Creating a Unique Space with Foyer Tables

Sitting in hallways and lobbies, holding up objects more interesting than themselves, foyer tables are easily ignored. But the right foyer table is the design secret that can unlock the potential of a room, creating a unique and special space.

The Design of Foyer Tables

If you’re going to pick the right foyer table for a room, then you first need to think about a foyer table’s design elements.

In some ways, foyer tables are essentially practical in their design. They need to be solid enough to carry the weight of items placed on them, without becoming so large that they intrude far into the room, blocking a corridor or taking up space where other furniture belongs. But this still leaves opportunities for distinctive design and variation.

In terms of the practical design of a foyer table, the most obvious point to consider is the number of shelves. The more you have, the more things you can store or display on the table. Something with three shelves, like this Evajoy 55” industrial entryway table, gives you plenty of space for books, pictures, ornaments, or whatever else you want to present to the world. It immediately draws attention to the display.

That doesn’t mean a multi-layered table is always the best option. As this 70.9” industrial sofa table shows, a single shelf leaves the space feeling less crowded, which can sometimes be more appealing, especially if you prefer a more minimalist aesthetic.

The right materials can achieve that sense of lightness in a different way. The glass shelves of this Evajoy 35” entryway table mean that it feels less intrusive. The wooden shelves of the previous two tables have a warmer look and might be more practical for shelves where people are going to be regularly dropping off and picking up items, as scratches are easier to deal with on wood than on glass. Choosing the right materials is always about balancing these aesthetic and practical factors.

While their designs are fundamentally simple, small touches can lend a foyer table an air of elegance or mark it out from the other options. The inverted V shape not only adds strength to the legs of this sofa table, but adds visual variety. A charging port also adds a practical element, making this a useful table if you want somewhere in the room to place a lamp or charge your phone.

Coordinating a Foyer Table

Materials also affect one of the biggest factors in coordinating a foyer table with its room – the color.

Coordinating doesn’t always mean matching. A foyer table is going to be a feature, and to some extent, it should stand out. A table that’s just slightly off from the color of the wall behind it is going to look like a failure to match, and one that clashes will look like a disaster. You need something that stands out while fitting the theme. For tables like this three-tiered Evajoy foyer table, which comes in three different colors, you can choose the finish that best fits your room, whereas this industrial entryway table needs to go in a room where its dark wood and black metal will fit.

The best way to coordinate with the room is often to match a design element that’s already in there, whether it’s other furniture or an in-built decorative feature. Perhaps the wood of this sofa table will go well with your polished floorboards or an antique cupboard. The gold finish version of this foyer table might match a room’s metalwork, helping both elements to stand out and brightening a space with limited light.

Limitations on space make the biggest difference to what you can fit in. This 35” entryway table is a good choice for a room that’s small or already crowded. At nearly 71” long, this particular Evajoy table is great if you want lots of surface area, but even in a large room, it needs to be carefully placed so as not to get in the way. It could turn one wall into a work space or feature area, with decorative elements the whole way along, but be careful it won’t get knocked by people coming through a nearby door.

Thinking outside the box can help you make the most of an awkward room. A corner table might fit into otherwise unused space, while a low table could go under a window where nothing else will fit. By taking a clever look at the available options, you can make better use of what you have.

Adding a Touch of Green

Foyer tables are a great place to add decoration to a room. That can be a vase, a sculpture, or family photos, but one of the best options is to introduce some greenery.

A plant or two can soften the mood of a room, making it feel alive. The presence of something natural and organic knocks the hard edges off the world. For multi-shelf pieces like this industrial entryway table, most plants will need to go on the top, so that they get enough light and space to grow. This also helps draw attention to them and make the most of the plants’ natural features. For a taller table, you could have a trailing plant that runs down one side, or several smaller pots on the ends of the shelves.

Look for plants that will go well with the table. Orchids, cacti, and other unusual plants can fit nicely with a modern design, while more traditional flowers go well with wood shelves and antiques for a rustic look.

Pulling it Together

A well-chosen foyer table, decorated with plants and ornaments that express your personality, can create a truly unique and special space. Pick a table that will coordinate with the room and the furniture in it, that will make good use of the space you have, and find decorations that go with the table’s design to make a space your own.