The Black & White Foyer.

The house we live in now doesn’t have a foyer. You just open the front door and walk right into the living room. Into the chaos. Into the mess.  When we bought the house, this feature drove me slightly crazy. And by slightly, I mean absolutely, off the wall, hands down crazy. It wasn’t until I was reading the book, American Home Life 1880-1930, that I began to understand and appreciate the fact that our 1940’s home is without a foyer. In the chapter, Modern Look of Early Twentieth-Century House, one sentence in particular struck a chord with me. So much so that I immediately ripped the page out of the book, framed it and hung it in our living room. It reads:

The living room, which had evolved from the Victorian living or stair hall, replaced both the parlor and the entrance hall; now the visitor entered directly into the life of the family.

Aww. Isn’t that sweet? Well, that thought lasted about a minute. And the custom, one of a kind artwork I created is now just a constant reminder that I don’t have a foyer. Tough life. I know.

  

 And nothing says “foyer” more to me than a traditional black and white checkered floor. Looks pretty amazing paired with shades of green. These pictures are perfect examples of the classic, grand entryway that I one day hope to have. That’s when I’ll know “I’ve made it”, when I have a foyer like this. That and when I can afford a Burberry trench coat.

Photo Credits: Elizabeth Dinkel via La Dolce Vita and Larry Laslo via Splendid Sass. These foyers are attached to pretty spectacular homes! Be sure to click your way through Elizabeth Dinkel’s website and the Splendid Sass’s photos of this East Hampton home (to the right). You won’t be disappointed.