How to design a front entry.
September 6, 2021
Now that you’ve chosen an amazing front door for your home (see our blog post from August 4, 2021), you need to continue your warm welcome to your friends and family as they enter your home! This is a space that not only needs to be very functional, but also beautiful. It should give a hint of what’s to come in the rest of your house.
Logical things to include in your entryway are:
A place to hang a coat if you don’t have a built in closet
A bench or chair to put on or take off shoes or boots
A wall mirror, unless your closet doors are mirrored
Art to showcase your taste and personality
Great lighting to create ambience
A console table/storage cabinet to store small items
A decorative box to store keys, sunglasses
An indoor/outdoor rug that is durable and can be easily removed in the summer months if desired
Plants or flowers to soften the space
If you don’t have a closet, you can either have a free standing coat rack or mount one on the wall, depending on your space limitations. Coat racks can be art in and of themselves. In this small bungalow we placed a wall mounted coat rack for ease next to the door, though there is a mudroom at the bottom of the stairs.
If you have the space, do it all! Make sure your pieces are generous in size relative to the space. You can see in the ‘before’ picture below how the tiny console table and small mirror are not substantial enough for the size of this entry wall.
In the case of the ‘after’ pictured below, there was no need for the console table to include extra storage since there is a mudroom elsewhere in the house. That gave us the opportunity to place a more sculptural console that acts as art. The same principle applies to the bench. As there is ample closet space opposite the bench, we chose seating with an open base. Otherwise, a storage bench might have been a better choice.
A beautiful ceiling fixture is a great addition in an entryway. However, if your ceilings are only 8 feet, be sure to place a fixture that is not deeper than 18” or your tall guests will walk right into it! Remember to make sure it has adequate illumination for the evening as well as the day. In addition to a ceiling fixture, a lamp adds a lovely warmth. The entryway is no different than any other room, in that multiple light sources add ambience.
Finally if your plant life/florals are unscented, perhaps consider adding a diffuser with your favourite essential oils. Scent can contribute as much to the overall feeling as the other elements.