abbie5 Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 If you were building a house, would you make sure that the plan had a foyer of some sort? Or would you prefer that the front door opens directly into your (open) living space? Thanks for your thoughts!:bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I don't have a foyer, and it stinks!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 We have a foyer because our current house is a renovated 110 year old church. Now that I have one, I really like it. I have an area for hanging coats, putting away boots and shoes, etc. behind oak bi-fold doors, tile floor to catch the mess, a pretty area decorated for guests - guest book on podium, candleabra and flowers in the window, etc. I don't think I could trade the area for something else. The down side is that the kids play in the back and side yard so they are always coming into the kitchen and I don't have a porch, patio, or mud room there. UGH! They track in so much it's ridiculous. So, I'm begging dh to make a little something at that back door so I can get some relief. Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mejane Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I like having a foyer. It just feels more welcoming to me. Our previous house did not have one, and whenever guests came we were always squished into the doorway trying to greet them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbie5 Posted February 15, 2011 Author Share Posted February 15, 2011 We have a foyer because our current house is a renovated 110 year old church. Faith wow! that sounds so beautiful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamato3 all-boy boys Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Foyer, in a heartbeat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoyfullyNoisy Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 FWIW - We're living in our first home with a formal foyer. We find that a foyer is nice to have. Particularly when someone drops by for a quick whatever because they don't have to come (or get to peek) into your home. That's one of my favorite things about ours. Also, ours opens into three separate spaces - the dining room, library and the stairs feed into our foyer. It's nice to be able to direct traffic rather than having it all flow into the same space. Enjoy building your dream home! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuirkyKapers Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Foyer. We don't have one now and there is no place for boots, coats. In fact, I would have a foyer with a closet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Absolutely. I hate not having one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Foyer. We don't have one now and there is no place for boots, coats. In fact, I would have a foyer with a closet! :iagree: And space for a bench and a table for keys and such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfatherslily Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 We built our house and don't have a foyer. We were trying to build cheap:) I haven't wished for one, though. For me, it would be just another separate place to sweep and mop. I can see the advantages of a foyer, it's just never even occurred to me to want one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Foyer... absolutely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I'd prefer a foyer, but I'd rather have a mud room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margo out of lurking Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Absolutely a foyer! We've had two 2-story homes that, although they were both larger, opened right onto the stairs. I hated that cramped feeling of having no space at the front door. Our smallest home opened into a short hallway. It was very nice, no one ever fell over each other coming in or out of the house. Our current home has a lovely (to me!) foyer with a large coat closet, ceiling light, perfect nook for a narrow table, and doorways to the family and living rooms. After several years of doors opening into stairs, this feels luxurious! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 My dream house has two front entrance doors, between them is a room with a recessed tile floor covered in a grate (to catch water, snow and dirt) and a door to the side that leads to the coat/backpack/storage room. This keeps the cold and dirt contained outside the actual living quarters, but with enough room for 4 children to put on coats and snowboots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I can't imagine not having one. I have been in very few houses without one and it always seems so strange to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardening momma Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I would like a foyer with some room for a bench and a rug to put wet shoes on (not the same rug as at the entry, but a separate one). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardening momma Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I'd prefer a foyer, but I'd rather have a mud room. I want a foyer in the front and a mud room in the back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I miss the foyer in the house I grew up in. It was very handy. Our house has a vestibule. Which is helpful since there is a coat closet right there but it is tiny. My dream home has two front entrance doors, between them is a room with a recessed tile floor covered in a grate (to catch water, snow and dirt) and a door to the side that leads to the coat/backpack/storage room. This keeps the cold and dirt contained outside the actual living quarters, but with enough room for 4 children to put on coats and snowboots.[/Quote] It will also have a mudroom. I am constantly mopping our kitchen floor because the back door leads right into the kitchen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 If I could have anything I wanted it would be a foyer for the front and a mudroom for the side/back/alternate entrance. Doors straight into living spaces tend to make those living spaces extra dirty and full of the coats, bags and other junk you drag into the house each time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaffodilDreams Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Another vote for foyer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 My dream house would also have a rear entrance mudroom. This would also double as a pet room for the litter boxes, petfood, and dog is dirty/wet room. This would be tiled to the ceiling with a drain on the floor and a hose for washing everything down. I have WAY too much time to think of all things I hate about this current house. Lara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest momk2000 Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 If I could have anything I wanted it would be a foyer for the front and a mudroom for the side/back/alternate entrance. Doors straight into living spaces tend to make those living spaces extra dirty and full of the coats, bags and other junk you drag into the house each time. :iagree: 100% Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I want a foyer in the front and a mud room in the back. That would be ideal. Do people really get everything they want in a house? I always seem limited to houses that need a little (or more) work. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamom Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 We're in the process of remodeling to include a foyer. It will be a side entrance though, just because that's where we could fit it. I say go for a front door foyer! I really dislike visitors piling into the living room and not finding space for shoes and jackets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veritaserum Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I prefer to have a foyer/entry area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Foyer...and mudroom for the back entrance. Our foyer is fabulous. It really adds to the privacy of our home as well as our ability to accommodate guests. As you walk into our home, there is a large coat closet to the right, and it can hold the coats of all of our guests (30+ coats) on hangars. There's also an umbrella stand tucked into the coat closet. I can answer the door, and the person at the door cannot see into our living spaces. They see the stairway upstairs, the hallway into the back of the house, and the foyer. If someone enters the house, they can really only see into the living room, where we typically entertain. For our guests entering into the house, we have a small table with a mirror hung over it so that they can see tidy their hair, etc. on windy days (and so that I can check myself before answering the door). If I have odds and ends in my hands as the doorbell rings, I can tuck those into a small drawer on the table. I have lived in houses (like a 70s bilevel) with no foyer. It was horrible. People could instantly look in on whatever was going on and it was awkward to accommodate people. On the other hand, my parents live in a small house with no foyer. It is very open (ie no privacy), but they have a series of pegs lining a wall and a boot tray available so that people coming and going to can take care of their things. They live in the country, though, so not a lot of drop-in visitors... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom4him Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Foyer, in a heartbeat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbie5 Posted February 15, 2011 Author Share Posted February 15, 2011 LOL :D I guess the answer is *FOYER*! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Foyer, foyer, foyer!!! Actually, 2 of them: one by the back door/door coming in from the garage, and one at the front door. I don't like guests to be greeted by the flotsam and jetsam of shoes and backpacks and whatnot, lol. I keep shoes and keys and all that near the back door/coming in from the garage. I guess "mud room" would be what I'm thinking of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2squared Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 If you don't have a foyer of some sort, where do you keep all the wet, muddy clothing that the kids bring in? Where do you put the boots, snowpants, mittens, hats, coats, etc? Where do you store the guests shoes? We didn't have a foyer when we lived in Texas. It was weird for this northern girl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Definitely a foyer. A nice big one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I'd prefer a foyer, but I'd rather have a mud room. :iagree: We have a sort of foyer - there's a space in between the iron gate door and the proper front door - in most of these rowhouses here it's just empty space, but we lined it with hooks and leave a row of shoes there. It's nice too for deliveries. I'd rather it was bigger though - a proper foyer. But even better would be a rear mudroom, which everyone has said. We could have it too, I supposed, if we finished our tiny back porch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 You *MUST* have a foyer. Living without a foyer for 9 years made me so appreciate and love them. And a mudroom on the back. We have both now and OMG, they are my most favorite things in my house. Function before form, really. Kids would come in from the snow and there was no where to put wet snow clothes. No where for people to walk into and take coats off. No place for shoes. Now I have a pantry/mudroom off a breezeway in the back and a full foyer in the front. Best. Things. Ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 A foyer would be nice, but a mud room or similar would be even better! Somewhere where all the shoes, coats, etc., plus bags and other outdoor/going out stuff could be kept. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 If you don't have a foyer of some sort, where do you keep all the wet, muddy clothing that the kids bring in? Where do you put the boots, snowpants, mittens, hats, coats, etc? Where do you store the guests shoes? We didn't have a foyer when we lived in Texas. It was weird for this northern girl. My house has some odd additions, so we have a door leading from the dining room to the backyard. Muddy kids come right into the dining room because it has ceramic tile and I can sweep/mop it. If a guest comes to the front door with muddy/wet shoes, they just have to stand on the tiny little throw rug we have there and balance on a foot to take off the shoes. :thumbdown: The shoes just sit there in a lump by the front door. (However, I do NOT make guests take off shoes if they don't want, so usually guest shoes are kept on their feet.) I wish I had a foyer very much. It's like others have said, your guests walk right into the livingroom and everyone is all cluttered around each other. And my dh just plops his workbag on the floor next to the door. I don't like that! I'm always moving it into a closet and he moves it back out. Sigh. I have implemented a STRICT rule, that as soon as I walk in the door everything STOPS until we've put everything away. No bags, purses, shoes, coats, etc are allowed to be scattered all over the (tiny) living room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaMa2005 Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Foyer, please. I have only lived in 1 house without one and I detested it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vettechmomof2 Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 foyer:thumbup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danestress Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I have a lot of foyer. A ton of foyer. I can't figure out what to do with my foyers. The problem is, it's at the front door and has a formal "feel" to it. I wish I could get a photo, but it wouldn't really be suitable for coat hooks and shoe racks. What I really wish is that I had less of this front door foyer that we don't use, and more of a "back door" mud roomy type thing. We mostly come in through the garage, and we have nothing much there in terms of space. I wish I had cubbies and coat racks there. And I would gladly give up my foyer for it. I actually have thought about hiring a decorator to consult with me on how to best utilize my space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I like to have an entry hall of some kind. In fact we have two: an enclosed porch, then double doors into an entry hall (with stairs going up to the attic room) and doors off to sitting room, kitchen and bedroom corridor. In summer, we fold back the sitting room doors so it is open plan from the entry hall. We keep shoes, coats, etc., by the back door, which we mostly use for entering the house. It's our 'mud room'. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn in OH Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I definitely want a foyer. I don't like the idea of coming directly into the living room. I want a coat closet, a bench for removing shoes, and a small table with a mirror above it. You didn't ask, but I also want a mudroom at the back of the house, so when those wet filthy little children come in from playing in the snow, pool, and sandbox they don't track it through my house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I don't have a foyer, and it stinks!!!!!! :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 must be a climate thing, just about every house I can think on has the door going straight to the kitchen, no entrance way at all, through some older houses have the door opening to a central hall that goes right through the house, with all the rooms coming off it. My house has a huge veranda, with a large section as big as a room, the front door leads straight from it to the kitchen. people can leave their shoes, coats etc on the veranda (covered). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 This is the first time we've lived in a house with a front door that opens directly into the living room. I don't like it. Foyers have room for coat closets and other storage. Plus, the flooring can be something that isn't slippery or damaged when wet, easily scratched, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 I don't think a single poster here said no foyer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 I don't think a single poster here said no foyer. What?!?! The Hive unanimously AGREES on something!!!! It's time for a party!!!!! :party::party::party: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truscifi Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 I want a foyer in the front and a mud room in the back. :iagree: Me too. Sadly, I have neither. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa in Jax Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 must be a climate thing, just about every house I can think on has the door going straight to the kitchen, no entrance way at all, through some older houses have the door opening to a central hall that goes right through the house, with all the rooms coming off it. My house has a huge veranda, with a large section as big as a room, the front door leads straight from it to the kitchen. people can leave their shoes, coats etc on the veranda (covered). Many (most?) houses in America have a front door next to the living room or into a hallway just off the living room. If they have a back door, that's the one that opens into/near the kitchen. Do you have a second door to your house, Melissa? If so, what room does it enter into? FWIW, I vote foyer with closet. Our foyer is small -- 4'x4', but it has a large closet at one end that is as large as the foyer. It's so wonderful to have a space to put all the shoes, jackets and book bags out of sight. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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