My foyer is really small but I’ve tried to make it cute!
I finished painting my new railing in the foyer and made a few other little changes so I thought I’d give you a tour of what I’ve done so far.
Below is the old railing. It was wood on top of metal. Yuck -not my style at all!
![handrail_thumb[1]](https://lh3.ggpht.com/_zsrwHjZFVZY/TCTL1qysWiI/AAAAAAAAGig/Dxjrjel6TCo/s1600-h/handrail_thumb%5B1%5D%5B3%5D.jpg "handrail_thumb[1]")
Here’s my new wood railing.
Now painted black with white spindles. Looooove it sooooo much! I know it’s a little thing but that old railing really has bothered me for 11 years. Sometimes I just stand at the top of the stairs and admire my new railing and my red halltree from Goodwill~smile. They just make me happy!
When I bought the halltree I knew I wanted to display vintage hats from the hooks. I found this old one with flowers recently at Goodwill and just love the summery look it gives this piece!
I added some red flowers to my wicker (is it a picnic basket? – I don’t know what it is – it looks like a big wicker purse) also from Goodwill.
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At the bottom I have my rooster that I just got from Goodwill (the red white and blue one that I painted white).
I found that black with red roses rug at TJ Maxx for $14.99. It’s hard to find the right size rug for this little space. The door can’t open if it’s too wide and a regular runner is too long. The dog needs a rug here (don’t ask…LOL he’s cute and we love him, but he has issues!) plus it makes the space cozy.
Speaking of dogs, above the door is my collection of dog prints. Some are from the thriftstore, one is a paint by number that my daughter did when she was little that I framed, and the two longer ones are vintage prints.
The three small thriftstore mirrors I painted red and my Spode plates – the pattern is Hunting Dogs.
I also finally added some trim to the 1/2 wall that separates the foyer from the living room (another little thing that’s bothered me for years). It looks much more finished now! Like many split-foyer houses, it had a railing there when we first moved in instead of a solid wall. We put up the half wall but never trimmed it out!
I have a few more things on my immediate wishlist for this little space. We’ve had these two pieces up there basically since we moved in 11 years ago. They were really hard to hang and we just haven’t wanted to tackle taking them down, but we’re looking for something a bit more colorful. So those will go as soon as we find something we love.
Also, remember the vintage chandelier I found in my neighbors garbage? Well my electrician friend hasn’t been able to to come over to see if he can fix it (3 boys all in softball, soccer etc and now they’re in CA for two weeks)! So I don’t know if I’ll be able to use it in my foyer as I had originally planned. He would do it for basically next to nothing and I don’t want to have to pay to rewire and hang it.
I’m thinking I will either paint this one (maybe yellow, or red or maybe a whiter white) and add some toile shades (which I already have). What do you think? Or else I’ll just find a new one. There are so many places online that have great prices on lighting. I’m just over those glass shades ~smile…these things happen!
On my future wishlist is a new door with some glass to bring more light in and new hardware (rubbed bronze perhaps). I’d love to take out the terracotta tiles and put in stone. But that’s all a long way off unless I’m lucky and happen to find an amazing deal on those items (you never know)!
But in the mean time, I’m well pleased with what I’ve done with my little space!
Hope you enjoyed the tour! Thanks so much for spending some time here with me today!
Manuela,
Your foyer is beautiful! I think that is one of the pretties flower arrangements I have seen. I think your wicker is a fishing basket.
xo
Robin
This is just precious! I love the red! It looks so fresh and festive!
I think you did a great job, the space may be small, but I'd want to spend time there just looking around! Thanks for sharing!
Sharlotte
Ms. Sharlotte's…Southern Reflections
I think your new handrail is fabulous..and it is so interesting how we focus on the small details, but they make all the difference, like your chicken..I'm not a big fan of straight white, but in this case, it was not only the right thing to do, but now the piece looks wonderful!
This is absolutely gorgeous. I love it. It looks so warm and inviting. You have a really good eye for decorating. I am always amazed at how you put things together and they look so amazing. I would love my home to look so good. Thanks for the inspiration.
Your foyer says WELCOME in a big way even though you say it is small. I LOVE everything you have done. All of the little touches add up to something wonderful.
Hugs,
Penny
It is absolutely, positively adorable! Perfect in every way!
Manuela, your foyer looks absolutely wonderful. It's so inviting for such a small space, you've done a great job. Love it!
Hugs,
Donna
All so beautiful, Manuela! So bright and cheerful. In terms of that hanging light: I wonder what it would look like if you painted both the shades and the light fixture, and then hung it with something different? Just a thought.
Brenda
Ohh those mirrors you painted are awesome! I want them, lol. 🙂 Your home is so charming.
So beautiful!!
Ok. It's Kelley approved! Hey. Take the chandie's shades apart and recover them yourself. *wink*
m, i love the fyer, i wish i had more of on e to decorate! if you keep the chandy you have i vote red! w/ the toile shades. but def. try and wait for ur electrician friend to see if he can re-do that old one- it's gorg-ouis! love ur blog more everyday!
Thanks for the tour, Manuela! I love your new railing! I'd stand at the top and look down at the view, too. Love the runner ~ I have the same issue with the door hitting any mat I put right at the door, but I like to have something down. One by the stairs is a good compromise and I keep a mat I just move over to the door when it's raining or snowing.
I love the coat tree you found at the goodwill. I love the red! The dog prints are fantastic, my sister collects those! I think they look great there. The bannister fits perfectly and sometimes its those things that really finish it off! I still think it would be neat to have your friend put that light there. But if it doesn't work the other painted would be fun!
Manuela,
It's beautiful & feels so welcoming. Your entryway/halltree that you are hanging vintage hats on has given me inspiration. My parents owned one and we are going through the items in their estate right now. I disregarded it ~ it's Oak (I do not like oak, don't hate 🙂 and has a marble table top piece on it. I have a perfect place for the entrance in our little condo. I am going to paint it and it will be pretty! Thank you for your post. And…I love the all the dog prints. Our dog would love it, too.
Blessings,
Kimberly
Very pretty! You have really been busy.
Enjoy your weekend.
It is all absolutely beautiful Manuela.
I like your terra cotta tiles.
Your home is similar to my daughter's home. Hers still has the rail, instead of half wall.
Manuela, Your foyer looks great! I have a thing for dog pictures and other dog related stuff, too. Have a great weekend, Lisa
What a beautiful and welcoming foyer Manuela!
Mary Ellen
totally love it, and I think I would go with a black chandelier with your toile shades. Especially doing the harlequin pattern.
Hi Manuela! I love the changes to your foyer! It's so pretty! Love your hall tree and it's perfect painted red! The stray hat, the wicker basket with flowers! Oh, they are all just lovely! Your new railing looks like it's always been there! You make everything gorgeous and I love to pop in for visits.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia 😉
You've taken advantage of a small entry to welcome friends into your home! I love the way you've hung art and the pretty flowers! Very welcoming! ♥
Your foyer is so colorful and welcoming. I have always loved your collection of dog prints. Also, love the way you painted the spindle.
You pack a whole lot of beauty in your little foyer, and gosh but that red hall tree makes my hert go pitter pat! I know what you mean about just standing and staring at your new railing. When I make an improvement that I love I do the same thing!
I love all the welcoming touches you have added to your foyer. You are right it is tiny, but oh so cute. My son has a split foyer, too, but I believe his is tighter than yours. They added a half wall, too since whoever lived there before had removed the railing and there was nothing. When they started having babies I told him they had to put a wall or the baby would be going right over the wall. I love that basket of flowers on the hall tree and what great dog prints.
I love your foyer, Manuela!
Beautiful!
Hi Manuela, I love your foyer. What would Goodwill do without you? Better yet, what would you do without Goodwill? You always find the most spectacular pieces that fit right into your home (sometimes with only a lick of paint to make them oh so perfect). I love how you have pictures everywhere. I do the same thing and people think I am crazy! 🙂 Have a great weekend! Tammy
I love what you've done with your foyer 🙂
Love your foyer! Does the hallway (where your vinyl decal is place) go to downstairs area?
Your foyer looks great! I love the update that you gave to the spindles and railing. I also love how you have so many interesting things hanging in your foyer. If I came to your house, I know I'd look and look and look because you display so many interesting things.
Great job Manuela! I love everything about it…as usual!!!
Have a great weekend,
Susie
I love EVERYTHING in your foyer from the colors to the great dog collection and on and on………So cheerful:)
~Debra
Blog: Capers of the vintage vixens
Love it. Love the dog pictures. Your attention to detail I think is what makes your rooms so special and your amazing ability to paint anything. Linda
My dd and I went to a thrift store in Squim yesterday and as we entered I said, "Now I'm going to think about what would Manuela buy here." Sadly I didn't find anything. lol. Linda
It's all beautiful but I love, love, LOVE the dog art! And the chicken! : )
You have such a pretty home, Manuela!
Our new house is single story and I love that, but I miss that staircase. There are just so many things you can do with one. Where am I supposed to hang all my lighted garland at Christmas now???
I adored the tour Manuela!
The new railing really does change the look and the red hall tree is just perfect! All your other decorating touches are charming and wonderful as well!
I love your style!
Cindy
Your foyer is wonderful! I only wish I could knock on your door and see it in person – and have a good, long chat with you. Oh, how I wish I had a foyer but you've inspired me to do something to my non-entry entry into my house. I'll have to dig through my things in the garage and see what I come up with!
~Adrienne~
What a warm and welcoming entrance way, Manuela. The whole area is beautiful and inviting. Love it.
Susan
Oh, I just love the whole space! You were so smart to paint the hall tree red. It is perfect! I love that piece and how it doesn't take much to decorate it. It will be so easy to change it out when you want a different look. I had a split foyer house (my previous house) and had the same kind of foyer You have done such a great job with it!
It all looks great! I have a split also so I'm very excited to see what you did with your entrance.
My dad changed out the hand rails for us years ago, thank goodness! He also put in hardwood treads which I just love. My biggest challenge is what to use for decor because the landing isn't very big.
I also painted the paneling in our family room white many years ago, and freshened it up last year. The family room is probably the nicest room in our house! LOL! We painted the floor and put down a large area rug. I made custom curtains in blues, golds, browns, and creams, and painted the top section of the walls an ocean blue color. Can't wait to see yours!
Sharon
Manuela, I love everything you've done in your foyer. The dog pictures are perfect. If you don't mind, could you tell me about your stairs? Did they used to have yucky, stained, cheap carpet on them? Oh sorry, I'm thinking about my stairs! Did you just pull the carpet up and paint or did you have to do something special? My stair railing also annoys me (for the past 6 years). I painted it white because it used to be REDWOOD! Someday it will go bye bye too. 🙂
It is just beautiful!! It has so much character and looks so welcoming when you come in! My fave is that red hall tree!!
I live in a bi-level so I know how small those spaces can be. I am in awe of yours. Wow, love the colors, mirrors and those dogs. YOu got alot in those spaces. I have a sign like your wall words. Love that saying. I'm telling you these bloggers are the best decorators.
You give me so much inspiration for my walls! We live in a rental house and our landlord absolutely refuses to let us paint (previous tenants went wild with the colors), so the only thing I can do is put things on the walls, and I'm not very good at that, even. So I love to see little things you've done and think "I could do that!" Thanks!
I'm not certain that "cute" is the right adjective for your wonderful space. Charming, cheerful, even quirky, but it has far more presence than "cute." It's funny what irks us, isn't it? I think your floor looks great and the lamp does, too. But you're going to change it out and it'll look amazing. The stair railing is a great change. It looks far better.
It really came out great! It fits the tone of your house really well – warm and inviting!
Can I just say I LOVE IT! It is warm and charming and just the right welcome to your home. I know it will provide plenty of inspriration when I get started on my tiny entrance.
I LOVE it all…the hall tree, love it red, I have one too with a hat hanging also, (except my hat is a cow girl hat)love the dog prints and the railings…very nice 😀
Your foyer is beautiful – I love every bit of it. I know what you mean about the rail bugging you – I have things like that in my house. Little things, but they bug you until you get it just right. 🙂 Your foyer may be little, but it's loaded with character.
I LOVE this foyer!! Everything about it!! Great Job!
The most lovilest of foyers! And, I LOVE LVOE LOVE all the dog pictures – wow – LOVE them!
Hi there, I just love your foyer. Everything about it is so warm and welcoming from the darling painted hall tree with the fishing basket filled with flowers to the WONDERFUL collection of dog prints and pictures and your pretty Spode plates. So charming!
Very sweet Manuela, it looks very british to me xoxox Clarice
Your foyer makes me smile. Very welcoming indeed!
I love what you've done with your foyer already, but agree that a door with glass in it would be an excellent addition. Good luck with the chandelier.
Well, I'm crazy about it!! I really like the idea of painting the existing light and adding the toile shades. I love what you chose for the railings, and I think I'm going to like the stairs when you do them (although I still love them just the way they are.)
Your attention to detail is inspiring. You're always tweaking and willing to take a risk.
What a charming foyer! I agree that the new bannister and spindles look so much better! I'd love to see toile shades on that chandelier!!
Love,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo
You did an INCREDIBLE job! 🙂 Very french country!!! Hope you are enjoying your weekend!
Manuela, I love this post!! Your foyer is beautiful and I would give anything to have one as precious as this! I only have an entryway, no foyer. Have a wonderful day. Your blog is soooo beautiful! hugs, Kerrie
Great photography..you did a lot with a small space..and re the basket..hey IT DOESN'T MATTER if it is a picnic basket or whatever..it's a great basket and you filledit beautifully..
So warm and welcoming Manuela, you have a beautiful home :o) I bet your guests smile from ear to ear as they enter……
m, the foyer is grand! and thanks for commenting on my "home tour" and the buffet i painted! yes, i do paint EVERYTHING! and i love to p/u junk off the side off the road! i used to be embarrassed, but not anymore- i figure if i can save something from the trash heap and make it beautiful, who cares? i've even painted and SOLD my freebies many times on craigslist!
Manuela, I know you have more energy and creativity in your little finger than I have in my whole body! Your foyer is so inviting and so pretty. I loved that red on that hall tree the first time I saw it. The basket filled with flowers just adds to its charm. Your stair rail looks beautiful, as does the whole space. laurie
I love your foyer. It is so pretty and inviting. The railing looks so rich. I even like the terra cotta tiles.
Hope you have a good week!
Beautiful, fresh changes in your foyer!
Pretty, pretty, pretty! Love all the character girlfriend!
~Jennifer
Manuela I am back from my bloggy break. Hello sweet friend!
This foyer looks stunning! It is all just gorgeous. I love the pop of black with the floor rug. The wall words and the new paint look so good. Everything is pulled together in a warm and welcoming way. It's a really great first impression. *Smiles*
Oh your blackberries look yummy! They are my favorite with vanilla ice cream. Mmmmmm…:)
Love your Jardin…Foyer..Your house..Love the hibiscus!
XO
Frenchy
Your foyer is beautiful! The hall tree looks fantastic in red! And your new railings are gorgeous! I know what you mean when things BOTHER you so long! I have things in my house that I have wanted to change for 10 yrs! And the trim between the foyer and living room looks great too!
I hope your electrician can fix that! Does the arm need to be attached? Maybe sodered? depending on the metal I would imagine. Not sure about tole. What a BEAUTIFUL chandy! If it can't be repaired (which I really think it can) I would use it as a candilier! What a GREAT find!
Kristi
Sweet spot.
I'm fond of your paint color. I have gold walls, but am thinking of making it a bit lighter color.
Jody
Your foyer looks about as tiny as mine. I love you colors and would love to do something similar! Thanks for the inspiration!
It is so lovely! You just have a knack for putting things together that feel cozy and homey. It is just lovely:)
I am curious about your dog needing a rug down at the bottom of the steps…. Because our dog, who also has issues, needs a rug at the bottom of our step too and at the landing! It's like she is scared of the hardwood floors! She tip toes around all scared and most of the time we have to coax her down the steps and the rug HAS to be there or she will not come down!! Sometimes in the middle of the night we will wake up to her scrambling on the steps all freaked out and we have to go "rescue her" sooo weird
I loved your blog about loving your home. You are right and I'm so glad you wrote about that. I have a home with some finishes I'd like to change, but I love my home. Your house is so beautiful and I love all your painting projects you have completed…they look great.
Wow…almost the exact same entry on our house and I was just wondering what it would look like if I painted the new banister and railing black! Thanks for posting!!