Home Lighting

As the entryway into the home, the foyer is a visitor’s first impression. For what is typically a small space, a number of lighting options can deliver a bright, warm welcome to these guests and ensure their safe passage to the rest of the house. Read these tips to learn how lighting the foyer can benefit your home.

Here’s how to make a grand entrance with lighting:

With lighting design, remember to always think general:

• ambient lighting
• accent lighting
• task lighting

If the foyer has a tall ceiling, consider a pendant luminaire or chandelier as an ambient light source and decorative focal point that draws the eye upward.

The luminaire should be scaled to the space; for a tall and narrow foyer, for example, a vertical pendant such as a lantern might be suitable. One approach is to add up the room’s length and width in feet; in inches, that would be a suitable diameter for the pendant. So for a room that is 10 x 10 feet in dimension, the pendant should be 10 + 10 = 20 inches in diameter. The bottom of the luminaire should be approximately seven feet off the floor.

The same or similar luminaires can be used in other rooms featuring a pendant (such as the dining room) for a unified aesthetic, or different luminaires can be used in each space for a whimsical aesthetic. Otherwise, select whatever luminaire appearance matches the feel of the home, whether you to convey a modern or classic comfort feel.

For entryways with lower ceilings, consider flush or semi-flush ceiling luminaires, which can brighten the guest’s welcome while complementing the design. For a decorative touch, consider wall sconces or a table lamp (task lighting) placed on a small table against a wall.

Placing light on walls and, if possible, the ceiling will make the space appear larger and brighter. If the foyer features objects of interest such as artwork, consider accent lighting to draw attention to these objects.

Controlling lighting using dimmer switches allows you to tune light levels while saving energy and potentially increasing the life of the light sources.

The foyer is the visitor’s first impression of a home. Good lighting can make it a positive and lasting one.

What You Need To Know About Lighting The Foyer:

•  Foyers are typically small spaces that make a big impression
• The luminaire should be scaled to the size of the room
• Taller spaces can benefit from a decorative pendant as a focal point
• Smaller spaces can benefit from recessed or semi-recessed luminaires
• Wall sconces and table lamps can add ambiance
• Track lighting can highlight focal points such as artwork

By Craig DiLouie, LC