The Foyer in A New House on a New Landscape

Now that we have sorted out the basement, it’s time to go inside the house. The finer homes have a foyer, and in the one in my mind does. The truth is, of the many entrances to my childhood and current homes, none leads to a foyer. I think I might be more of a “mudroom” person. I like having an entrance way which permits people to remove and store their outerwear and shoes. Yes, I would be the type that requires slippers or socks in the house, because I do not like GERMS and dirt everywhere. I have come to understand that the grossest things dwell upon our shoes.

In my dreams I imagine a grandfather clock in the foyer; I have seen that custom in so many houses or fine hotels. In reality, I’m probably more inclined toward a Cuckoo clock, as a thread of music which plays in my memory belongs to one. My Grammy had one she shipped over from her visit to Germany, probably from Bavaria. Expensive, but oh so neat. It’s cheerful ticking, and heavy weights which were used to set it every 12 hours, along with the hourly announcement and half hour reminders were a delight to listen to. The melody of the dancers dancing around the clock is unknown to me in name, but it will forever play in my mind for as long as I walk this world.

Some foyers give you a glimpse of the house layout beyond them, some are enclosed and meant to be a decorative waste of space. Many I have been in are a place for the second floor staircases to land, while others are a mere landing for two sets of stairs to branch upward and down as split foyer homes do.

The idea is, this is the formal entrance to things. Through this pathway, we are guests. If you enter through the high traffic kitchen door, you are a friend or family. This is an important distinction in my world, which is southern rooted, but American located. Stepping in through the foyer means it is a social call, but with business to attend to. Often this leads to sitting in the parlor or formal sitting room, rather than a comfortable family room. Each have their advantages, and they are future entries in this book. For now our foyer is going to lead you to a couple of hallways.

Hallways have their own place and overlooked importance in the home.