Is your front entrance crowded and disorganized? Or is it picture perfect, but you struggle to find a place for keys and the like when walking through the front door? When you come home at the end of a long day you want your home to feel organized and inviting. When a visitor first walks into your home, you want them to feel welcomed as well. Although entrances are transitional spaces, in a pleasant space people feel comfortable removing their shoes and putting items down. Isn’t it preferable to feel relaxed enough to linger and acclimate yourself before rushing into the house? Greeting guests in a warm entryway will be more pleasant both for the hosts and the visitors.
Use Room Demarcations to Create a Foyer
If your home does not have a separate foyer, there are ways to demarcate your entrance as a dedicated space. Depending on the size of your entryway, you can include an accent wall. Accent walls with geometric wallpaper or a distinctive paint color, help separate the entrance from the rest of the house. You can also use a distinctively patterned floor or ceiling for emphasis. Another trick is placing screens or room dividers to mark your foyer as separate space.
Don’t overlook the lighting! Choose beautiful ceiling-hung fixtures that give the space plenty of light. A striking chandelier, or other fixture, placed in the center of your entryway subtly signals that the room is a separate space.
If you only use your front door when coming and going, then you will inevitably track dirt onto your floor. Mats and rugs can work, as long as they are slip resistant and don’t impede the front door’s opening and closing. Dark colored rugs will not show as much dirt. Rugs woven from natural fibers are good options for capturing and camouflaging dirt. A patterned runner elongates the entryway and prevents tracking dirt inside. Tile works well in foyers. You can have patterned tile installed or buy multi-colored tiles to help your foyer stand out from the rest of your home.
Make Storage and Utility Glamorous
Every foyer needs a convenient table to hold keys, or other items, especially those items you will carry out again when you leave! You can choose a narrow table if your entryway is small. It’s also helpful to hang a mirror over your table, so that you can check your reflection before you leave. Mirrors can make a cramped space appear larger and brighter. A vase of flowers is a classic decoration for a console table. You can use art objects of varying heights to decorate your table but try not to crowd it past the point of usefulness.
Many people include a bench or other seating in the entryway. For homeowners who do not wear shoes in the house, this is the perfect place to remove shoes. Having a shoe rack or other place to store shoes is vital, after all, they are an eyesore and a trip hazard. Hall trees provide a seat, storage, hooks for hanging coats, and even a mirror! Hall trees are practical, but most of the time they are more utilitarian than chic. Consider a unique built-in or another piece of cabinetry to replace a coat closet (which many homes lack).
Regardless of what part of your home you want to improve, we are here for you. When you decide you want to carry out a remodeling project, contact T.W. Ellis for all your remodeling and deck building needs! We will carry out your vision of stylish and functional spaces. Get started today to experience “Our Family Working Together with Yours.”
