Optimizing Your Entryway

Your entryway is the first place people walk through when they enter your home, it’s the central spot where you can drop off shoes, coats, or bags. Sometimes regarded as a foyer, this space is the transition between the outdoors and interior living areas of your home, so making sure it’s decorated well is essential for a pleasant introduction. We have some ways to enhance this space to ensure that your guests feel welcomed walking through your door!

Mirrors
 
When coming in from the outdoors, oftentimes we want to check and make sure we’re still looking good before entering someone’s home. The average woman looks at themselves around 8 times a day in the mirror, sometimes even more when carrying a portable compact. Having a mirror right when you walk in the door is perfect. Guests can give themselves a quick once over before settling in. With endless mirror styles, shapes and sizes, you can find one that caters to your own personal style.
 
If you have a smaller entryway, consider a larger mirror that will give the illusion of more space. This will help open up the area and bring in more light, as entryways generally don’t have much natural lighting with lack of windows. Wherever the placement may be in the foyer, make sure that you have some sort of table right under the mirror to be able to set down keys or a wallet. Placing a fresh bouquet of flowers on this table will welcome anyone walking through the door!
 
Storage
 
Most homeowners deposit a variety of items in the entryway before heading into their home. However, if they’re not properly stowed away, these things can become misplaced. According to the National Association of Professional Organizers, we spend one year of our lives looking for lost items. That’s over 8,700 hours looking for misplaced items! Taking the extra second to put your coat or purse in its appropriate spot will save you time trying to find it later when you’re in a rush.
 
Getting storage containers for your entryway to consolidate gear, shoes, or anything else you may leave in this area will keep everything organized. Having one convenient location to store everything is helpful, especially when leaving the house and knowing exactly where all your necessities are before heading out. An additional bonus to getting storage for your entry area is maintaining a decluttered space, which will help your area look neater and more spacious. Living in a cluttered space can actually make you more stressed out, so avoiding a messy area as soon as you walk in the door will help you unwind for the end of your day.

Rugs
 
Entryways are probably one of the highest trafficked locations in the home, taking a lot of wear and tear from shoes coming inside. Your floors need protection from dirt and mud that may be tracked in, so finding something to add on the ground in front of the door will save time from constantly mopping or sweeping. Rugs help define your entryway and give more texture to the area, providing a cozier atmosphere when walking into the home.
 
Rugs have several benefits within the home. During the colder seasons, having a rug will actually help lower your heating costs, providing a layer of insulation on your floor. Placing a rug in your entryway will help keep the area warmer, especially with the front door opening frequently coming in and out of the home. Rugs also reduce the amount of noise in an area, absorbing sounds and echoes to make footsteps a lot quieter. If you have kids or pets, this will especially be beneficial for a less noisy setting.
 
Your entryway sets the tone for the rest of your home. How you decorate it is based on personal aesthetics, finding what you enjoy is part of the fun in decorating! You want to feel content in your home, and with a lovely foyer, you’ll be happy to walk in the front door. With these tips, your entryway will be organized, orderly and comfortable.