Hallways, Entrances and Foyers: Lighting Your Homes Trickiest Spaces

Entrances, hallways and foyers all have a major commonality: These spaces are typically the focal point to the entrance of your home. Guests are greeted in these areas and you use the spaces as a means to get to other rooms throughout your home.

While these spaces are one of the first you and your guests will see upon entering your home, they can be some of the harder spots in a house to light. These areas are difficult because most foyers or entrances are not alike, which means you have to take into account the design of your home.

Creating a Grand Entrance

If you're looking for the right fixture to fit in your entryway or foyer, you need think about the size of the light and the open space available. Chandeliers are a great source of light for these tricky architectural areas, and they give guests a majestic entrance into your home. Typically, you want to calculate this exactly, Hinkley Lighting Inc. explained.

Hinkley recommends that, for chandlers in foyers, you should add the length and width dimensions of the entrance area and convert the total area to inches.

"[If] the area is 18 feet by 14 feet," Gavin Martin, a Hinkley Lighting expert, explained. "Added together this equals 32 feet. Then convert your sum to inches: the chandelier's diameter should be approximately 32 inches in width."

Additionally, if the entryway or foyer is two stories tall, you want to hang the chandelier in front of the second floor window (if you have one) so the fixture can be seen from outside. It also might be best to add wall sconces in the entryway in order to provide additional light if the chandelier is not enough.

Add the Right Guiding Light in Entry Hallways

For those who have homes with a hallway at the entry, chandeliers likely won't work, as they are too big or hang too low. However, you can still create an enchanting lighting design with accent lighting fixtures throughout the hallway. This will draw attention to artwork and other decorative items in the hallway without emitting too much or too little light.

Again, wall sconces are perfect for entry hallways and guide guests through your home.

Visit your local ALA showroom or go online to americanlightingassoc.com to learn more about home lighting options.

The photo above is provided by Hudson Valley Lighting.