Although it’s not usually at the top of the list for tenants moving into a new home, decorating the entryway is a demanding and very personal process. As we’ve pointed out on more than one occasion, the entryway is very important in any home because it’s what creates the first impression for visitors. So, if we want to make an impact with our good taste and style, it’s essential that we devote the time it deserves to this space.
Furthermore, if—as in our case—the goal is to decorate a small entryway, the task can become quite complicated. The lack of space is a major challenge that forces us to make important decisions and sacrifice certain elements, so it never hurts to know a few tips to ensure we get every step right. And to do that, there’s nothing better than continuing to read this article, because here at CULMIA, we have a few things to share with you.
Ideas for Decorating a Small Entryway
How do we want to use it?
First of all, this is the question we need to keep in mind. In cases where the entryway is small, space limits our options, so we need to be clear from the very beginning: Is our entryway going to be simply an entrance and a passageway into our home? Or do we also want to turn it into a storage area or even a place to relax? Depending on our answer, we’ll need one type of furniture or another, and the layout will be different, so defining what we want is the first step.
Define the style
The plan is to decorate our small entryway, which means we need to decide on the style we want to use right from the start. Ideally, this style should blend in and be consistent with the rest of the house, so that visitors know a little about what to expect in the other rooms as soon as they walk in. However, you can also take the opportunity to be bold and surprise everyone who comes to your door.
There are many options, because styles like industrial, vintage, or chic can begreat choices when decorating a small entryway. It all depends on your tastes and the impression you want to make right away—as long as you stay true to that style in this particular area of the house and it effectively conveys everything you want to express.
Just a few things, and keep them organized
We’ll say it again: it’s a small entryway, so you won’t be able to fit much in there. What’s more, we must always keep in mind that this is the entrance to the house, which means we need to leave more than enough space to walk through and move around comfortably.
All of this makes this part of the house the worst place to make the mistake of putting more things there than necessary. Here, more than anywhere else, it’s essential that we carefully choose what we need and what we want, and that we arrange them in an orderly and tidy manner.
Functional Furniture: Custom-Made Furniture
We’ll continue discussing the implications of having limited space, because this situation forces us to make very specific decisions. For example, commissioning the manufacture or customization of furniture to fit the available space. This is probably a slightly more expensive and labor-intensive option than buying furniture “off the shelf,” but in return, it ensures that we make the most of every centimeter we have in our small entryway.
Smart Storage
When answering the first question we asked you, you’ve probably come to the conclusion that you want the decor in your small entryway to allow you to set down some of your belongings every time you come home. We’re talking, for example, about your coat or jacket during the colder months, your shoes, your purse, or your keys. If that’s the case, think about how you want to handle this and consider getting some functional furniture.
In stores, you’ll find a wide variety of models, or—as we just mentioned—you can also have one custom-made to your specifications. That’s because you have endless options and combinations: sideboards, shoe cabinets, tables, bookshelves, coat racks… and many of them can solve several problems at once: there’s furniture that serves as a wardrobe, shoe cabinet, and sideboard—all in one!
Lighting
You can’t overlook this aspect, because lighting is essential in any entryway worth its salt. Keep in mind that this area of the house is usually one of the least well-lit, since it’s often far from the windows. So you’ll need to make up for this shortcoming with specific choices, such as:
- Encourage natural light to enter the other rooms by using sheer curtains, raising the blinds, and leaving doors open.
- Create multiple layers of artificial light using lamps, wall sconces, or ceiling lights, so you can adjust the lighting to suit the time of day and your needs
- Installing spotlights in key locations, such as above the sideboard.
Create a cozy and spacious space with a rug
When decorating a small entryway, a good trick is to place a large rug to make it look bigger. This technique is a great decorative choice in its own right and makes your home feel cozy; plus, if you play around with the rug’s size, you can change how your guests perceive the space when they walk in.
Mirrors to Create a Sense of Space
We’re not done with tips for making your small entryway look bigger than it actually is. After all, using a mirror is one of the best-known and most widely used solutions for creating depth and making small spaces appear larger. Hanging a large mirror or several small ones above the main piece of furniture is always an effective decorative trick, and in this case, it’s also a “lifesaver” for making the most of your wall space.
Making the Most of Vertical Space
Since we’re talking about walls, we also want to highlight how interesting it can be to make the most of their surface area. As long as they don’t get in the way, we can consider installing hooks, hangers, shelves, and any decorative elements we like , such as paintings or photos. All of this helps us gain a little more space in our small entryway and, at the same time, enhances its overall look.
Light colors
If we want to create a sense of spaciousness with color, it’s best to opt for light, bright shades. We know that dark colors tend to make spaces look smaller and create more shadows; so shades of white, gray, cream, or (light) blue can work very well. Unless, of course, you’d rather take a risk and are looking to convey something else—in which case you can try your luck with other options like yellow, green, or pink…
Textures and patterns to create a sense of depth
Similarly, the materials and textiles you choose can also help you work some “magic” when decorating a small entryway. If you choose the right textures, colors, and patterns, and place your furniture, materials, and fabrics in the right spots, you’ll also create a sense of greater spaciousness. In fact, one simple option at your disposal is to use the aforementioned rug, because there are rugs with geometric designs and colors that can work wonders when it comes to making rooms feel larger.
Use of Plants
Although we’ve already mentioned that entryways tend to be dimly lit, there are houseplants that don’t need much sunlight to thrive. And their mere presence will help bring life and freshness to the decor of your small entryway, not to mention the visual possibilities you’ll have when choosing the planters in which to grow them.
Decorative accessories
Beyond furniture, a mirror, a lamp, or a tray to set your things down on, you can also place various accessories in a small entryway that serve a decorative rather than a practical purpose. That is, vases, clocks, photo frames, small baskets, figurines… the possibilities are endless. Of course, try not to clutter the space you have unnecessarily, and make sure they don’t clash with the decor style you’ve chosen.
Customization
Don’t forget to add a very personal touch to the decor of your small entryway. Choose reproductions of your favorite works of art or hang original paintings you love, show off your family photos, or display your diplomas. What matters here is that you make this space one-of-a-kind and that your guests get to know you better the moment they walk through your door.
Smells
Finally, win over your guests through their sense of smell. To make the best possible impression, choose a fragrance or scent you like and use it in theentryway. But use it in moderation, because, as you well know, overloading the space with a scent that’s too strong can have the opposite effect and be very annoying. So, you can use a good air freshener and place it on the main piece of furniture.
Try out different ideas and experiment often with decorating your small entryway
These are our 15 decorating ideas for a small entryway. Try out the ones you like best, and don’t hesitate to make changes every now and then—because one of the advantages of this part of our home is that you don’t need to spend a lot of time on it to achieve attractive and truly stunning results.
And if you’re looking for more tips on decorating your entire home, feel free to download our “Guide to Decorating Your Home” here—it’s completely free:
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