed when you come home, everything comes off. Taking off layers, putting them away neatly, dealing with any wet shoes or outer layers; and of course giving ourselves a minute to defrost. While this whole rigmarole might seem like a prerequisite before you actually get to the thing you want to do, this process is an experience in itself. Our spaces (homes, offices, restaurants) either accommodate it well, or they don't accommodate it at all. And even in the warm parts of year, it can be taken for granted how many of us need a moment, upon entering or exiting any space, to collect ourselves, hang up a bag, take our off shoes, check the hair, and take a breath. That is precisely the intention of a foyer in a home. And this area, I say area because they aren’t even true rooms, are one of the most critical when it comes to creating a home that functions well and makes us feel supported. So today we are talking all about the key points of what makes a 10/10 foyer that will make a great first impression on anyone who visits your home, including you - time and time again.
But first I wanna talk about the color of the week because oh my gosh! This week Mars rolled out new personalities and aesthetics for their personified candy characters, the M&M’s. I have to be honest, I had to look at the before and after picture carefully to really understand what was updated. But once I noticed it, it was clear. And I'm totally on board because the main difference that I saw is an update to every single characters extremities. This includes the color of their limbs, so not using a specific color implying caucasian skin tone for their arms and legs, but using a lighter color to match their candy shell, and their footwear. The M&M’s now have smaller and more realistic looking shoes and feet. Their feet used to be oversized, similar to any typical cartoon character, we are talking gigantically disproportionate feet. So the crew is looking a little bit more refined, and I would say the biggest difference occurred for our friend the green M&M. Green used to wear high heeled calve clinging boots, and now Green has a nice pair of tennis shoes, which looks a whole heck of a lot more comfortable. It honor of Green’s liberation, the color of the week is M&M Green Pantone 7739. This is a highly saturated variant green that exudes joy and optimism, while still appearing even-keeled. You can incorporate this punchy hue into your space by using vivacious plants such as a fiddle leaf fig or a potted ivy; or consider playing up this color’s glamours side by laying down a luxurious and unapologetic green area rug, like the DVF designed Climbing Leopard from The Rug Company. Make sure to add some supporting role colors such as teal and golden rod to create a vibrant analogous color scheme and add tiny pops of tomato red for a hint of contrast.
We have to start by looking at the etymology of the word “foyer”, because the way words evolve and how they come into common use can reveal the true intention of the word. Like I said, foyers are more of an area rather than a true enclosed room, and they have a lot of flexibility in how they are used. Historically, the word shows up in a few places. There’s the Latin word “focus” meaning hearth or fireplace, which points to foyers being a hot spot and center of activity. Also the Spanish word hogar meaning home. Most directly, we have the French word for lobby, foyer. So when we look at these three examples, we're really dealing with the lobby of a home. Whether you pronounce it foyer or “foy-ay”, both of which are correct by the way, the purpose of the room is still the same.
Today, the term foyer is used almost exclusively in residential terminology, being one of many different kinds of anterooms, meaning the room before the room. Anterooms show up in public and commercial design of all sorts from concert halls to police precincts, whether it’s an elaborate waiting area or a utilitarian pass through to minimize loss of conditioned air. If I wanted to get annoyingly technical about it, I could tell you that the space in between the two sets of automatic doors that lead into your local mega supermarket is the grocery store, counts as a foyer. This is the type of space that is often not only overlooked but pushed aside. If you aren't familiar with circulation patterns and how spaces are used, it can be very tempting to eliminate spaces like this and label them as wasted area. But let me please impress upon you that these spaces are actually what make the main function space whether that be a theatre, a grocery store, or your living room run like a well oiled machine.
You may have first-hand experience with this. I often think back to my days of designing large scale corporate offices, and how important it was to include just a small seating area outside of a large conference room, whether it was a bench or a pair of chairs in a little niche. This would allow anyone who was headed into the conference room and maybe showed up early, to sit and wait while the group ahead of them finished up their meeting. Or if you were already in the conference room and your meeting was about to end, and you and a colleague are engrossed in a great conversation, you could sit in this breakout space and keep talking, without delaying the next meeting. When these spaces are eliminated, that’s when we start seeing people lined up against walls, sitting on floors, or going back to their desks in a huff. Plus meetings will just run long and the whole day’s schedule gets messed up.
From a super practical standpoint, having an anteroom really creates a buffer zone, for the natural elements and acoustics. So, if I fling the door open and there isn't a foyer or airlock of any kind, anyone already in the room is getting blasted with whatever weather is happening outside - cold air, rain, hot humidity, the stuff the building’s HVAC system is working to hard to neutralize. There’s also an understood difference in the level of sound based on being outdoors vs. being indoors. A foyer gives us a moment of pause to transition from outdoor voices to quieter indoor ones, and if someone does walk in speaking at a louder volume, the foyer provides a container for that sound and some acoustic cushioning so it isn’t happening in a main space.
Foyers show up in so many different disguises too. In some older farmhouse style homes, there really isn't a true vestibule before the living room, except there is often a front wraparound porch. This space, while outdoors, often gives us the opportunity to get out of the rain, have some protection from the elements, get settled, and prepared to go into the house. Some people even leave their shoes on the front porch.
In many suburban homes the main point of entry to a house is through the garage, as the suburbs are carcentric. So rather than having a formal foyer, often what will be seen is a more utilitarian mudroom. These rooms have become saples of at least the American home, especially in places that are prone to inclement weather like lots of rain, snow, and muddy conditions.
If you're a city dweller, the idea of having a formal foyer may seem laughable to you however, many apartments, especially ones in buildings with bigger floor plates, have long sometimes twisty hallways to get into the proper part of the apartment. This is especially true in downtown Manhattan in re-purposed office buildings that have become luxury residences, because the layouts have to compensate for a large floor plate that was used for a bank’s office in its past life. So the hallway will connect the exterior of the building where the windows are to the interior of the building where the elevators are. These hallways often end up being long and seemingly useless, however they do us a great favor in providing an acoustic buffer from potential shenanigans from neighbors in the hallway, PLUS we can outfit them to serve the same purpose as a classic foyer.
Now that we’re all squared away on what a foyer is and what role it plays in the system of rooms in a house, let’s look at what makes a great one. The number one thing you need, I'm just going to jump in because this is the fundamental purpose of having a foyer - you gotta have some kind of storage. Now a closet, like a coat closet, is ideal. But unless you're building your home or you're really handy with drywall, you either have or don't have a closet. And if you don't have it, that's OK. There are other ways to create storage with furniture and different organizational accessories. But ideally, you've got a nice big coat closet with room for your coats, boots, I keep a lot of seasonal equipment in my foyer closet like a beach umbrella, snow boots, a cooler, that kind of thing. It's all about having easy access to items that don't get used in your home. These are outdoor items that you're only grabbing as you leave.
I know some people who keep their entire shoe collection on one of those tiered shoe shelves next to their door. It's probably a New York City thing, because we're always looking for places to store things and creative storage solutions. I know some people keep all their shoes in there in the common hallway of their apartment building. You got to make 400 sf work, right?
Like I said, if you don't have a closet that's OK. You just have to think about your routine upon first arriving home, and get furniture to support that. So for me, I always have my keys in my hands (pretty normal right?), so I have a place to put my keys. And depending on the shape of your space this might be a very cute wall hook. Even better, a collection of wall hooks that function as a set. This allows multiple items to be hung together, like an umbrella, even you current coat. The goal is to find hooks that look good whether they are empty or full, and if this is your main storage vehicle in a tight space - make sure you’re choosing wide hooks, with two or three prongs per hook.
Even though I love the look of individual hooks scattered across a wall, not everyone wants to drill seven random holes into their drywall, so getting a hook rack is the most efficient way to go. There's actually some really good options at West Elm right now and you know I love to give West Elm a hard time, so that’s a big compliment. Depending on when you're listening to this episode, it's possible these might be sold out or just not available in West Elm’s catalogue anymore but, I like the SIN Ceramic Trio and the Scout Regalia Coat racks - very cute, and the Scout Regalia comes in four colors and a brass option, hello! And in general Home Depot has a wide variety or options, but just reminder - little cute short stout hooks will not hold your coat up, look for two prongs sticking out at 45 degree angles. Capeesh?
The next really fantastic storage item to have in a foyer, even if you do have a full closet, is a console or highboy. You want to look for something that is skinny and tall. Meaning something that is under 12 inches deep and around 42 inches high, or at least with a shelf at this height. This piece of furniture is thin on purpose. You are not trying to have major storage here. This is a drop spot, a touch base, not a massive armoire. It’s barely a shelf - just enough room to have a few nice trays and containers so you can drop your keys, your phone, maybe have a beautiful glass bottle that has some hand sanitizer in it, a little metal filing bin for your mail, you could put a small lamp there if you want to get really jazzy, and it’s great spot for fresh cut flowers. Don’t be afraid to let this piece of furniture have character and personality. This is part of the first impression of your home, for guests, but it’s also the first thing you see when you walk in from a long day, so you want it to be something that lights you up.
And let me just go on a slight tangent for a second because this is important. A foyer is a space that is perfect to get really creative, colorful, and pack a mean punch. It’s a small space, so the risk is low, but at the same time this is an opportunity to create a bit sized love letter to yourself that you get to walk through every single day. Try painting an accent wall in your foyer, experiment with things you might not feel bold enough to do in other rooms, buy that crazy thing you think is too frivolous or too over the top and put in on the foyer console, hang up a piece of artwork that makes you want to sing. Walking into your home after a long day or even short walk away from your home office should feel like a celebration. Let yourself and your space exude true joy. Okay, pep talk over, back to the fundamentals.
The perfect accessory to place above your console is a mirror. This provides you with an opportunity to check your appearance one last time before heading out the door, or to come home and realize you’ve had kale in your teeth for hours. It also, when sized and placed correctly, can expand the perceived space of the foyer, by reflecting the room.
From there, you can add smaller free standing accessories like an umbrella stand or a shoe rack, but make sure not to crowd the area too much or it will just feel like a traffic jam. Keep a path that is 36 inches wide and completely clear. This dimension is an absolute minimum - 48 inches will feel best.
If you have your storage needs covered, and you still have some wiggle room, now it’s time to get deluxe. Adding a seating area that includes a bench or even a low stool can help to make a foyer function at its best. Providing a place to sit while taking your shoes on or off is just plain common sense hospitality. Keep in mind, this should not be something too delicate or hard to clean. It needs to be a sturdy material like wood, metal, or stone.
I remember when one of my close friends was celebrating a mile stone birthday in a big old cabin up in the Catskills. The foyer in that cabin was lined with slate flooring, had tons of closet space, a maple slat bench, and was tucked away enough so that those of us arriving late at night wouldn't disturb anyone who was sleeping upstairs. But my favorite memory of that foyer was seeing all the shoes of so many different people, there were probably 15 of us, gathered together celebrating, and being extra cozy. The places and spaces we inhabit help us create memories and magic, even in the mundane. I hope you have an amazing day, and I will talk to you next time.
