Blog Description

A French-Inspired Garden and Home by Judith Stringham

Fall Foyer | Gourds, Hydrangea, Ivy

Tuesday, November 12, 2019


This Fall I had so many ideas about how to style my small entry foyer ... cottage, French Country, traditional... that I did all three styles, one at a time, over the last six weeks. Here is a look at the final style where I used gourds, hydrangeas, and ivy to create a traditional styled entry. 


Fall Foyer decorated with green gourds, hydrangeas, ivy wreath in front of blue and gold French Country mirror
Did I mention I did all three of these different styles using green, white, and blue instead of the usual yellows, rusts, and oranges for Fall? 



F A L L   F O Y E R  

G O U R D S,   H Y D R A N G E A S,   I V Y 


Small Fall Foyer decorated with green gourds, hydrangeas, ivy wreath for traditional styling
The French Country blue and gold wall mirror is the one constant in the small foyer. It tucks in nicely in the small niche behind the back door, with just enough room in front of it for either a small chair, or a narrow wicker flower stand, or this small demilune table . 




Fall Foyer decorated with ivy plants in a long wicker basket hanging on a door handle
The back door leading to the mud room makes a wonderful spot to hang a wreath on the windows and a wicker basket with ivy plants on the door handle. 



Fall Foyer decorated with green gourds, hydrangeas, ivy wreath on blue demilune table
Your eyes are not deceiving you, nor were any of the photos taken at an angle. The front leg of the bleu demilune table is crooked, but the color and size of the table are perfect for this spot in the house. 



Fall Foyer handmade demilune table with handcarved legs holds gourds and ivy wreath
Evidently, the table is handmade. The right and left braces on either side of the front leg are not the same size. The white-painted carving was hand done. The back leg on the right side is missing the carving on one side. When I painted the small table, I hand painted the same white design where the carving should have been. From a distance, no one can tell it is just painted, not carved.



Fall Foyer basket of green striped gourds and dried hydrangeas
A narrow wicker basket fits on the bottom shelf of the table exactly.  

If you read the post for the foyer decorated with a rustic French Country style, you may remember the rustic wire basket was filled with green and white striped gourds and small Baby BooBoo white pumpkins. 



Fall Foyer basket of green striped gourds and dried hydrangeas
Dried green hydrangea blossoms complement those same striped gourds and white pumpkins in the long handled wicker basket. 



Fall Foyer with green gourds and ivy wreath create a beautiful arrangement right through Thanksgiving
The table top is large enough for an ivy wreath and a clear vase with more of the green striped gourds. 



Fall Foyer with green gourds and ivy wreath decorating tips for a beautiful entry


DECORATING TIPS: 

➊ The gourds are placed facing different directions in the vase. 

➋ A lone crooked-neck gourd lies outside the vase to give the arrangement more interest, to connect the vase and ivy visually, and to make the number of items on the table an odd number. 

The three items are at different depths on the table. 



Fall Foyer with green gourds and ivy wreath for traditional style at Thanksgiving
Square etching on the vase adds another layer of texture to the arrangement. 



Fall Foyer with green gourds and ivy wreath transitions from Fall to Thanksgiving to Christmas
The traditional fall foyer decor of gourds, hydrangeas, and ivy will work right through Thanksgiving. The ivy wreath will stay longer and will complement this year's Christmas decorations and beyond into Winter decorations in January. 



Which of the three Fall Foyer styles is your favorite?



Cottage style Fall foyer with white pumpkins, white French ladderback chair, and white mums





French Country Rustic Fall Entry with chippy folding chair and French Market Basket of white mums




 Fall Foyer | Gourds, Hydrangeas, Ivy 

Fall Foyer traditional style with green gourds and ivy wreath


Three styles all created in the same small entry used many of the same pumpkins and gourds. 


Happy Fall,