Keeping Your Foyer Warm In The Cold Weather

The foyer, or entryway, of a home is one of the most subtly important areas. We pass through our own foyers every day. It's often the first impression we receive of other people's homes, a place where we welcome guests and bid them goodbye. The foyer is an inherently social space and an important one. But it often goes unrecognized. After all, when's the last time you thought as seriously about your foyer design as you did your kitchen, living room or even home office?

With the coming cold weather, it's more important than ever to make sure that your foyer is a warm and welcoming space. Thanksgiving ushers in the holiday season, which means weekend after weekend of visiting friends and family. That's a lot of foyer traffic, and you're sure to want to keep your space cozy. Consider these quick renovations and minor updates to give your foyer or entryway warmth and charm to spare.

Lighting
Imagine strolling up the snowy front walk to a home - what's more welcoming through a foyer window that the glow of orange and yellow light? The right lighting in your foyer and on the door outside will alter how your space appears. While you don't want it to be too brightly lit - no one should feel blinded after coming in from the dark - it's important that your space has the right ambiance.

Flooring
While your foyer could fit any interior design style, from modern and contemporary to mid-century modern, one traditional tip you may want to follow is going with solid or engineered hardwood floors. Simply put, wood is much warmer and more welcoming than a marble, stone or laminate entryway floor.

Heating
Whatever flooring you do choose, you'll certainly want to keep the option of radiant floor heating open. Radiant heat is a green and energy-efficient way to heat your home, and nowhere is that more important during the winter months than in the foyer. Rather than blast your guests with gusts of hot air from dusty old vents, ditch your central heat and go with radiant heat. It uses all natural convection currents to keep your room cozy from the ground up.

Decor
And of course, there's the small and everyday decor. While myriad options are open to you, be sure you have a coat rack, either freestanding or on the wall. You may want a carpet as well and perhaps a bench or set of chairs for people to sit at while removing shoes or boots.