Small-Space Dwellers: This Is How to Create a Foyer

Foyers are so rare for us small-space city dwellers that I’m not even sure how to properly pronounce it (fo-yay? fo-yer?) — but after teaming up with Sherwin-Williams®, I found a way to downright invent the space in a formerly drab hallway. Introducing what I call the shadow shelf! By painting a floating shelf *and* the wall directly behind it and using a bright bar stool as a side table, I created a designated entryway. These, plus a few wooden hooks and plants, turned a nothing into a something: It transformed a wall into a foyer.

The foyer’s color palette came from my Instagram of a windy July evening on the beautiful beaches of North Carolina, where my family often vacations. To me, sunsets always look like gigantic paintings in the sky, so why not actually paint my own home with the same hues? After toggling with the app for a little while, I landed on three paint colors available in the Emerald® product line.

Before using ColorSnap®, I never would have thought to combine these colors. But the combo really works — doesn’t it?

Materials + Tools:

— Sherwin-Williams Emerald® Paint (I used SW 6890 Osage Orange, SW 6240 Windy Blue and SW 6282 Mauve Finery)

— angled nylon bristle paint brushes in assorted sizes

— small paint roller

— stir sticks

— paint tray + liner

— painter’s tape

— string

— push pins

— drop cloth

— iPhone

FYI, these are all the materials and tools you’ll need for both projects.

I extracted these Emerald® paint colors from our inspo photo: SW 6890 Osage Orange, SW 6240 Windy Blue and SW 6282 Mauve Finery.

UPGRADE YOUR BAR STOOL

To get comfortable using the paint, I started by updating a dreary old barstool with a much-needed coat of color.

SNOOZE FEST.

Stir your paint. Sit the barstool on its seat and paint the legs and underside using an angled, nylon bristle brush. Let dry, then give it another coat if necessary.

Once the base of the barstool is dry, turn it over and paint the seat. Add another coat if necessary, then let it dry completely. That’s it!

Trust me, a little bit of color — even on an overlooked piece of furniture — goes a long way when decorating a room.

HOW TO MAKE A SHADOW SHELF

Just as I did for the bedroom makeover, I used string, push pins and my iPhone Compass app to create straight lines. There’s actually a level built into the Compass app, which is a major game changer for home decor. Simply pin a string in one corner, use the level tool to create a straight, level line, then pin the string into place.

I first pinned the four edges then added one diagonal stripe through the middle.

Add painter’s tape along the string lines. By lining them up exactly against the string, you’ll ensure straight lines. Once all the tape is up and you’ve removed the string, add a strip of tape through the middle of the shelf exactly perpendicular to the wall. Eyeball the last piece of tape that cuts the front face of the shelf so that it’s perfectly lined up with your diagonal strip on the wall.

Pro Tip: Try to keep the tape on the roll as you tape the wall (instead of ripping off large pieces). This will help you have more control of the tape.

Now for the fun part: painting! Outline one side with paint using an angled nylon bristle brush.

Paint the rest of the wall and shelf with a small roller.

Once the paint is dry, remove the diagonal strip of tape. Place a new piece of tape directly on the other side of this line so that there will be no white space between the two colors. Paint the second side of the wall and shelf using a paintbrush on the edges and a roller in the middle. Let dry.

Remove all the tape and you’re done! This part is so, so satisfying.

I added some plants, a dish for my keys and hung up my inspiration photo to liven up the space. I also love using binder clips to hang photos — it adds an industrial vibe and means you don’t have to blemish the print with thumbtack holes. The whole shelf kind of feels like floating furniture, doesn’t it?

Bam, a foyer! Easy as pie. Check out the photos below for a few decor details:

Pro Tip: Use a cutting board or serving tray to add dimension and definition to a space. Suddenly my sunglasses feel like they have a home!

And when in doubt, add pretty flowers and mini golden unicorns. Done and done.

There you have it, a foyer! Next up, we’re transforming a dated office into a dreamy pastel workspace with the help of ColorSnap®. Stay tuned!

Will you try this foyer hack? If so, we want to see how it turned out! Share Instagram photos with the hashtag #iamcreative so we can take a peek.

This post is a collaboration with Sherwin-Williams®.

Author: Maddie Bachelder
Production + Styling: Maddie Bachelder + Irene Lee
Photography: Chris Andre