Do Consumers Want Two-Story Foyers?
Foyers make an opening statement for guests as they enter a home, and two-story foyers are historically known for their elegance and luxuriousness. But their popularity has come into question across the United States in recent years.
In 2024, nearly one-quarter of new homes were built with the design, on trend with the year before, according to the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction. But over the last eight years, the market share is trending downwards. Why?
Two-story Foyers Are Considered Energy-Inefficient
Two-story foyers are defined as the entranceway inside the front door of a house that has a ceiling the level of the second floor. While it creates a striking visual, the design comes at a cost. HVAC systems have to work overtime to cure the heat imbalance caused by the high ceilings. This is undesirable for both builders and buyers.
Two-story Foyers Take Up Too Much Space for Some
As more people work from home following the pandemic, buyers are utilizing space inside their homes in a different way from before. Buyers are more often seeking space for at least one in-home office. They’re also looking for first-floor bedrooms for guests and cozier spaces to spend their time at home. A two-story foyer can take up too much square footage.
Do Consumers Want Two-story Foyers?
In 2024, the share of new homes with two-story foyers fell from 24.9% to 24.6%, the lowest level since Æðµã´«Ã½ began tracking in 2017. Æðµã´«Ã½â€™s revealed that two-story entry foyers were one of the least desired specialty rooms with 32% of buyers likely to reject a potential home with one, and just 13% seeing the two-story foyer as an essential feature.
Geographically, the drop off is felt in some regions more than others. The West North Central, West South Central and Pacific regions of the U.S. saw a decline in market share of two-story foyers, but the other six regions saw increases. New England saw its share of two-story foyers rise from 17.5% in 2023 to 23.2% in 2024. The East South Central and Mountain divisions also saw gains of 3.6 and 3.5 percentage points, respectively.
Æðµã´«Ã½ Senior Economist Fan-Yu Kuo explains more in .