Style in a Flash: 12 Bold Entryway Projects to Try This Weekend

Whether your front door opens directly onto your kitchen and all you have to work with in terms of a “landing strip” is a sliver of wall or you have a proper foyer with enough space for a complete entryway setup, it should always be a space that’s both functional and beautiful. After all, it’s the first glimpse of your home. Carve out some time this weekend to get organized and add serious style to your home’s threshold. Here are a dozen ideas to freshen up your entryway or foyer.

Most people know they can paint the exterior of their front door, but often forget that adding a splash of color to the inside of it is just as powerful. As one of the simplest DIYs you can do this weekend, it’s also a great solution for apartment dwellers who can’t change the outside of their door due to building rules. Just select your favorite shade and get to painting! We suggest a pale pink or coral shade like this gorgeous hue (above) from Old Brand New. No space is too small to receive a kick of color.

Step 1: Pick up a unique light at your local flea market. Step 2: Install it. The finished product adds so much visual interest to the entryway, especially if it’s a striking Moroccan-style fixture like the one here found via Homepolish. With something so full of character, you’ll hardly need anything else to round out the room.

Need a place to sit to take your shoes off after a long day (or just collect yourself before heading out the door)? Consider a bench or ottoman. Here, from Ballard Design’s How to Decorate blog, a velvet pillow-topped ottoman on casters adds texture and color to a sliver of an entryway. Pair something similar with a large ornate mirror to take the space to another level.

Admittedly, this one might take some planning (and hunting) and will likely run over a few weekends, but these vintage lockers found on HGTV are seriously enviable. Leaving everyone with a designated cubby is one surefire way to keep the potentially chaotic area neat and tidy. Bonus, this sporty look doesn’t take up too much space.

If you scored the world’s most perfect trunk this weekend while out and about, we found a place for it. Put it by the front door, with a mirror overhead (as seen in this home from The Glitter Guide). Outfit it with some of your go-to accessories and you are well on your way to creating a look that is all your own.

A long hook rail like the one shown here in this home designed by Amber Interiors easily increases your vertical storage. Perfect for gathering hats, umbrellas, bags, and beyond.

If you’re struggling to find a palette that works for your foyer, the combo of black and white never fails to look modern and stylish, and is a great way to ease into your homes design scheme. Here, in this lovely vignette by designer Sarah Sherman Samuel, the only color comes in via a shibori throw and eucalyptus, but other than that it’s clean and simple. A touch of brass is also a nice addition.

Another plan-ahead project, this could certainly be done in a weekend if you roll up your sleeves. Cement tiles like these in this space from Homepolish can be quite pricey when used in a large room, but a little statement tile goes a long way (which is good news for your bank account!). Low investment, high impact. (Another great takeaway from this room is the painted beadboard.)

A mirror like the one here picked out by designer Amber Lewis of Amber Interiors will totally set your space apart and bounce around any available light.

We are big fans of wallpaper here. However, lining all four walls of a room can be expensive. Instead, go for an accent and cover just one wall for a bit of a pop! Here, I tried this treatment in my own home, which features Cole & Son’s Flamingo.

This look from Homepolish is a totally unexpected look and we love it! Instead of a bench, see if you can scoop up some old stadium seats from a flea market or on Craigslist for something different.

If you’re heading to your local nursery this weekend, pick up a handful of plants (even just one will do!) and some ceramic pots for not just your front exterior but also your foyer. A few good varieties include rubber trees (careful, these can grow quite large), snake plants (like the plant seen here from West Elm’s blog, Front + Main) and, our favorite “it” plant, a fiddle leaf fig.

Need a shot of instant personality for your foyer? Put that task in the capable hands of art. Look around your home to see if there are any pieces you’re willing to move around, or keep your eyes peeled for new works that speak to you. Go nuts and build a full-on gallery wall, or keep it simple with just a few framed pieces (we particularly like the no-frills approach seen in this home from The Everygirl).