Entryway Design Ideas

As the portal to the home, the entryway is the ideal place to make a highly personal decorative statement. Study up on these entryway design ideas to make it a thoroughfare that’s both stylish and functional.

Your entryway is your guest’s first impression of your home. It’s also your own personal portal in and out of your home each day, so it should be a space that’s functional and efficient. Every entryway is different; You may have a grand foyer or a small apartment hallway, but no matter how big or small it may be, there are ways to make it look and feel fantastic to both you and your guests.

Key Entryway Design Considerations

Before you start shopping for entryway decor, there are a few key design rules to note. First, examine the adjacent spaces to your entryway—including your front door—and think about the colors and styles in place. You’ll want your entryway to complement adjacent areas; It doesn’t have to match nearby rooms but there should be a nice visual sense of flow.

How do you want your guests to feel when they open your front door? Do you want them to be surprised and impressed? Perhaps a bold wallpaper or a statement chandelier is called for. Do you want them to feel a welcoming sense of relaxation? Calm colors and soft, subtle patterns may be the ticket. Or, do you have an inspiration piece or piece of artwork for your entryway that you would like to use as a conversational jumping off point? Start there.

And then, of course, there are functional considerations. How many people come and go? Do you have school age children or pets? If so, be sure your entryway is equipped with hooks for backpacks and coats, a surface for lunchboxes, cubbies for sports equipment, and anything else your family may need, then plan your design around those essentials.

Space Planning Tips for Your Entryway

Effective storage is essential to bringing order to your entryway. At a minimum, you should designate a space to set packages, mail, and keys, such as on a hall table or credenza. A console table or sideboard can also work well. If your entryway has no closet, hang hooks on the walls for coats, hats, and bags, and provide bins or baskets for wet boots and umbrellas. If your household has a no-shoes policy indoors, provide a bench or ottoman for guests to sit on as they remove their outdoor footwear. We also recommend choosing furniture that can provide multiple solutions. In small spaces, select furniture with drawers to make the most of your minimal square footage.

Don't have a defined entryway? You can create a sense of a foyer with a bench and a small pedestal table.

In any entryway, you may also want to position painter's tape in the room itself, representing each furniture piece in actual size, to see how the layout will impact the traffic flow.