ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, September 20, 1996 TAG: 9609240007
SECTION: FALL HOME & LANDSCAPE PAGE: 2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BETSY BIESENBACH STAFF WRITER
The foyer of a home "sets the scenario for the rest of the house," said Carey Clause of Carey Interiors.
"It's a big focal point," he said, and there are many ways to create a grand entrance out of this often-neglected space.
Of course, the ideal way of getting the foyer you want is to custom-build your own home. But the majority of us need to settle for less expensive changes, such as remodeling or redecorating an existing foyer.
Originally, Clause explained, foyers were intended as a kind of an airlock. They kept cold air coming in from the front door confined to one room. They also gave guests a place to take their coats off, and preserved the privacy of the rest of the house.
It's a concept designers seem to have forgotten when they came up with ranch-style houses with tiny token foyers that open directly into the living room, Clause said. But even a plain old square of linoleum can be improved upon.
Adding light is the best way to brighten up a foyer. Skylights and doors with windows and sidelights can sometimes be installed to increase natural light, Clause said, but when that isn't possible, installing new fixtures not only brightens up the area, but adds a decorative touch as well.
But "the height of the ceiling will dictate" how much a homeowner can do with lighting, said Jewell Bryant, the owner of Perfect Touch Interiors.
New flooring can often "make a pretty dramatic change" in ranch-style foyers for which there are few other options, Clause said.
Ceramic tile floors are very popular, he said, as are hardwood and parquet. These types of flooring are often sold as do-it-yourself projects, said Bryant. It's a way to create a new look "and not spend a lot of money," she said.
Decorative rugs can add colorful accents to the flooring. "It's amazing" what new lighting and new flooring can do, she said.
Plants often are useful for screening off a plain square of flooring, Clause said. If space permits, they can sometimes be placed on a suspended catwalk.
In small spaces, plants can be put in planter boxes or in decorative wall baskets, said Lorri Maas, owner of The Gazebo Interior Landscaping. Others can be placed on stands, in a corner or on the center of a table.
Plants "just make a home look homey," Maas said. They also add oxygen to the air and filter out harmful gasses.
But indoor plants have to be selected with caution, Maas said.
Many plants will not thrive under low-light conditions, so it's a good idea to consult with a professional before making a large investment in greenery.
Maas said she often gets calls from homeowners who have plants and "don't know what to do with them. Nine out of 10 don't know the requirements of the plants."
So if your thumb tends more toward brown than green, it might be a good idea to buy from a company such as The Gazebo, which offers guaranteed replacement contracts, as well as regular maintenance service.
"It keeps your plants looking fresh all the time," Maas said.
This is especially useful if the plant is going to be placed in a foyer with little natural light, Maas said. If the plants weaken, they can be rotated out and healthy specimens brought in.
Another option for improving the look of a ranch-style entry is to change the focus and "make the living room a showplace," Clause said. "It makes the foyer feel more formal."
For traditional foyers, decorative moldings and wallpaper go a long way toward dressing them up, Bryant said. She also recommends choosing colors that blend with those in the other rooms as a way of connecting the foyer to the rest of the house.
Many older homes in this area have entries that are too large to really be called foyers, but too small to be used as rooms. Here, too much space is more of a problem than too little.
These kinds of rooms are often good places to stash antiques that aren't meant to be used in the course of daily living, Clause said. They also make good display areas for artwork or an upright piano.
Bryant suggested placing a bench or a grandfather clock in a large foyer.
"It's a way of expressing your more formal side," Clause said.
If you're really unhappy with your home's entry way, the exterior wall can be bumped out and a new foyer built on, but "it has to fall under the guidelines of good design," Clause said. To look right, the new construction must match the older part of the house both in size and in style.
If none of these options will work for you, a new roof, a brick sidewalk or an awning can change the look of a home, Clause said. Modern awnings are made of bright, durable plastics, and are an inexpensive way to add interest to an entry way.
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