Elevate Your Foyer With TikTok's Brilliant Bookend Hack

Decorating a foyer demands a careful balance between form and function. An entryway has a practical purpose, but it's also where people get their first impression of your home, so it's worth it to give the area some extra love. If you're thinking about refreshing your foyer's look, you don't need to spend a fortune on new furniture and décor. Everyday items in your home — or at the thrift shop – are often the best pieces for bringing new life into this space. To get started, look no further than the classic bookend.

Bookends can sound like traditional décor pieces that belong exclusively to home offices and libraries, but they're the (literal) heavyweight champions of creative interior design. You can always use a bookend as a tabletop statue, but if you really want to put your bookend to work in the foyer, you can turn it into a beautiful statement doorstop.

Using a bookend as a doorstop is an easy interior design trick that's been around for a while — some products are actually marketed as a combination bookend and doorstop — but the idea has gained some new attention, thanks to social media. TikTok user and stylist Sarah Teresinski (@redeux_style) provides a helpful inspiration video on repurposing a large bookend, and using it as a doorstop is at the top of the list.

In the video, Teresinski uses a brass duck bookend as her doorstop, and it's a great example of how to pull off this design hack. The duck has a flat back, so the base lines up flush against the door, creating a smooth silhouette and ensuring that the door stays in place. And since the bookend is made of brass, it definitely meets the weight requirement, easily holding the door open with no issues. The verticality of the duck bookend is also a thoughtful design touch: it takes up minimal floor space and is harmonious with the door shape. Overall, if you want to get the perfect bookend-as-doorstop look, this is an excellent template to follow.

If you want to try this hack but don't have a fancy brass bookend on hand, don't sweat it — you can transform any bookend into an attractive doorstop, granted that it's heavy enough to hold the weight of the door. Bookends made from stone, wood, other metals, or even a sturdy acrylic can do just fine as doorstops.

In addition to weight, the right bookend should be large enough to have decorative value. A tiny bookend will get swallowed up by the surface area of the door and floor, and folks will barely notice it when they enter your home (it could even become a tripping hazard). Instead, choose a bookend with a novelty, eye-catching shape and several inches of height, such as this ceramic horse head. Or, if you prefer a more minimalist vibe, look for an abstract design in a neutral tone, like this triangular stone. Whichever bookend style you choose to use, just be sure that it's cohesive with the rest of your foyer's design. Once you have selected a bookend, all you need to do is place it against your front door, and presto: your foyer has been upgraded.