The landing pad just beyond your door is one of the areas that takes the biggest beating. Thanks to tossed keys, wet umbrellas, piles of mail, handbags, coats and boots, it often shapes up to be a not-so-welcoming space.
Whether you walk through the door into tight quarters or a spacious foyer, today we're breaking down some of the elements that will help you make this space work harder to keep up with itself so you won't have to.
So you have a small apartment and the front door is just feet away from your bedroom or living room couch. Fret not! You are probably just a rack away from organizing the chaos you just walked through the door with.
It really comes down to using both wall and floor space to organize. Items that get used daily get hung on racks for easy retrieval on your way back out the door. No place to toss keys? Consider hanging them as well and save yourself the trouble of looking for them the next time you leave the house. Benches and footstools serve double-duty - providing both a place to sit and rest bags.
But it's not all function and no fun. These small spaces lend themselves to decorative risks. Bold graphic papers and bright runners brighten up tight quarters and allow you plenty of ways to infuse personality into your home.
In certain parts of the country, even the front entryway becomes a mudroom - one competing against the results of cold and wet weather for the better part of the year. Bulkier jackets are hung here for daily use, as are boots intended to be slipped on and off with each spin through the door. In the summer, these transitional spaces often provide a place to stack beach towels, shopping bags and sports equipment.
Here built-ins save the day and keep the area you first see as you come in the door from looking like your closet. Well appointed baskets corral scarves, towels and items carted to and from work each day. Easy to wash surfaces and natural fiber rugs that can be washed or hosed off work best.
Foyers are meant to stay decorative and fancy. So the key here is to be discreet in using decorative items to soften your landing. Additional space allows for furniture that might not otherwise be used in tighter entrances, so add an extra table or even a chair that'll allow you to kick off your shoes before heading upstairs.
These spaces are perfect for showcasing collectibles, so why not use them to your advantage. Painted boxes, baskets and even ginger jars and vases can all provide a place to set the mail, your car keys and cell phone.
The household entryway might just be the most burdened off all. Not only must it welcome you through the door, but it often pulls duty for your entire family while remaining fabulous enough to welcome your guests.
Here, lunch boxes mingle with artwork, boots with higher end carpet runners. Like with the foyer, utilize decorative vessels to help corral the clutter. Deep baskets give younger members of the family a target to drop their belongings into as they walk through the door. Use the underside of a console to help provide order to shoes and boots kicked off at the door.
Features like light fixtures and mirrors can address both utility and decoration. After all, this is the space that gives and leaves a lasting impression and there is room for both.
Need some more ideas? Head on over my way to see my top picks for hard-working entryway style.
Intro:
Apartment Entry:
Jordan and Paul Ferney via I Suwanee | Sabrina Linn via Canadian House and Home | Via The Rustic Modernist
Mudroom:
Foyer:
Household Entry:
Leila and Buff Ross via Apartment Therapy | Anisa Darnell via HGTV Remodels | Lauren Liess via Pure Style Home
Find more home decor inspiration on Erin's blog, Holtwood Hipster. And, remember to look for her "Homes that Work" column here on Young Sophisticates!
