Put a bench along a wall, and it might even get used. But foyers are as fancy as they always have been. Although most homeowners enter their homes through their garages, where they've parked their cars, they still want a dramatic entryway, says Jim Howe, a salesman at Pinnacle Builders' Pinnacle in north Scottsdale. The materials and features accomplish that. Spending money on upgraded carpeting and kitchen flooring and cabinets is common among today's homebuyers, but so is making an entryway more lavish, according to Howe.
Flooring is important.
Travertine marble, limestone, slate, cantera and other natural materials are popular, particularly with borders or inlays done in complementary or contrasting textures and colors. The inset tiles look dramatic, so homeowners won't have to use rugs in the entryway. The latest trend is to take the flooring tiles and extend them up pony walls, those partial walls often found in entryways. This gives the foyer a three-dimensional look. Arched cutouts and columns also are hot foyer details.