Defining My Style: Entryways

{Better Homes and Gardens Magazine}

A little over a week ago, I started a little mini-series on "defining my style" for my home. This is just as much to help me think through my style as it is for y'all to get to know my design taste a little more. It's a sort-of behind-the-scenes look at my ideas/desires/goals for when we have a place that's larger than 684 square feet :).

In the first post of this series, we looked at exteriors, and today, we're moving just through the front door into the entryway. Since this is the first area people will see when they walk in, it's essentially your home's first impression (besides the outside, of course) and gives you a chance to make people feel welcome.

One of my main goals for our home is for guests immediately feel comfortable when they walk through the door. Hospitality is really important to me and I thoroughly enjoy having people over. I want our guests to come in and feel like they can kick their shoes off and put their feet up without worrying about "messing something up" - ya know what I mean?

So what do I want in my entryway? Regardless of whether I've only got a small "piece of wall" or a formal foyer (we've definitely got the former in our current apartment), there are a few features I'd love to include in this area of the house.

Oh, and P.S. I'm treating the entryway differently than a traditional mud room, but you'll probably notice some overlap in purpose/function. I'm imagining most of us probably don't have a designated mud room(?), so I figure most of us will need the entry to function somewhat like a mudroom without actually being one so it doesn't turn into a dumping ground for a ton of stuff!

Alright, let's get started.

1. A Dresser or Console Table.

Having one of these in the entry serves several roles: storage, a place to put things down when you come in the door (think keys, purse, etc.), and a place to throw in a little style. I love the idea of putting an antique piece or something with character here, because my style leans a little towards traditional, and I like a "lived in" look. The photo at the top of this post is a favorite inspiration, and I'm also loving the green dresser below from The Hunted Interior.

{The Hunted Interior}

2. A Light Source.

What the first thing you usually want to do right when you come in the door? Turn on a light. You gotta see where you're going! :) Having a lamp or the switch for an overhead light within a couple of steps of the front door is important. I'm a big fan of a cool pendant light or a table lamp with a bright bulb (check out the horse lamp in the photo below...super awesome). Right now in our apartment, we've got a dinky little boob light stuck to the ceiling. It desperately needs a brighter bulb or something. I'll have to work on that!

{Capella Kincheloe Interior Design}

3. Hooks.

A clean, clutter-free entry is ideal, but it has to be functional too. Hooks can be a great solution for hanging a purse, coat or hat and gives guests an obvious place to put their things (no need to make room in a coat closet if you don't have the space). 

Of course, if you don't have space for a rack of hooks in the entry, but do have a coat closet, use it! We keep a couple of extra hangers in our front hall closet for just that. In the future though, I love the idea of having a few hooks to make it easy to corral the "just walked in the door" clutter.

{Style at Home}

{Albertsson Hanson Architecture}

4. Art or Photos.
Lastly, I like to personalize that wall space right by the door. Family photos, a piece of art or two...those things are what make your home yours. It gives people an insight into your world and what's important to you. The gallery space below is a great example.

{House Tweaking}

Isn't it fun to dream about spaces like this? I love pulling inspiration from others who've "done" different parts of their homes so well. Though I don't have a ton of space right now, I want to incorporate the ideas I've talked about today. It's all about living where you are now, not about coveting the spaces others have created! So while I can't wait to have more space to do some of the things like in the photos above, I want to make sure I enjoy where we are now, in our tiny space. In the very best of "keeping it real" fashion, in the next couple of days, I'm going to show you the current state of our entryway (small as it is). Stay tuned!

Have a great Monday!