28 Small Entryway Ideas to Make Any Entrance Grand

A well-organized entryway, with zones for keys, mail, shoes, and outerwear, is a boon to any home. But if your place lacks a decently sized formal greeting spot (particularly ones without a dedicated coat closet), you can still carve out a transition area that will provide some simple storage along with a well-decorated hallway and entry point. Below, these small entryway ideas can help get you started.

In a really long, narrow entryway, some of your surfaces have to pull double duty. That’s exactly what you see in this New York City studio, where the front door is outfitted with an over-the-door rack for coats and scarves. As long as you have the clearance to still close and lock the door, this is a great spot to reclaim for storage space. The setup is rounded out with a freestanding shoe rack and a small hook rail-style shelf.

If you’re really short on entry space, you need to be strategic about your furniture choices. For that reason, consider a demilune table, like what’s in this Paris studio apartment, the entryway equivalent to an ace up your sleeve. It’s a table that pairs a flat back with a curved front that typically features a drawer for closed storage — all sitting on an airy, leggy base. The semicircle shape won’t overwhelm a tight entry. It’s ideal, actually, since you can push the flat back right up against the wall, and the rounded front is easy to navigate around.

Talk about an efficient small entryway idea! This Queens studio dweller has turned an awkward niche and wall bump-out into a cute, cozy coffee corner. All it took was a small rattan and wood cabinet that happens to fit the architecture like a glove and a tiny peg rail shelf. And don’t forget the espresso maker, grinder, and other java accoutrements, which share the cabinet’s tabletop with a lamp and other accessories. Sometimes you don’t need an entry that functions as a traditional entryway at all.

If you don’t have room for freestanding furniture, follow the lead of this creative New York City condo owner, who effectively turned her stylish bags, shoes, coats, and accessories into functional art. All it took was a few well-placed hooks and a small shoe shelf, which she worked into the layout of her gallery arrangement. This just goes to show you that you don’t need a ton of wall space to squeeze in what you might be able to stash on a coatrack, hook rail, and a shoe shelf combined. And you can still display your favorite large scale art, too!

A narrow wall-mounted storage cabinet, like the one in this North Carolina house, gives you space to drop your keys and mail as soon as you walk in the door while taking up minimal space.

Sofa tables aren’t just for behind sofas — they’re absolutely perfect for storage in any small space. The owners of this Brooklyn townhouse added a skinny sofa table to their entryway, providing much-needed storage space without taking up much room.

The small entryway in this Chicago rental may be tight, but it’s got plenty of style (and storage). We love the books on the invisible shelving and vintage umbrella stand next to the beautifully moody dark green door. Plus, the wall-mounted key rack will ensure you never misplace yours.

Small entryways can be dark and drab, especially without proper lighting. Brighten things up with frosted windows on your entryway door, as seen in this historic Maryland home. The natural light opens the space up and makes the entire space feel roomy.

A folding table that’s attached to the wall doesn’t take up any valuable floor space, but it provides a functional spot to store accessories, mail, and other items in your entryway. The simple white folding table in the entryway of this eclectic Dallas apartment is played up with fun accents, like a whimsical vintage shell back stool and a corkboard filled with kids’ artwork — plus it doubles as a desk.

Menswear designer Thomas Finney made the most of his small Brooklyn entryway with a vintage hall tree. The hall tree has hooks to hang coats and bags as well as a shoe rack at the bottom. Compact and functional, hall trees are ideal for small entryways.

Place a low stool or bench, like the one in this eclectic Manhattan apartment, in your small entryway to offer up a comfy seat for you to put on and take off your shoes each day. Keep your shoes nearby (or add a shoe rack if you have room) and you’ll never track dirt inside again.

Mirrors instantly open things up, making rooms appear larger with ease. Pairing them with a narrow console table, as seen in this Chicago house, kicks things up a notch. With this dynamic duo, you have a larger-looking entryway with room for storage and decor.

Spruce up a small entryway by adding a compact étagère, or taller, slimmer bookcase, right by the door. This allows you to take advantage of higher ceilings, and you can even turn this piece into an opportunity to display plants and art, as shown in this California apartment.

This California renter came up with a clever small entryway idea: She used a vertical cube storage system to corral clutter and hide it neatly away. We love this unit, which features an airy wire design and a match-with-anything black metal finish. 

No space at all for a console table without bumping it every time you walk in the door? Consider a mirror with a ledge, like the one in this Texas home. This is one of the most clever small entryway ideas we’ve seen; it’s such a cute way to store small things like keys or loose change. 

When you’re working with a small space, a clear piece of furniture allows for maximum design possibility without looking cluttered or overdone. The CB2 console table used in this Brooklyn Heights apartment is actually pretty sizable, allowing this renter to add a large basket underneath for shoes. 

Whether you’re looking for small entryway ideas, or your space is sizable but doesn’t lend itself to much in the way of furniture, you could always opt to simply add a chair and a bucket underneath, like this Barcelona home has.

If your entryway is just large enough for a bit of storage, you could kick it old school and set up a locker to keep shoes and other items that can pile up. The one shown in this Brooklyn apartment boasts plenty of room for the whole family’s shoes. 

An entryway doesn’t have to be fancy to be functional. And the barely there table in this Georgia home definitely gets it right. There’s just enough space on this tiny, multilevel table for the essentials, like a basket for scarves and hats, keys and a table lamp. 

This vertically oriented wall storage cube in a Houston home gives just enough space for entryway essentials like a mail basket, a place to stow keys, and possibly even an umbrella. Small entryway ideas that keep your items up and out of the way are key to avoid tripping over clutter every time you enter and leave your home. 

If you’re looking for small entryway ideas, opt for a statement piece that’s anything but boring. The antique table in this Savannah, Georgia, home is absolutely perfect for the space. 

Apart from the gorgeous sage green paint and botanical wallpaper, this charming entryway pops with animal brass hooks. They add to its whimsical feel while offering storage for jackets, hats, and bags.

Between the vintage bench and hanging baskets, we can’t get enough of this renovated entryway. It offers a much-needed opportunity for putting on your shoes and hanging your jackets and accessories.

If you truly have no entryway at all, then work with what you’ve got. This  DIY geometric-print door is an awesome way to make a statement. And then you can make the space more welcoming with leafy green plants housed in beautiful pots.

When in doubt, wall mount. In this modern entryway, a basic IKEA Besta unit offers both closed storage and an open surface for keeping mail and small items like keys. Since it doesn’t rest on the floor, there’s also room underneath for things like shoes. It looks beautiful untouched in this minimalist entryway, but you can also add a wood or marble top — or swap out the doors — to make it look more custom.

This brightened entryway looks so put together thanks to pegs for hanging accessories and a beautiful leather bench. The addition of a rug ups the cozy factor big-time. 

Even if you aren’t working with a lot of space, having a proper place to put your mail is crucial to organizing both your life and entryway. An acrylic tray table in this West Village apartment provides enough room for a letter tray or two. Now you’ll be sure to remember your electric bill and maybe even your sunglasses.

The simple dowel-style coat hook is taken to the next level in this Paris apartment designed by Kalb Lempereur. The combination of big and small hooks doubles as decor while housing your accessories. What an affordable solution.