As we get ready to greet our friends and family over the holiday season, we thought it would be interesting to explore the possibilities in designing an entryway. The entryway is the point of first impressions. It’s a place for you to get creative and set the tone for the rest of your home. What’s great about this space, is that it’s usually relatively small in size and scope, so you could possibly redo it over the course of a weekend...and talk about pay-off! You will have created a space in which your home opens up and says welcome!
Here’s a great way to use happy bright colors. I love this entry. The lime color combined with the light turquoise is uplifting and playful. I love the shine of the ceramics and glass. And of course, I’m a huge fan of the star burst mirror. In the Fung Shui tradition, having a mirror in your entry to greet your guest is very auspicious. It make sense; one of the first things they see coming into your home is themselves! What a great way to make them feel at home. For the bright lime walls try: Sonic Lime and for the light turquoise try: Sea Kiss
Here’s a beautiful example of a warm and elegant entry. This could easily be dressed up for the holidays with greens and candles. I love how the runner is a deeper version of color that is on the walls. Also, note how the table is the same depth of stain as the railing and treads of the stairs as well as some of the frames of the pictures. The satin gloss of white on the trim ads a bit of shimmer to this very understated look.
For the warm wheat walls try: Belle Grove Buff
This pink is so over-the-top fun. I love it! You could never come home
grumpy if this lush color was there to greet you.
To get this look, try: Pink Burst.
This is an entry created by the world class designer Victoria Hagan. We helped out on this project by stenciling a Greek key boarder along the top of the wall. As with all her work, it’s the subtle details that add up to an overall feeling of beauty and elegance.
For the light gray walls try: Pelican. For crisp white trim try: Paramount White
Here's a great example of using a deep color and breaking it up with lines
of white.
When you go to paint, first
tape out a grid on the diagonal with 2" painters tape. Then, paint the red.
When it dries, pull the tape and Voila! You have a gorgeous and dynamic
entry.
For this try a deep color like: Oh So Red.
This is so cool! I love how the stripes give some formality but the star
burst mirror (always a fave) breaks it up and adds a lot of play.
Here is a great example of a cheerful way to great guest and since it’s a space you would be moving through throughout the day, it will bring you a smile too. I love the lightness of this space. Would you ever consider painting your floors to achieve this look?
For the walls try: Aqua Glow and for the floor try: Dakota TrialIf you want to get some great tips on how to do some of the details yourself, check out This Old House’s website. In particular this link on how to spruce up your entry.