The foyer is the entry portal for your home. You want it to speak to your style and the tone of your personality and your decor. A rug can provide warmth and color and design that is easily changeable. Refreshing your rug is a lot less time-intensive than, say, re-painting the foyer. But a rug may require more cleaning, particularly if you live in an area where you deal with rain and snow and the foyer is the point for removing wet clothing and shoes.
But there are ways to have a rug that's easy to clean and great to look at if that's what you need. If you're a fan of a foyer rug, we've found some great styles and ideas that we think you'll love.
1. Traditional Rugs For A Traditional Home
If you have a traditional style home filled with warm wood tones and classic style elements, then you may consider using oriental rugs. This home has a hallway that runs perpendicular to the front door and the homeowner has chosen to use two smaller oriental rugs to give warmth to the space. The use of the rugs also breaks up the expanse of wood.
Look for traditional patterns with warm browns, beiges, greens, golds, and reds when matching a natural hardwood floor. These wool rugs come in a variety of sizes that will work for many different foyer configurations.
Click here for this rug on Amazon.
2. A Large Mat Rug For Easy Cleaning
If you have a door that enters directly into your home from the outside, you probably don't want to put your grandmother's antique Berber wool rug there. Instead, you want something easy to clean or replace should it get filthy from dirt and moisture tracked in from outside. Here, a cheery striped rug looks great with the blue french doors. It covers the landing and almost reaches either side of the hallway.
This indoor oversized doormat is waterproof, non-slip, dirt-resistant, and quickly absorbs moisture. Shake it out, use a broom or a vacuum, and when it gets super dirty, simply throw it in a cold wash cycle, then dry it.
Click here for this foyer rug on Amazon.
3. Use A Large Rug Instead Of Carpeting
If you have a large foyer with high ceilings, you might want to muffle any echo with the use of carpeting. Maybe though, what you really want is a rug to fill the entire foyer space with just a border to spare.
This design idea gives the foyer a feeling of being its own room, while also serving as some sound dampening. Because rugs can be cleaned and changed out more easily than carpet, this is a great choice for a high traffic foyer.
This formal fleur-de-lis area rug gives a similar feeling to the rug in the image above. This one comes in several different sizes, some large enough to fill a larger foyer space. This one is a stain-resistant polypropylene material that is an economical choice for a high traffic area like a foyer.
Click here for this rug on Amazon.
4. Natural Material Rugs Look Beautiful In Light Spaces
Whether you have a beach home, an airy farmhouse, or a lovely home in a meadow, a light bright interior such as this one invites accents of natural tones. This gorgeous hallway features a long jute or raffia runner that is mirrored by the carpeting on the stair treads. We love it.
This flat handwoven jute runner is a lovely choice for a home with soft white and beige tones. Here we see it on a whitewashed hardwood floor and a soft maple-colored door frame. Just beautiful.
Click here for this runner on Amazon.
5. Choose A Fun Abstract Rug For An Art-Filled Home
If your home is filled with gorgeous artwork, then why not choose something equally as vibrant for your foyer rug? Here, stylized squares in a variety of colors go beautifully on a deep walnut-colored hardwood floor. A floral wreath and floral stain-glass have colors that play off the colors in the rug, tying the design elements together for an eclectic, yet cohesive look.
This bright and fun abstract rug can give you a similar look to the rug shown in the above interior. This one is a 4' x 6', easy-to-clean, stain-resistant rug. It does not shed, but an underlay (rug pad) is recommended to prevent slipping and sliding.
Click here to see this colorful rug on Amazon.
6. Keep It Simple With A Single Color Rug
If you love simplicity and modern interiors, then one way to think of your foyer rug is as a color block. Here we see a white and grey foyer so popular in today's modern design. The designer has chosen a simple single color rug in grey to match the door trim colors and the color of the sofa. It's a very clean look that works to break up the whiteness of the floors and walls.
7. Have Fun With Geometric Rugs And Off Center Placement
If your foyer opens into a larger space, one trick you can do is to slant the rug. And if you slant the rug while using great geometrical patterns, then you've created a standout look. Here a black and white patterned rug in stripes is set to offset the entry. This works to lead visitors into the great room beyond. A pretty clever design trick if you ask us.
This black and white diamond area rug gives you similar styling to the interior above. Place it at an angle to your door to create a leading feeling.
Click here for this wool rug on Amazon.
8. Use A Uniquely Shaped Rug To Define The Space
If you want to create a landing pad for your foyer that's a spot for taking off shoes or drying wet items, then think of a shape. Here, a square area rug works to really define the space of the foyer without creating a tripping point in the hallway beyond. This is a clever use of space. A circular rug would work here too.
A round rug like this one is another way to think about defining foyer entry space.
Click here for this one on Amazon.
9. Mirror Design Elements Of Your Front Door
In this beautiful foyer, the homeowner has cleverly taken inspiration from the window lights on their front door. The 4 glass panels are unique and contemporary with their horizontal arrangement. The choice of similarly striped foyer carpet is a clever play of the geometric design element.
10. Center Your Rug Beneath Your Foyer Light
If you have a gorgeous foyer light that you want to showcase, consider centering a rug beneath it. This brings the focal point of those entering the house directly to the middle of the space. The eye will go up, then down, then back up again. Be careful not to choose a rug that would compete with your gorgeous foyer light.
See our post here for more information on foyer lighting: How Big Should An Entryway (Foyer) Chandelier Be?
11. A Simple Cotton Runner Is Easy To Switch Out
If you live in a small space but still like the idea of a rug for your entryway, consider a simple cotton runner. They come in all sorts of styles and designs and can make your small apartment both cozy and welcoming. If you need to clean the rug, simply throw it in the wash and it's as good as new. Tired of the design? Get a new one and donate your old one.
This geometric runner with fringe is a cute look for anyone who loves neutrals, boho, or Scandinavian styles. (For more on Scandinavian interiors, click here: Scandinavian Home Decor: The Ultimate Guide) This rug has some texture as well as fun geometric patterns.
Click here for this runner on Amazon.
Let Your Foyer Rug Express Your Style
Your foyer rug is another place where you can express your style. Whether you're traditional, boho, or ultra-modern, there are ways to use a foyer rug to your best advantage. We hope you enjoyed this post here at HomeDecorBliss.com. For a few other posts on foyer rugs, please check these out below:
How Big Should A Foyer Rug Be?
How Big Should An Entryway Be? [And How To Make It Look Bigger]