First impressions are important, the way you’ve decorated and organized your entryway will either welcome guests with a warm enthusiastic smile or a limp handshake. It really depends on how you want to present your home. I’m guessing that impressions and translating your personal style into your home are things that have value to you or else I doubt you’d be reading this design blog. Am I right?

via: Livingetc.

I currently do not have a hallway or entryway, so I’m a lady in want — I miss the days when I had one to decorate and call my own. I’m so impressed by a beautiful entry, to me it’s one of the most important spaces in the home because it says so much about who you are. It welcomes you and your guests, including the delivery man, who may never make it past your front hall but even he’ll form an impression. Some don’t care what others think, and you know I care to a certain point. I care when it’s within my control and I think personal appearance, personality, and home decor is all within my control so why not present your best foot forward. What others think beyond that, well that’s the part that I don’t care about because it’s out of my control.

via: House to Home.

Beyond displaying personal style, an entry is also important because it has a key function — it’s the main route in and out of the average home or apartment building. It’s a place you use daily and that serves the needs of your family, you store the important things (boots, hat, umbrella, coat, etc.) there, touch up your makeup before heading out, and the first place you enter upon coming home after a long day. Unfortunately it’s also a place that can be the most overlooked. Let’s change that!

via: House to Home.

What makes a good first impression for guests and a practical use of space for you? Organization and lots of style. If you love bold patterns and color, this is where you can let loose with large-scale wallpaper patterns and energetic floor rugs because they are usually one of the smallest spaces so you can get away with it. Here are a few good examples of welcoming spaces that I’d like to share to motivate and inspire.

via: Livingetc.

via: House to Home.

What are some things that an entry needs? Note: This list is for a private entry, not one that can be accessed by neighbors as some of these things may vanish! Also, you may not need everything listed, use what you need and toss the rest.

- Shoe storage or rack.
- Boot tray (for rainy/slushy months).
- Small discreet trash bin.
- Coat rack (in addition to closet).
- Table for your mail, keys, a lamp, and a vase for fresh flowers (always, the perfect welcome!) or a potted plant.
- Candy in a dish . Old-fashioned I know but guests seem to love this. Use candy you don’t crave to avoid temptation. I’ve learned that I can’t keep chocolate anything in my house on a regular basis. :)
- Storage bins for gloves and such.
- Umbrella stand.
- Rug to catch dirt.
- One dramatic mirror or artwork centered over the table, bench, or storage area. If you don’t use a mirror as your focal point, make sure you put a small one on the wall near the door for checking your teeth and etc. before leaving the house.
- A beautiful lamp on the table and an overhead light or pendent.
- If you have a built-in speaker system, don’t forget to wire this space since music gets everyone in a more festive mood when you’re entertaining – a great welcome!
- If you have pets, you’ll need a bin for storing things for them and a hook for a leash.
- A stool, chair, or bench for your handbag or to sit on when lacing up your shoes.
- A small notepad and a few pens in the drawer along with your business cards (for giving to guests should they ask).
- Spare change if you live in the city to offer guests if they need change for the meter.
- Walls: Try wallpaper, your favorite color paint, or fresh white (though I think white is harder to keep clean, wallpaper tends to mask scuffs.)
- A weekly spruce up – clean it top to bottom, empty trash, etc.

What do you keep in your entry or hallway?

(images from livingetc magazine and house to home uk, all linked above beneath photos)

21 Responses to “A Grand Welcome {entryway tips}”

1 orange you lucky! commented:
March 6th, 2008 at 8:35 pm

Very inspiring! Beautiful photographs too. The entryway is a high traffic place and it’s so hard to keep tidy. Especially with all the kids stuff and snow.
I absolutely love the entry with the dotted wallpaper.
Thanks for a great post.
2 Samantha commented:
March 6th, 2008 at 9:03 pm

Do you know where the coat tree featured in the house to home and livingetc. pictures came from? I think I’m in love.
3 mandy anne murray commented:
March 6th, 2008 at 9:04 pm

pretty! I’ve never posted a comment on your blog before, but I want you to know that I get a lot of inspiration for the future from it. Quick question, do you happen to know who makes/where one can buy the (literal) hall tree in the third and fourth photos?
4 Melissa de la Fuente commented:
March 6th, 2008 at 9:17 pm

Oh man….this is so up my alley. I have THE smallest entryway in the universe! Also, we take our shoes off in our house so, there is that to consider, plus two little ones, two dogs and…it frustrates me no end!
Thanks for the inspiration!
xo
Melissa
5 jennjeanne commented:
March 6th, 2008 at 10:40 pm

This is so great, I dream of an entryway to decorate. Sadly, I have a tiny ny apartment. Anyone know where that tree stand is from? I love it!
6 patricia commented:
March 6th, 2008 at 11:09 pm

A welcoming entryway is what we desperately need. The tough part about ours is that my home office is just to the right as you walk in with nothing to block the view. It’s horrible. I don’t know how to solve it…sigh.

I love those tree stands!
7 decor8 commented:
March 6th, 2008 at 11:29 pm

The tree stand was designed by Michael Young and Katrin Petursdottir. Here’s a link, though it’s not to a U.S. website. You may want to do some google research to find out who sells them here.

http://www.casanovafurniture.dk/shop/michael-young-katrin-182c1.html
8 Hollabee commented:
March 6th, 2008 at 11:35 pm

Great topic, and you’re right it’s often overlooked.
All we have in our hallway is a shoe rack (the cheap one from ikea) mostly because nothing else would fit, it’s a very narrow hallway.

Love all the inspiration..maybe I can do something with the walls..
9 cupcake monkey commented:
March 7th, 2008 at 12:59 am

I adore that third photo!!!
10 Rachel H commented:
March 7th, 2008 at 2:08 am

This is my first comment here as well, but since we finally have a house with not one, but 2 entryways, I just had to share! We picked a large and intense wallpaper for our large front foyer, with a lovely round table in the corner by the stairs. I do not consider it “finished”, but the wallpaper sure packs a punch!

In our back entry, I only had a little alcove…I took a few shots to share..here if you’d like to take a peek.
11 M&Co commented:
March 7th, 2008 at 3:57 am

Thank you for the inspiration. I’m currently trying to come up with ideasfor my own hallway, so this is great!
12 THE HOLE THING commented:
March 7th, 2008 at 4:22 am

You have totally motivated me to do a bit more with my entryway. At night I can light candles and make it very inviting but it’s the daytime view that needs sprucing up. Thanks !
13 purple commented:
March 7th, 2008 at 8:29 am

Wonderful post, great inspiration, I guess we all need som ideas when it comes to hallways.
14 Furnitude commented:
March 7th, 2008 at 1:21 pm

It’s helpful to see how much interest there is in entry ways. They are ripe for beautiful, useful furniture. Very inspiring!
15 Barb McMahon commented:
March 7th, 2008 at 2:27 pm

Of course the big challenge is to do all of that in a space roughly the size of a shoe box!

Great post, lots of great ideas!
16 zee commented:
March 7th, 2008 at 4:00 pm

I love this post! I romanticize about a functional and grandiose space like those you’ve shown.
Our entryway is the size of a postage stamp, which I think is worse than no entryway at all – it’s such an awkward, pokey space to do anything with. I’m relieved I still manage to squeeze a few things on your list in there though!.. http://www.flickr.com/photos/zeehomebug/1799367643/in/set-72157603003859088/
17 Doreen commented:
March 7th, 2008 at 5:02 pm

A timely post as I just re-did my entry yesterday! I have an open floor plan, but created one by using my sofa as a wall. It got gorgeous new paint (misty gray) and a chinese cabinet which gives it stability and weight. On top a beautiful lamp, a vase with pussy willows from my yard, and above a antique French botanical. All I need is a runner, and my eye is on one from Dash and Albert Rug company. (They have great indoor/outdoor rugs).
I love all your other ideas! Thanks for the checklist!
18 Anonymous commented:
March 7th, 2008 at 5:55 pm

I need that bag hanging from the coat tree. Can anyone id the tag on it?
19 Alexis commented:
March 7th, 2008 at 6:53 pm

Ditto. I just went cuckoo for coatracks.
20 Heavy Petal commented:
March 8th, 2008 at 12:27 am

Thanks so much for this post, Holly. I have just started to get around to our entrance way and desperately needed some inspiration.
21 mandy anne murray commented:
March 10th, 2008 at 5:40 pm

I found a Web site in English for the hall trees … but for the life of me, I can’t figure out how one would actually buy it?

http://www.bonluxat.com/a/Michael_Young_and_Katrin_Petursdottir_Tree_Coat_Hanger.html

Maybe one of y’all can figure it.

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