38 Eye-Catching Apartment Entryway Ideas to Make a Good First Impression

While some of us are lucky enough to have a proper entryway at home, most of us are stuck working with a cramped corner or narrow hallway instead of an actual foyer. Thankfully, there are plenty of stylish, space-savvy ideas for making your own entryway at home — no coat closet necessary. 

To prove the point, we’ve rounded up our favorite apartment entryway ideas to help you brainstorm your own home resolutions for the new year. From oversized mirrors to simple storage hooks, here are ways to turn a modest entrance into an unexpectedly chic — and organized — storage display.

When paired with a stylish console table, a gallery wall adds a luxe entryway scene in a Brooklyn Heights home.

Whether with paintings, photos, or mirrors, a salon-style entryway display, like this one in a Brooklyn apartment, sets an artful tone for the rest of your space.

A pink-painted door, like this one in a South Carolina home, is a cheerful way to anchor an entryway.

Looking for a colorful way to welcome visitors into your home, and more specifically, your foyer? Paint your front door in a bright hue, like this canary yellow door in a Palm Springs-inspired home in New Jersey, to liven up your entry room.

Anchor a tall entryway wall with a large piece of art, like this one in a Washington, D.C. house.

A fun geometric pattern on your entrance wall, like this one that is made from tape in a Los Angeles apartment, will have everyone smiling when they walk through the door.

A slender bench doubles as storage space for books, shoes (and whatever is hiding in those baskets) in the home of artist Jenny McCown.

This compact entryway in a Barcelona apartment has enough storage for shoes, bags, hats, and coats.

A simple low-lying bench, like this one in a Montreal apartment, can transform a stairway entrance into a functional (and great looking) foyer.

Accent an entryway with graphic floor tile, like these black-and-white floors in an Oslo townhouse, to help define the space.

Modernize an entry room with some bold geometrical tiles, like these in a Michigan house.

Employing a unique area rug, like this bright one in a Los Angeles basement apartment in a converted church, to define the entryway.

A small console or side table can transform an entrance hallway into an actual foyer while creating storage space, like in this Richmond, Virginia, home. Another notable addition? A runner to direct you through the space.

Few things set a sexy tone for a home like an entryway clad in dark paint, like in this London home.

In this Arlington, Virginia apartment, there’s a happy marriage of bright and airy and dark and moody. As long as you keep the majority of the wall and moldings in a lighter hue, the darker accent won’t overwhelm the space.

A clean-lined console with interesting hardware, like this white table in an apartment in Valencia, Spain, adds plenty of storage and interest.

An eye-catching entrance table — like this minty blue console in a Los Angeles apartment — looks stunning in an entryway. With a statement piece like this, it’s important to keep the rest of the styling quite simple to prevent it from looking cluttered.

A chest of drawers, like this one in a D.C. row house, makes an unexpectedly storage-savvy entryway table.

When paired with an accent table or side chair, a wall-mounted coat rack transforms an entrance wall into a proper foyer in no time, like in this Soho apartment.

If all you’ve got to work with for a foyer is a sliver of a wall, make a sofa side table pull double duty in your entryway.

Funky decor meets function in this rustic California home. Accordion racks are fun and vintage-inspired, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t useful. Hang one in your entryway to hold coats, bags, and other accessories easily.

Even when you can’t see them, a handful of floating hooks can help you create a minimalist-style entryway, like in this Portland home.

The Los Angeles rental of Jake Berkowitz and John Ruggiero has an enviable organized, eclectic vibe, which starts in their foyer where four evenly spaced hooks line up with quirky framed insect art.

The shapely mirror in this Minnesota home really pulls a lot of the visual weight.

A metallic-finished mirror, like this gilded showstopper in a Raleigh, North Carolina home, brings a hint of glamour to an otherwise traditional entryway vignette.

The plants add such texture and life to an already stylish foyer in this Boston rental.

A tall plant anchors a space, just like this towering one in a New Orleans home.

For something a little different, opt to hang your vines and greenery from hooks or the ceiling. A terrarium with some succulents is also a great addition!

Even the smallest foyer looks insanely chic when covered in colorful wallpaper, like this foliage-covered one in a New Jersey home.

Black-and-white can make a big impact in a small entryway. If you’re looking to make an impression in your foyer, black-and-white adhesive wallpaper — like the one used in this Canadian home entryway — brings a graphic element to the small space and sets a bold tone for the rest of your home.

An eye-catching wall mural, like this one in a Minneapolis home, works wonders for carving out a distinct entryway space in your home.

Minimalism is all about functional decor. For a tidy and uncluttered entryway, use this San Francisco apartment as your inspiration. Keep decor minimal, sticking to simple pieces like plants and abstract art, and hang them on the wall for a streamlined entryway.

The multiple storage shelves in this entry keep everything organized and in its place in a Los Angeles apartment.

Transform a mere corner into a chic entry scene with nothing more than a delicate standing coat rack, like this one in an Indianapolis apartment.

Look how a couple of old wooden crates can transform a short wall into a shoe-friendly entryway like in this Boston apartment.

With patterned wood floors and a vintage rug, the entryway in this Los Angeles home certainly isn’t boring. To kick things up a notch, the renters covered up their boring (we assume) ceiling light with a round paper shade, which gives the space soft lighting and adds a touch of whimsy.

Turn a cramped entry stairway into a bonafide foyer with nothing more than a colorful pendant light, like this one in a California home.

Add a bold lamp to your entry, like this metallic one in a Washington, D.C. home, for an eye-catching accent. It’s practical, too, for when you come home at night.