A Professional Designer Explains Why Your Foyer Needs A Mirror Feature

A foyer is the perfect opportunity to set the tone of the home as soon as you walk in. Traditionally, this room is used to greet guests, allowing them to take off their shoes and coats before they enter the home. Your foyer should be both functional and stylish. And a mirror accomplishes both of those requirements.

Interior designer Phoenix Grey, who goes by @mrphoenixgrey on TikTok, explains why mirrors are a must-have when designing your foyer. Grey says, "Depending on the scale and the availability of what you have to work within your space, a unique mirror is always my go-to rule. Play with the vanity that you have in yourself and others because you always want to be able to look at yourself, make sure you actually look good, when you're walking out that door."

Mirrors' reflective qualities also help bounce light around the room, which may be beneficial for foyers that don't have a lot of windows or a ton of natural light. You can also utilize this in the evenings with artificial light to make the foyer feel warm and illuminated. Here's how to select and hang the perfect mirror to help your foyer's style stand out.

Before choosing a mirror, you first have to evaluate the space. As Phoenix Grey mentions, scale and space are important factors for this design element. Full-length floor mirrors are great to get a complete look at your outfit. However, floor mirrors take up floor space, so they might not be the best option for smaller foyers or if you already have a lot of furniture in the room. A wall mirror can save some floor space, but might not leave much of the wall left for other decorations.

Take cues from the size and shape of the foyer so the mirror is to scale. A tiny mirror will feel lost in a large, two-floor foyer, but an oversized mirror that takes up an entire wall can crowd a small foyer. Foyers with high ceilings can benefit from full-length or several vertically-hanging rectangular mirrors. Small, simple wall mirrors complement narrow foyers and help save floor space without overwhelming the area.

Think about the style of the rest of your home when selecting the style of the mirror. Wood finishes are more traditional, while metal frames feel more modern. Rectangular, square, and round mirrors are more classic shapes. However, hexagonal and organically-shaped mirrors can add a little more visual interest. As for where to buy mirrors, big box home stores have a variety of options, but for something truly unique, look at antique stores, flea markets, and thrift shops.

Where you put a mirror in your foyer may be limited to the architecture of the space. However, if there are multiple walls in the foyer, there are more options. As stated, using a mirror's reflective properties to create more light is a great design trick. Placing a mirror directly across from a window or door magnifies the amount of light in the space. If a mirror can't be directly in front of a door, nearby is the next best place, allowing you and your guests to have a final once-over on your way out of the house.

A mirror hanging alone on a wall can look odd, so creating a decorative vignette in the entryway is another great way to utilize mirrors. Hang the mirror above a bench or a console table in the foyer to create a multi-use feature. A bench can be great for stopping to put on shoes while a console table allows you to set down keys, mail, and bags as soon as you come in the door. Decorative touches like a vase of flowers, potted plants, and sculptures can help finish off the space and also make this functional entrance room of the house feel well-thought-out.