How to Decorate Your Entryway

Fresh Look for a Winter without Snow

Whether you have a grand foyer or a smaller entryway, knowing how to decorate it couldn’t be easier. Make today the day you breathe new life into it with fresh look.

Your homes’ entry should be inviting and warm and give a hint of your style and personality. Here’s what you need for a successful and welcoming foyer.

FURNITURE

Use a re-purposed table and chair, a flea-market bench or a dresser to anchor
and give visual weight to the area. The key is to make sure the piece fits and is in the scale of the space. For example, don’t use a “too big” bench that hits your knee every time you walk by or the scrawny chair that gets lost in the vast space.  Using one piece or several together, will give the foyer the sense of being a room.

RUG

An area rug or scatter rug on top of hardwood, carpet or tile will define the
entryway space, not to mention give you a place to wipe your feet; more on
shoes later. Whatever style area rug you choose, make sure it is low enough to fit under your front door when it swings open.

LIGHTING

Most entryways have a chandelier or ceiling-mounted light fixture. Depending on your natural light, you may want to add a lamp or two. If too much light
is the issue, add shades or curtains. A woven-shade and panel drapes add a lot of visual interest.

ACCENT PIECES

Okay, this is where you can have some fun. Does your entry lead into your family room? Can you see the dining room or living room from the front door? Take inspiration from those areas and then jazz it up! If your living room is blue, consider painting one foyer wall a darker shade of blue or adding grass cloth wallpaper to punch up the drama.

I believe all foyers need a statement piece. Using a mirror or picture, or several of each, will anchor the wall space; proportion is key here, then it’s on to mountains, streams and nature. By that, I mean you need height, movement and
weight.

For height I used branches from my yard and placed them in an apothecary jar. 
In this arrangement the branches also give movement. You could also use a single large floral arrangement or a tray filled with vases or jars with cut flowers from the florist or supermarket. 

For weight I am using a mounted piece of petrified wood. This cross-section of log visually ties the living room to the foyer. Since this is a winter arrangement, I will keep the colors muted – browns, grays and off-whites. 

Next add pretty pieces and functional finds. Do you need a place to store your keys or park the mail? A silver bowl for keys and a linen-covered box for mail keeps the area tidy. And speaking of neat, a basket near the door or in the closet is a great place for shoes. Not only will you not trip over them, but it keeps the dirt from being tracked inside.

Your entryway can be one of the most dynamic areas in your home. A few seasonal changes and you can have a brand new look. Throughout the year, I will give updates and suggestions for easy, seasonal entryway vignettes.