It takes your coat and wet umbrella. It stores your keys, so you don’t misplace them. And it welcomes guests into your home. The foyer is a truly selfless space that deserves some love. A coat rack and welcome mat aren’t enough. You want an entryway that wows as soon as someone walks through the door. While certain design choices certainly make a difference, there’s nothing more impactful than foyer lighting.

Foyer Lighting: Why It Matters

An interior designer would never forget to add a foyer fixture, and you shouldn’t either. Foyer lighting has some basic functions, such as illuminating the front of your house and providing a path of light that guides people inside. But those brilliant ceiling lights also:

• Greet guests
• Introduce your personality
• Set the tone for your home

Foyer Lighting: Factors to Consider

Not just any light fixture will fit your foyer. You must first consider some important factors that will guide your shopping.

Ceiling height

High ceilings make for a grand entrance. Do them justice with an equally grand chandelier. For standard-height spaces, choose a fixture that sits close to the ceiling, so you don’t crowd the space or overwhelm your guests.

Scale

Ceiling height has a major influence on the scale of your foyer. However, the scale can also be established by furnishings in the room, wall color and wall art, as well as the overall structure of the space. With a mirror on the wall, a chandelier that projects light up and out will make the area brighter and feel bigger. Also, if you happened to have a busy tile pattern in your foyer, your ceiling fixture should be simpler to complement that.

Light bulbs

Incandescent and halogen bulbs tend to offer a warmer light than LED bulbs. However, if you prefer an energy efficient solution, LED bulbs can be adjusted by brightness. For a soft, warm glow in your foyer, choose an LED bulb in the 2,700 to 3,000K temperature range.

Dimmability

Most people think to add a dimmer to dining room chandeliers, but it’s also a big consideration for your foyer fixture. Dimmers help you set the tone with your lighting by letting you choose the ambiance and adjust it as the sun rises and your mood shifts.

Foyer Lighting: 10 Fixtures That Will Wow Guests

1. Allier by Murray Feiss

This orb of weathered oak wood is an elegant addition to a rustic-style home or modern farmhouse. The incandescent torpedo light bulbs send light up to create that candle-lit glow that feels especially warm against dark wood floors. Plus, the unfussed fixture lets you add a patterned rug or a strip of wallpaper.

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2. Darlana by Visual Comfort

The open air of a cage design allows light to reflect off a wall mirror. Its simple, square lines are also a fluid match for coffered ceilings or checkered tile flooring. If you prefer to keep your foyer free of dense pattern, that’s okay, too. The polished nickel and aged iron are smooth finishes that integrate well into modern or transitional décor.

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3. Equinoxe by Schonbek

Layers of eight-point crystal starbursts easily fill the void created by vaulted ceilings. With 63 lights shining in all directions, this chandelier can’t be missed. A home with luxury features, like marble floors and double doors, is the best backdrop for a fixture of this magnitude.

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4. Fairview by Quoizel

The bronze finish and sleek dome make the Fairview a welcome fixture in any traditional home. You could even pair this pendant with a rustic interior. Amid a blanket of heavy wood grains and chunky furnishings, the polished metal gives just a touch of something smooth. Not to mention, a brass interior makes the four incandescent bulbs feel that much warmer.

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5. Glendale by Hudson Valley

Your house guests will be over the moon with this sputnik design. Shooting yellow light in every direction, the filament bulbs are even warmer thanks to the brass interior bouncing their rays. A black iron frame contains the chandelier and gives it a more versatile design. Hang it in your vaulted mid-century modern foyer or adjust the chain and tuck it up to the ceiling for more headspace.

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6. Malia by Murray Feiss

Beaded crystal strands drape over a wheel of lights, adding a hint of 1920s glam to your entryway. From the top bead to bottom teardrop, this chandelier is a full four feet long. So you’ll want to save it for high ceilings and grand entrances – like a foyer with multiple rooms.

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7. Piper by Kichler

When a standard drum shade meets crystal chandelier, you get this six-bulb light fixture. The alternating metal rods and glass droplets make for a decorative art piece in any modern home. Let it stand out among neutral walls and uncluttered décor.

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8. Primo by Elegant

This opulent chandelier will draw the eye up toward decorative ceiling tile, a custom mural or other unique architectural flair. Of course, the fixture itself is a show stopper with four tiers of fine crystals and candelabra bulbs that push a gold glow out from the middle.

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9. Dury by Quoizel

A crisscross pattern adds just enough texture that it won’t overwhelm a small or narrow entryway. Plus, the flush mount design keeps this foyer fixture from interrupting the flow of traffic. If you have a crisp contemporary space, choose the Palladian Bronze finish. Otherwise, let the antique accent come through in the silver or bright-white options.

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10. Lyon by Visual Comfort

If a light fixture can be ornate and delicate, this one is exactly that. The antique gild says you’re well-traveled and ready for an adventure, while the glass beads show sophisticated refinement. Give the candelabra room to breathe in an all-white entryway, or let it be the most charming feature in an otherwise rustic home.

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Foyer Lighting: Find Your Way

If you can make one quick change to your foyer, upgrade the light fixture. This piece of décor is so much more than a purposeful pendant. Foyer lighting can be a single statement at the front of your house or a taste of what’s to come when guests walk in. The decision is entirely yours, but don’t be overwhelmed by it. The size of your space will dictate the size of your chandelier. From there, it’s all about you. Let your personality shine through, and you’ll always make a great impression.