My Sitcom-Set Living Room

I live on a sitcom set.

Well, that’s what it used to feel like. When my husband and I purchased our Kelowna home from Ontario without having set foot in it and relying only on photographs, we couldn’t quite understand the floor plan. Where was the foyer?

As we soon discovered, our home did not in fact have a foyer. The front door opened right up into the living room like a sitcom set. This type of situation is actually quite common in newer urban construction. After I quit lamenting the builder’s inability to make a foyer in my home (the most simple of all home construction, wouldn’t you think?), I set about creating my own.

Here are some tips for turning your sit-com set living room into a foyer-type meet-and-greet zone:

Arrange the foyer zone apart from the designated living space. If you have a longer couch in your living area, create a pathway from the door into the home using the back of the couch as a guide.

Use a throw rug to designate the space. A rectangular rug is good to elongate the space and it may also be used for guests’ shoes (but don’t, whatever you do, use that area to pile your own shoes there).

Hang a mirror. It’s nice to have a mirror in the front door area. Who doesn’t take a last glance at oneself before answering or heading out the door, or even, if given the opportunity, upon entry to one’s home?

Add a place for jackets. If you don’t have a hall closet, use the wall space closest to the door to add a little rack for jackets (or ornamental hooks, perhaps?) or even a coat tree.

Place a console table by the wall. A little table for laying one’s purse and keys on is a good thing to have by the front door and it gives your makeshift foyer some character.

Place a little bench or stool by the door. This is nice to have, if you’ve got the space, for people (especially the elderly) to be able to sit down to put their shoes on. The Zen stool (by Alfred Sung available at Zellers) is a very affordable piece that looks great and is functional.

Having a sitcom living room isn’t end of the world, as I found out. It’s actually a great excuse to get creative.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.