Come on in
An inviting entryway can be both useful and stylish
If your home lacks an entryway or vestibule, guests open the door and arrive smack in the middle of things. And then there are the leaves and snow that get tracked in. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was some kind of buffer zone, or even just a place to stash your keys?
The Houzz website has come up with a few tips on how to easily create an entryway. ( Some don’t even involve using tools!)
Furniture placement
Moving a couch so that its back helps form a zone separate from the door area is a quick solution. The same effect can be created with a hutch or a tall, narrow bookcase, which offer places to drop mail, keys or a bag of groceries. Add a table to the back of the couch and you’ve got a similar staging area. Chairs or small benches at the table can help with doffing boots.
Closet to alcove
Remove the doors from your front- door closet and install a bureau, shelves or little unit to work as an arrival portal. Adding a mirror or art work to the wall and a cool lamp to the bureau will formalize the alcove’s purpose. Of course, you lose the coat- hanging space, but the creative little nook adds plenty of charm.
Entry pad
Now we turn to some concepts requiring a little renovation work. Lay down weatherproof flooring in an area a little larger than the swing of the door to create a landing zone of sorts.
Use material separate in style from the adjoining room to make it distinctive.
Half wall
Constructing a waist-high wall perpendicular to the door about a metre to the left or right of it can help box in the concept of an entry way. Throw a rug down to help delineate the space and add a small bench or chair in front of the wall to help with donning footwear.
Enclosure
Houses can benefit from a bulwark against the elements in the form of a total enclosure. Some people wall off the sides of their porch to thwart wind, rain and snow, then install a door on the front to create a vestibule or airlock of sorts. Alternatively, the space directly inside the home’s main door can be enclosed, best with lots of glass to make it light.
Of course, you could skip all these measures if you just want to concentrate on the door’s outside appearance so visitors forget you even lack an entryway. A bold colour, a plant, a statue and lighting can all combine for an effective greeting.