by Blake Herzog
When it’s time to rejuvenate your home most people look toward kitchen and bathroom remodels, but if you want to improve your place quickly, and relatively inexpensively, you can’t go wrong with brightening up your entrances.
It can get a little complicated if you tend to come from the garage into a cramped mudroom or utility room while visitors get the benefit of a more formal entryway, but you can improve the look and feel of both without breaking your budget.
Mirror mirror
Whichever kind of entry you’re talking about, a mirror is almost required to make it work. Using at least one will make the space appear larger and offer a valuable last-minute glance for everyone to check their look before they go out into the world.
A front-door entrance can look ravishing with a statement mirror, especially if it “mirrors” the front door’s shape or design. A mudroom mirror may have to be smaller but still allow everyone a comprehensive self-check.
Sitting room
A bench is a considerate inclusion for any entryway for people who need to remove or put on boots or shoes or just want to relax for a moment before heading outside.
It can be padded with cushions and throw pillows for a softer look or left bare for an industrial and accessible vibe. A few cubbies can be created underneath and hooks hung on the wall for storing footwear and outerwear.
Light the way
The smaller and darker the entry space is, the more it needs effective lighting.
This means a pendant fixture over the middle of the room might work better to make sure your family can find their way in and out. Wall sconces, eye-catching table or floor lamps and recessed lighting all can be deployed to brighten the way.
Seasonal flourishes
If you love to switch up your décor according to the time of year, your foyer and back entrance are the best places to get started. When you go all-out in front it gets everyone into the mood and means you don’t have to go as heavy on it in the interior.
So hang your wreaths, throw your throws and pillows, and get everyone into the seasonal groove.
Driveway appeal
Some open-concept floor plans have done away with a foyer or entryway altogether. Steve Wallis, owner/president of Foothills Construction in Casa Grande, says one option in this situation is to make the approach to your front door a showstopper.
“The door would probably be the main one, the front door is the main character in the entryway. It’s a matter of the design, like glass and scrolling on the front, and glass and wood and the various materials. They all do the same job — enhance the entryway.”
Enhancements around the front door can include stone columns, pavers, flower beds and even a courtyard if space allows, he adds.
