Everyone is familiar with the saying “first impressions are everything.” Sometimes it is important to impress someone at first glance so that your relationship with the person starts on a good foot. No one understands this better than building, hotel, and skyscraper owners—they demonstrate this through their use of foyer lighting. Indeed it is the first room anyone sees as they entire these sometimes monolithic constructions—why wouldn’t foyer lighting become sophisticated and well-presented? So what types of foyer lighting exist—and how does one go about choosing the right combination of elements to create perfect ambience?
The umbrella term foyer lighting includes a plethora of different objects able to add effect in any lobby or entrance—chandeliers, spotlights, simple table lamps, wall-mounted light fixtures, etc. When it comes to foyer lighting it isn’t about the elements—it’s about how they coincide and form ambience. A high-class hotel, for example, usually profits from a chandelier (if it is old-fashioned chic) or spotlights (if it is modern and trendy.) The art of foyer lighting, in fact, is all in combining these sources to form a coherent whole—a “message” to the viewer if you will. Make sure any foyer lighting fits in aesthetically with the rest of the building it is installed in: jarring contrasts can distract and displease the eye.
Purchasing and installing foyer lighting is usually done by professionals. Once the design has been finalized, the foyer lighting is prepared for by installing fixtures and other electrical necessities. Testing out different types of foyer lighting can really bring the right configuration to light (no pun intended.) It is important not to give up before you have found the perfect balance for your entrance. Once this has happened, you will know it: your foyer lighting will stun you, your guests, and your clients.