How to Make a Better Entrance
February 15, 2012 at 12:00 PM
By Samantha Grose, designer, JP&CO: a residential construction firm delivering a personalized home through a truly enjoyable process, done at a remarkable pace. 
I’ve begun to feel like we might not be giving the entryway enough credit. When you think about it, your entryway is like the first interview—since it’s the first impression you make, it’s important to dress up and establish some basic organization, planning, and personality all in one shebang. The important aspects of the first encounter with a new person can be applied to this smaller room in the front or back of our home. In addition to looks and organization, our entryway is also responsible for making a guest feel comfortable from the very beginning of their visit.
It doesn’t always take a huge revamp or a lot of money to improve your entryway.
Easy Ideas for Upgrading the Entryway
- Relocate the things that you haven’t used in the last 6 months or that are out of season. I think it’s safe to say that those tubes of sunscreen and cans of bug spray can be safely packed away for a while.
- Consider assigning hooks, bins, drawers, or cubbies to keep things in order. You can also encourage members of your household to identify the items that they’ve left but don’t often use.
- Keep things well lit by adding extra lighting to your entryway through ceiling lights, lamps, or windows. This allows the space to be clear and inviting. Nothing is worse than stumbling around in the dark trying to find your other shoe at someone else’s house.
- Provide a mounted mirror for guests to use as they arrive and leave your house. Nobody likes realizing that they just spent the last half of the day with pepper in their teeth!
- Offer a safe space for shoes such as a wet shoe safe tray or a rubber mat on the base of your closet. I feel uncomfortable when I enter someone else’s home and have to leave my shoes in a place that makes me worry that I’m ruining their rug or nice floor.
- Add a personal touch or two. Consider introducing a few potted plants, a small shelving ledge for curious objects, or mounting a few much-loved pieces of art in your entryway space.
Remember, life is about the journey, not the destination. Stop treating your entryway like a hallway and infuse it with some fun and life!
Samantha
Grose Samantha
Associate AIA, Allied ASID Designer for JP&CO.