Style

35 Stunning Entryways That Make the Best First Impression

updated yesterday
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Post Image
(Image credit: Lauren Kolyn)

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, the web is filled with 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 entryways 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.

TOC TO BE ADDED IN WP

In this article:
Artful First Impressions | Take a Seat | Be Floored | Dark Matters | Table Manners |  Get Hooked | Mirror Finish | Plants Welcome | Paper Pusher | Keep the Order | Light Fantastic

Artful First Impressions

(Image credit: Minette Hand)

1. Make it into a gallery wall.

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

(Image credit: Lauren Kolyn)

2. Add art, mirrors or other decor.

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.

(Image credit: Minette Hand)

3. Slap on a clever paint color.

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

(Image credit: Nancy Mitchell)

4. Paint a cheery color.

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.

(Image credit: Nasozi Kakembo)

5. Anchor things with a large piece of art.

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

(Image credit: Marisa Vitale)

6. Add a geometric pattern to the wall.

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.

Take a Seat

7. Add seating (or storage) in the form of a slim bench.

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

(Image credit: Sandra Rojo)

8. Add ample storage for lots of items.

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

(Image credit: Marie-Lyne Quirion)

9. Incorporate a bench with a shelf for shoes.

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

Be Floored

(Image credit: Jacqueline DuBois)

10. Lay down a geometric floor tile.

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

(Image credit: Diana Paulson)

11. Add visual interest with patterned floor tiles. 

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

(Image credit: Marisa Vitale)

12. Add an area rug.

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

(Image credit: Minette Hand)

13. Solve it with a side table. 

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.

Dark Matters

(Image credit: Ellie Arciaga Lillstrom)

14. Paint it black.

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

(Image credit: Liz Calka)

15. Juxtapose black and white (or dark and light).

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.

Table Manners

(Image credit: Alicia Macias)

16. Use cool accents.

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

(Image credit: Marisa Vitale)

17. Paint a console table in a trendy tone. 

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.

(Image credit: Liz Calka)

18. Repurpose a chest of drawers.

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

(Image credit: Cathy Pyle)

19. Incorporate a coat rack to corral clutter. 

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.

20. Place a tiny table.

If “sliver of wall” is synonymous with what you’ve got to work with for a foyer, make a sofa side table do double duty in your entryway.

Get Hooked

(Image credit: Heather Keeling)

21. Use hooks to store purses, scarves and umbrellas.

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

22. Line things up neatly.

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.

Mirror Finish

(Image credit: Selena Kirchhoff)

23. Hang a bold statement mirror.

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

(Image credit: Anna Spaller)

24. Paint a mirror gold or silver.

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

Plants Welcome

(Image credit: Emily Billings)

25. Place a houseplant near the door.

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

(Image credit: Jacqueline Marque)

26. Add a huge houseplant for a focal point.

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

27. Hang some greenery.

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

Paper Pusher

(Image credit: Nancy Mitchell)

28. Add some chic wallpaper.

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

29. Use horizontal stripes.

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 entryway on Apartment Therapy — brings a graphic element to the small space and sets a bold tone for the rest of your home.

(Image credit: Emma Fiala)

30. Add a larger-than-life mural.

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

Keep the Order

(Image credit: Jessica Isaac)

31. Use cubbies to contain clutter.

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

(Image credit: Brittany Purlee)

32. Bring in a freestanding coat rack.

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

(Image credit: Emily Billings)

33. Go rustic.

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

Light Fantastic

(Image credit: Marisa Vitale)

34. Hang a pendant light.

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

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

35. Create an eclectic scene.

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

*Re-edited from a post published 03.06.2018 -BM