The Ultimate Guide To Decorate An Entryway Like A Designer
In this blog post you’ll learn in detail how to set up entryways in your home to get the designer high-end look. We talk about everything from what furniture you can place in an entryway to the tips and tricks that give it a designer look.
Every home has an entryway. Even if there isn’t one. How you setup this space / entrance to your home says a lot about your aesthetics, lifestyle and personality. An entryway crowded with shoes and grab & go’s randomly thrown around is hardly a good way to welcome guests or even for you to walk into your home. Let’s look at easy steps you can follow to setup an entryway like a designer!
1. Assess Your Entryway Footprint
Before we talk about this, let’s understand what qualifies as an entryway. An entryway is the first space you walk into when you enter a home. Typically, there is a wall on one or either side of a front door as you enter or exit a home. This qualifies as an entryway. But due to floor plan layouts or size of the home, a lot of spaces don’t have a “dedicated entryway”.
Assess the entryway footprint in your home as the first step when designing the space. If you have a dedicated entryway, it’s easy. If not, look for ways to work around your home. Maybe your home has a wide opening that leads into the living room, or a small blank space at the entrance that doesn’t serve much footprint but can be decorated.
Here are 3 examples of entryways of various sizes and ways it can be decorated.
2. Decide On The Furniture
Depending on the type of entryway you’re working with, you can either place a console table, cabinet or a bench. Most of the times these are the only furniture pieces you can place in an entryway. When shopping for them, use a painter’s tape to measure out how much area the piece is going to occupy. Remember, as an entryway this space is going to have heavy foot traffic. You want to make sure there is enough room to walk around and entering and exiting the home is not an obstacle.
Here are some points to remember if you’re shopping for console tables:
Shop for console tables with drawers. They are functional and the drawers can be used to store grab & go items you and your family members need – keys, cards, sanitizer, etc.
You’ll notice a lot of console tables with shelves at the bottom. If you’re planning to keep wicker baskets to hold extra blankets or throw pillows, these are a good fit for you. If not and you want to add more seating options (good for small homes or apartments), shop for tables that don’t have shelves. You can then place 2-3 ottomans, depending on the size of the table, that can be used as additional seating.
If you’re not worried about seating and want more storage space, go for cabinets with multiple drawers and closed shelves. Cabinets at the entryway are a clever way to hide away shoes and footwear.
3. Decor Number 1 - Wall art / Mirror
Once your furniture is in place, you have a good jumping off point to begin decorating. This is applicable if the furniture you have in the entryway is either a console table or a cabinet. Skip to point #8 if you’re placing a bench in the entryway instead. Start with the biggest piece that you’ll be placing in the center of the furniture. This can either be a mirror / art, hung up or otherwise.
If you agree with either of the reasons below, go for a mirror.
Mirror in the entryway is both a functional and a decor piece. It’s a great way to check yourself out for one last look before you exit the home, and similarly for your guests.
Mirrors are a great technique to bounce around light, especially in a tiny space.
You can also choose a big artwork to place on the console table / cabinet. Make sure the artwork you choose is not too dominating and fades away in the background while blending in with the overall decor theme of your home.
When shopping for a mirror or an artwork, ensure that the piece is 2/3rd the size of your furniture piece. This way, you can align the center of both the items and this creates a beautiful focal point.
4. Decor Number 2 - Table Lamp and Vase
A common mistake I see people make all the time is mirroring the decor on either side of the table / cabinet. Like placing symmetrical table lamps or vase. While it does visually balance the look, it is not pleasing to the eyes and certainly not designer style. To get the designer look, place a table lamp on one side and balance out the height of the lamp with a vase and faux stems on the other. For a visually balancing look, the key is to make sure that the height of the vase WITH the faux stems aligns (approximately) with the height of the lamp when assembled (lamp base and shade).
Pro tip: For seasonal decor you can simply swap out the faux stems in the vase and you’re all set!
Remember these things when shopping for the lamp and the vase:
Choose a table lamp with a base that is neutral in color and is made of organic material (ceramic, terracotta, etc.). Stay away from lamps that are shiny, overly glam and have a loud design.
Pair the lamp base with a white or beige lamp shade. The reason for doing this is to reflect better light at night. The soft golden glow at night dominates the ambience of the space.
Make sure the bulb is of a warm temperature and not daylight white. It’s the easiest way to instantly enhance the look of a space and especially an entryway since it’s the first space you walk into in a home.
When shopping for a vase, shop for ones that are similar in material to the lamp base or easiest is going for a glass vase. A glass vase is always a safe choice since it blends with everything effortlessly; unless you’re OCD about seeing the stems through it.
5. Decor Number 3 - Coffee Table Books, Picture Frame
To fill up the gap between the lamp and the vase you can place coffee table books, candles, picture frames, decor objects. If you look at any of the entryway inspirations you will notice that these items are not just randomly placed. There’s a lot of thought that goes behind the placement that gives the entryway a designer vibe.
Follow these steps & tips to achieve the same look in your home:
Place 2 - 3 coffee table books. Stack these books vertically. Choose coffee table books that have neutral hardcovers such that it pairs well with other pieces and does not stand out in an odd way. Pro tip: Coffee table books different in size make for a good design element. Stacking the smaller one on top of the bigger book adds more variation and movement to the design.
Add a medium size picture frame next to it. Remember to choose picture frames that are simple in style and not too fancy such as a glass shiny frame.
If the furniture piece permits, add a couple of decor objects like candle holder with candle sticks, decorative knot, etc. You can place these on the coffee table books and in any of the remaining space.
6. Decor Number 4 - Baskets or Ottoman
This applies if you’re planning to opt for a console table for the entryway. If the console table has a shelf, place wicker baskets to hold extra blankets, throw pillows or other grab & go’s. Depending on the size of the table add wicker baskets in odd numbers - 3, 5. The reason for doing this is our brain loves objects placed in odd numbers, it looks more appealing for some reason.
If the console table is bottomless, place ottomans. Opt for ottomans that have neutral or warm neutral colors and patterns. These are a great option for adding more seating near the entryway which works well especially if you live in an apartment or there are no other seating options near the entryway.
7. Decor Number 5 - Runner Rug
Is any decor complete without a rug? No! For an entryway you can place a runner rug. A runner rug is one that is longer in length and narrow in width. It’s a classic way to elevate the length of a space and adding it to the entryway enhances the decor aspect instantly! Here are some tips to follow when shopping for runner rugs:
Shop for one that is at least as long as the furniture piece (table, cabinet, or bench). This is very important as a smaller runner rug will make the space look small and incomplete.
Since entryways are a high traffic area, a washable runner rug is the perfect fit. This is especially true if you have kids and pets in the house.
Stay away from rugs with tassels. I personally get bothered when the tassels are tangled and move around. If you relate to this, shop for runner rugs sans tassels.
For a designer look, choose rugs that give the vintage vibe with warm neutral shades and patterns that add character to the home.
8. Decor For A Bench - Wall Hooks, Scones, Frames and Soft Furnishings
If you’re designing a small entryway where you can place only a tiny bench or even if you can’t place any seating at all, this one’s for you. Just because there’s no room does not mean you cannot decorate the entryway. Here are your options:
If you have a bench, add a throw pillow proportional to the size of the bench. Pair this with a small throw blanket to soften the look further.
You can also add a runner rug (see point 7) to elongate the length of the entryway.
You can place a wicker basket next to the bench if there’s some room. This basket can hold umbrellas, additional blankets, other items you need as you step out of the home.
Add wall hooks regardless of whether you have a bench or not. These wall hooks are very functional to hang purses and other items as you enter and exit the home. Choose wooden wall hooks. They’re classy and timeless in style.
Depending on the space you have, you can also add an indoor plant to add some greenery to the entryway since you don’t have room to place a vase and faux stems.
Voila! Follow this guide to the tee and you have yourself a beautiful, warm, inviting, classic and timless entryway in your home.
