After a long day of work, you want the first thing you see when you come home to be warm and welcoming. If your front door opens up to a dark closet or dingy wall, it’s not exactly a relaxing start to your evening.
Creating a dramatic and functional entryway can completely transform the mood and tone of your house. It takes a distant and drab house and turns it into a bright and inviting home.
Transforming this space into the entryway of your dreams is surprisingly easy and can be cost-efficient if you don’t mind a little DIY.
Here are a few things to keep in mind before starting this project.
Consider How Much Space You’re Working With
This is typically a small area, so generally speaking, it won’t be the easiest space to work with.
Take measurements of how much room you have between the door and any walls in this area before you begin. This will give you an idea of what may or may not be possible in this space.
You don’t need to tear down a wall to create a statement when you walk through the front door. Subtle changes and the right updates can make a world of difference.
Utilize Natural Light
Natural morning and afternoon light can completely transform a space. If there are any windows near the front door, or if the door has glass panes, let the natural light shine through.
Although this seems insignificant, the right lighting can transform the color of your walls, highlight your unique tile floors, and make the area feel warm and inviting.
Try to let the light come through during the day and transform the area beyond your front door. You can always shut the blinds or curtain at night after the natural light has done its work for the day.
After you take these factors into consideration, it’s time to create an entryway that will leave you feeling like you’ve walked into a warm embrace.
6 Ideas for Entryway Cabinets
1. Closet Conversions
If your front door opens up to a coat closet, you’re not necessarily out of luck. This can work to your advantage after you’ve made a few modifications.
If you take the closet door off the hinges and remove the shelving and clothes racks inside the closet, you’ll be left with an area that’s fit for the perfect entryway cabinet.
You can add hooks to the wall and paint it a fun and vibrant color to make this space feel welcoming when you walk through the door.
For additional functionality, place a bench with storage in this space to provide a place for shoes and backpacks.
2. Use a Comfy Bench With Storage
After you’ve collected your measurements and have a good idea of what you can do in this space, consider adding a bench with storage if you have enough room.
This can be an inexpensive upgrade to your entryway by reupholstering a bench with your favorite fabric and padding and adding storage underneath.
You can sit here to take your shoes off or to curl up with a good book.
When you come home after a long day, you can place your shoes and bag in the storage below, making this a one-stop shop.
3. Utilize Open Lockers
Taking some inspiration for the mudroom, using open lockers (or building locker cubbies out of wood) for the entrance of the house is a great idea if you have multiple people living in the home or have children.
You can find old lockers at an antique shop or second-hand store, take the doors off of them, and use them as storage for coats, backpacks, umbrellas, and purses.
If you want something that feels more organic to the home, try finding a local builder that will install built-in wooden lockers. They will serve the same purpose as vintage lockers but give your space a more modern look and feel.
For modern or farmhouse-style homes, try painting the built-ins white and let natural wood elements shine through.
Finding vintage metal lockers that may have some paint chipped off and using them in an industrial-style home is a great way to enhance your style and functionality in this space.
4. Use a Bench With Cubbies
One of the main entryway essentials is a bench with cubbies.
Whether your home is a farmhouse-style ranch, an industrial loft, or a french-inspired home, you’ll need a place to sit and take your shoes off after a long day.
Incorporating a bench with storage cubbies underneath takes this a step further. It gives you a natural place to store shoes, umbrellas, and backpacks.
You can make this completely unique to your space depending on the style of your home, which is the best part.
Use natural wood finishes with rustic white paint for farmhouse-style homes. This will add functionality and style to your space.
For an industrial-style home, try to incorporate metal finishes and use modern and unique fabric to upholster the top of the bench for comfortable seating.
In a French-inspired home, utilize light-colored wood accents with a blend of metal finishes. If your bench has fabric, use neutral colors with an elegant pattern to highlight your style in this space.
5. Incorporate Hooks for Functionality
Keeping this space functional is a must. When it’s the first thing you see after coming through the front door, it needs to be obvious that it serves a practical purpose for your home.
Using hooks that allow you to hang various household items will make it obvious that this space will enable you to keep everything necessary for travel and day-to-day operations in one place.
You won’t have to keep your child’s jacket and bookbag in separate places of the house anymore. Using hooks in the entryway cabinet allows you to hang all of your necessary on-the-go items together.
If you don’t have that many items to fill this space and want to prevent it from looking or feeling empty, hang a broad-rim hat or your favorite bright-colored scarf to give this area some character and charm.
Try to keep this area neat, especially if it’s at the entrance to your front door since it will be the first thing your guests will see if they visit.
Keeping this space clean and free of unnecessary clutter will go a long way in making your home feel warm and inviting.
6. Consider the Area Around the Entryway
Using the area around the existing cabinets or bench with cubbies will visually add to this space.
Adding floating shelves in the area to incorporate some color will allow you to make this space unique to your home.
Incorporating natural greenery and fresh flowers in this space will give it a natural feel and connect it to nature which adds warmth to the home.
You can even incorporate unexpected items in this space to create depth and texture. Using an old wooden ladder on the wall will create movement and depth in the area unexpectedly.
It separates spaces on the wall, perfectly connecting to the cubbies underneath the bench. It gives the same feeling of separation as the cubbies do, and you can add nails to it, which will allow you to hand things from it.
Bringing a mirror into this space will also create depth and can even make this space feel larger. Using a round mirror will contrast with all the straight lines created by the cubbies and lockers and make this area more interesting.
It’s also a great idea to have a mirror in this area to give yourself one last look before walking out the door!
