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Interior designer Joan Craig sees many clients who give the decorating of their living room or kitchen a lot of thought.

Yet while “people have become much more attuned to developing personality inside a house,” she says, “the outside becomes something that often can be much more generic.”

And even if you give your backyard patio or deck some decorating attention, the front entrance often remains an afterthought.

“The front of your home is the first thing your guests will see,” says Edyta Czajkowska, founder of the Chicago-based design firm Edyta & Co., “so creating a beautifully crafted, welcoming atmosphere is important.”

In this season of outdoor entertaining, we’ve asked Craig, Czajkowska and Dallasbased interior designer Abbe Fenimore for advice on creating the most welcoming front entry areas. STEP BACK It’s hard to assess your front-door area when standing right in front of it. A home’s entrance area begins where the visitor can first see it, says Craig, so stand at the road and consider your home from that distance. That may inspire you to embrace larger, more dramatic items.

“Pump up the scale of lanterns on either side of the door,” Craig says, or go for dramatic containers for planting.

Or stay with simple planters, but put dramatic plants in them: “Even if you have a small container,” Craig says, “it can have an incredible climbing rose coming out of it.” She also suggests Boston ivy or climbing ivy.

Czajkowska recommends hydrangeas, which bloom for months and add colour and texture to the front of a house. Climbing roses also add drama and romance, she says, “and if your entry allows for it, adding a spot where they can climb and envelope your entry can add major impact.”

Consider the style of your