To welcome with elan

A foyer is that part of your home which creates the first impression on visitors. Jidesh Haridas has some tips for you to make it functional and fabulous

First impressions count. The foyer, also called the entryway or hallway, is the first space in your house that greets your guests.

These tips will help you create a functional yet fabulous foyer:

Plan for plenty of storage space

An entrance or foyer space should be designed in a way such that it stores all your shoes, keys, coats and outdoor gear like umbrellas, raincoats and helmets. It should be designed in a way that it contains everything that you may need while stepping out of your home.

Here are a few storage ideas that you could use for planning your entryway:

The shoe cabinet

This is an essential. Most Indian families prefer to leave their footwear outside the main living quarters and expect guests to do the same. Modern Indian homes also follow this tradition, as it keeps the house clean. Use shoe racks and shoe cabinets to organise your footwear.

Shoe racks help organise footwear effectively. Shoe cabinets are a better option to tackle this problem. Use louvered shutters so that there is enough air circulation in the cabinet. You can add drawers to the cabinet to store your socks, shoe polishes, waxes and brushes.

Make sure the shoe cabinet is not too deep — this will help you easily pick up a pair when in a hurry. The ideal depth for shoe cabinets is about 18 inches and the shelving space should be about eight inches. If your shoe cabinet is the only piece of furniture in the foyer, you can design it to double up as a console table. Place a table lamp on its surface to amp up its style quotient.

Entrance wardrobe

You can design wardrobes that run from the floor all the way up to the ceiling to make optimum usage of space in the entryway. Wardrobes are versatile, and apart from storing all kinds of footwear from slippers to outdoor boots, you’ll have enough room left to store sports gear like that odd racquet and hockey stick, out of sight.

For this, the shelves need to be cleverly planned at varying heights in the wardrobe. Don’t have a designated foyer area? Fret not. Some houses have the entry door opening directly to the living room. You may want to lend a sense of privacy to your living space by creating a foyer-like area close to the main door.

Place a shoe cabinet parallel to the entry door (after leaving enough room for it to open) and make sure you decorate it with curios and artefacts to make it look in sync with the living room decor. Make it face the main entrance. You could also place a tall cabinet in this area.

Plan for seating

With the shoe cabinet around, don’t forget to place a stool or a bench close by to put on shoes or organise your bag before stepping out. The seats could have built in storage spaces as well.

The console table

Console tables have good aesthetic appeal and make for great statement pieces at the entrance. They may be equipped with a drawer, but often are not. They make for a great focal point, but are not very practical if optimal storage is what you are looking for.

Place a mirror

We all want to take a look at ourselves before we head out for the day-which make mirrors an entryway essential. Mirrors catch the light and create an illusion of extended space in dark entryways. Mirrors should ideally be placed above the console table or a nicely designed shoe cabinet. To create interest, you can fix a number of mirrors in different shapes, sizes and frames at the entryway.

Miscellaneous

Get creative with hooks near the entryway to hang your bags, keys, hats, coats and scarves. You can also place a coat rack, space permitting. Wicker bins are a great way to keep umbrellas and walking sticks handy. Runners or floor rugs are welcoming accents, and those placed at the entryway are no different.  They also help keep dust and dirt at bay. Make sure they are cleaned regularly.

(The author is COO, Capricoast.com)