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Foyer design - straight sight line or defined space

8 days ago

Hello,


For a front entry, should I go for a straight sight line or defined space? It's currently planned and framed as a foyer with a part that slightly juts out to better define the space. It could be practical for furniture / bench placement.


I tend to think a direct line feels more open and expansive.


Curious what this group thinks?


Thank you!

Feng


Comments (7)

  • PRO
    8 days ago
    last modified: 8 days ago

    I would do wider coat closet and no jut out which seems to be more of an obstacle . If you pactice feng shui this would not be a good placement for the entry since it looks staraight through a window

  • 8 days ago
    last modified: 8 days ago

    My layout is similar to yours. ”My chair” is where one of your chairs is shown, on straight view from the front door, which is solid with two sidelights. The good news is, I can almost see the Amazon delivery in the evening, but sometimes I feel like he can see me better, and I don’t like that. Someday I will get new furniture and rearrange the living room, shifting away from the foyer.

    That said, we have 18” and cased opening between foyer and living room. We like it because it makes the living room a room, a little cozier, allows for a different feel in the foyer, and in your layout will give a nicer sense of arrival, an elegant transition from street to living space.

    In your space, the shower causes the wall to be off kilter, so you can’t do a cased opening. I notice that the bedroom closet has what will become a ”black hole”; you might conisder moving the hall closet down or expanding it into that nook. And hinge the closet door on the left side instead of right.

    In fact, that little jigsaw of bathroom, laundry and closet does not look very convenient to use any of the spaces.

    One other suggestion: in the other hall bath, consider one sink instead of two. More counterspace and drawers below will be well-used, while I almost guarantee that only one of those two sinks will ever be used and the one closest to the door will get dusty.

    Feng Yuan Xu thanked bpath
  • 8 days ago

    The shower itself looks like it was glued on to a Powder Room after design was finished, and is the cause of the bump out into the Hallway because the whole area wasn't reworked well to accomodate it. It is a little intrusive, but a lot of that area (Powder, Laundry, closets) should be looked at for a better design.

    Feng Yuan Xu thanked 3onthetree
  • 8 days ago
    last modified: 8 days ago

    For best feedback, please post a plan with measurements.

    I agree that the foyer would look better without the jut out and a wider closet.

    It seems like some areas are tight on space.

    Consider extending the back of the house to be in line with the dining area. The extra square footage will give you room to turn the island 90 degrees plus be sure you have 4’ aisles from counter to counter/appliance handle.

    The bedroom/laundry/bathroom/closet areas could be reworked to improve the layout and square off the angled hallway walls that result in odd shaped closets. Consider extending the right front corner of the house to a straight wall and maybe shortening the primary bedroom by 1-2’ to give you more space to rework this area.

    In my area, a 5th bedroom adds a lot of market value and flexibility. If true for your area, try to allot a bit more space to the office including a closet so it can function as a 5th bedroom or a guest room or an office or a nursery or a kids’ playroom. The use of the room may change over time.

    How does the back of the house connect to the backyard? Do you plan to add decks or patios or a courtyard? Is there only one opening out to the back through the family room? If yes, add more doors out to the backyard. Also consider making the kitchen window over the sink into a pass through window if there will be a patio and grill area on the other side.

  • 8 days ago

    Agree about an easier way out to the patio, specially if you like to BBQ and entertain outdoors.

    Grab some meat you have by the sink (or something from the fridge) and take outside to BBQ. You have to go around the table and possibly around people sitting at the table with chairs pulled out.

    And if the slider isn't already open, they can be a bit heavy to unlock and pull open, specially if you are carrying a dish with meat and marinade in one of your hands.




  • PRO
    8 days ago

    I haven't seen him for awhile, but there used to be a pro on here called ArchitectRunnerGuy. One thing I remember him saying is that he always designed entries with a direct view through and out of the house. I totally agree. It makes for a much more welcoming feel in the foyer as well as providing a feel of expansiveness. And I agree with those who say the jut out should be eliminated, not only for functional reasons but also because it stops the eye from moving through the space.