A: Your dilemma is one shared by many: how to make the entrance to our homes a place to welcome visitors -- and a place to dump mail, keys, backpacks, you name it. Let's look at a few entranceways and I'll show you what makes them work.- To make your front entry friendly, begin outside your house -- with the front door. Make it a focal point. Forget painting the garage door a special color; usually they're big and rather ugly. Focus instead on your front door. Choose a color carefully; you can do unusual and dramatic things here. But don't go too wild -- some color combinations that I recommend to my clients are black, red, green, blue and yellow.
- Accessorize your new door color. For instance, the door handle is something you may not think about, but it's the first thing many visitors to your home will touch. So get a good-quality lockset that leaves a solid first impression. There are many styles available.
- Replace the doormat once a year.
- Add plants. Even in a small area, they're very inviting.
- A wreath on the door is a nice touch. Wreaths exude warmth.
Now that the front door is all spruced up, let's go inside and get to work there
The front entry is the transition from the outside to the inside of your house. Entryways are usually small, and you don't spend a lot of time there. So go ahead -- I give you permission to be a little daring. But first, let's talk about the necessities. There are four things I think every home needs by the front door:
- Coat closet or a coat stand or rack, for obvious reasons.
- You need a place to throw things, such as a console table or shelf. A shelf works better than a table in a small area. And if the area is large, you can put the table right in the middle of the space and add a nice centerpiece.
- Potted plants help the transition by pulling the outside in -- and silk is okay. If there's no room for a plant, try hanging art with an outdoors theme.
- A decorative rug or mat is a great addition (if there's a mat outside the door, you don't need one inside, but a decorative rug would be nice).
Now that we know what you need, let's talk about pulling the whole thing together.
- Rich, deep colors are perfect. Foyers are such small, transitional spaces, you can take a few chances and go bold. And paint the ceiling a dramatic color. Make a bold statement.
- What about the floor? If you're remodeling, splurge, get slate or stone that won't be slippery when wet. If you're not remodeling, a beautiful rug is a great idea.
- Light fixtures are important. You need light in this area. A chandelier gives a grand feeling to the space. Just make sure it's the right proportion for the room.
- A mirror adds a glamorous element to the entrance. It's also practical:you can make a final check of your appearance before going out. And if the area is small, which most foyers are, it'll help to expand the space.
- A chair or bench is also nice in the foyer, if you have the room.
- Double-duty items can provide storage as well as decorative touches. You may need something to hold kids' drop-offs, or baskets for shoes and mittens. Instead of a table, you could use a small chest or get a bench with storage under the seat.
Now, what if your entryway is part of the living room? You can always make it functional by placing a mirror, a table and a chair near the door.
Here are a few other ideas to separate the spaces:
- If you have space, you can separate the area: a dividing wall of glass block is beautiful. You could also put up a dividing screen, or even a tall potted plant will help to set off the space.
- I wouldn't recommend changing the flooring in this area. Sometimes people will put in a small amount of ceramic tile, hardwood or even vinyl in front of the door. That tends to just break up the room. Instead, put a decorative rug over the carpet in front of the door. Usually a 3' by 5' rug works well here.
