42 Entryway Ideas for a Fantastic First Impression
Consider the entrance hall your opportunity to sweep guests off their feet. There’s no shortage of entryway ideas; whether visitors are welcomed into a soaring space crowned with a sparkling chandelier or a cozy foyer with warm wood floors and a bouquet of blooms, the entryway sets the tone for the rest of your home. This transitory spot is the perfect place to showcase a sleek console table and statement mirror, a bold painting or sculpture, or an ornately tiled floor with a vibrant color palette.
If you’re looking for entryway decor ideas, why not take a cue from some of the most stunning entrances featured in the AD archives to ensure that the foyer of your home is as spectacular as the rooms that follow? You know what they say: You rarely get a second chance to make a good first impression.
How can I make my entryway look nice?
In order to make your entryway look nice, consider what your priorities are for the space. If it doubles as a mudroom, prioritize building out ample storage space. For a crisp and clean look, add in closed closets, but for a more family-friendly approachable appeal, employ coat hooks and open shelves.
If you don’t need to use your entryway for storage, consider the space as your decorative mission statement for your home. What exactly do you want to communicate with your guests from the moment they walk through the door? What would make you feel most comfortable after a long day out once you step foot inside? Whether it’s a framed photo of your family, a small table to place your keys so you never have to wonder where you put them, or a prized artwork, figure out a singular piece that can serve as your entryway’s focal point and build from there. Since the majority of entryways are at a smaller scale than the rest of the home’s rooms, and many are directly open to the rest of the home, it’s best to keep the design simple if you’re intimidated by decorating the space.
What can you do with an awkward entryway?
Figuring out how to decorate an awkward entryway space depends most on what exactly makes your entryway awkward. In a space that’s hard to decorate because it’s open to the rest of your home and doesn’t feel separate enough, figure out a way to softly distinguish it from the rest of the living space. This could involve using a small area rug just for the entryway, using a different paint color or wallpaper, or even adding a screen, divider, or bookshelf between the entryway and the rest of the home. For something even more subtle, consider adding a floor lamp or plant to mark the divide between the spaces.
If your entryway is awkward not because of your home’s layout, but instead because of the room’s shape, consider centering your design on a commanding pendant light fixture that can serve as a centerpiece. While this certainly doesn’t work in every space, it can be especially impactful for entryways that have little wall room for artwork or other decoration, and it’s a relatively low-effort fix.
Photo: Oberto Gili1/42Define Your Color Palette
In the entrance hall of this Minneapolis mansion, designer Michael S. Smith employed a painting by Jacob Kassay, Qing-dynasty vessels, and a tabletop sculpture by Anish Kapoor; the custom-painted fretwork pattern over the dining room doorway is by Gracie.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn2/42Encourage Lingering
Interior designer Nancy Morton enclosed the loggia of her 1940 house in Boca Grande, Florida, to create an entrance hall that doubles as a casual living room, furnished with welcoming seating areas. Even in smaller entryways, consider adding a seat or two to create a more comfortable space. This is especially fitting for entryways that get a lot of natural light or offer a pleasurable view that you wouldn’t want to go to waste.
Photo: Joshua McHugh3/42Create an Art Gallery
At Obercreek, the Hudson River Valley farm of investor Alex Reese and his wife, architect Alison Spear, the stone-floored entrance hall is lined with family portraits, hung frame to frame on the pale gray walls. Heirloom Windsor chairs flank the front door, and the 19th-century settees are upholstered in a flame stitch by Scalamandré.
Photo: Laura Resen4/42Draw the Eye In
In a stylish Hamptons home devised by Deborah Berke and decorated by Thomas O’Brien, the latter’s pendant lights from Aero join an Alexandre Noll sculpture (far end) and a Donald Baechler painting (right) in the long entrance hall; an Alexander Calder lithograph is mounted at the bottom of the staircase.
Photo: Steven Klein5/42Simplify Your Color Palette
In the entrance hall of Steven Klein’s home in Bridgehampton, New York, a striking image that he photographed of Brad Pitt pops against the space’s black, white, and brown palette. Horizontal boards amplify the room’s length and the peaked ceiling lends height and drama. Dark colors help to create a sleek and sophisticated impression, as in this home, whereas bright neutrals can allow for an energizing first step inside.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn6/42Embrace Multipurpose
A custom-made table anchors a New York City apartment entrance hall that decorator Vicente Wolf conceived as a mini-gallery, with works by Richard Prince, Brice Marden, Eric Fischl, and Thomas Houseago. The large space could easily house a splendid cocktail party, since the long table could serve as a bar, if necessary.
Photo: Simon Watson7/42Honor Your Heritage
Placing family heirlooms front and center in a home can serve as an immediate conversation starter with guests. The 13th-century entrance hall inside this Irish castle was remodeled in the 1830s after a fire; the 17th-century Brussels tapestries came into the family in 1935. Even without generational furniture pieces on hand, family photos or mementos make for lovely foyer decorating ideas.
Photo: Richard Powers8/42Refresh Guests with Light and Bright Walls
Thanks to bright white walls and shimmering silver flooring, the art pieces really pop in the entrance hall of this home designed by Charles Zana for a couple with a blue-chip contemporary art collection. A deep red Anish Kapoor sculpture greets visitors, while a text painting by Richard Prince hangs opposite a dramatic glass-bead sculpture by Jean-Michel Othoniel.
9/42Offer Ample Seating
What should you put in your entryway? Why not add a few seats! The travertine-tiled entrance gallery of Donny Deutsch's Manhattan townhouse is anchored by bespoke Ingrao sofas, both upholstered in a Perennials bouclé.
Photo: Roger Davies10/42Hang a Sculptural Light Fixture
A sunburst of marble and onyx paves the entrance of a Bel Air, California, mansion renovated by Tichenor & Thorp Architects and interior designer Kelly Wearstler. Beneath the spiky Jean de Merry ceiling fixture, a Pedro Friedeberg table rises like a golden fountain.
11/42Add Dimension
At designer Ralph Lauren’s residence in Bedford, New York, a 19th-century Dutch chandelier presides over the entrance hall. Faux moose head wall mounts and a tall vase add additional dimension to the space, immediately drawing the eye in.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn12/42Maximize Natural Light
There’s nothing worse than stepping inside and feeling like your surroundings have become distinctly more dull. The entrance hall of interior designer Ray Booth’s Nashville, Tennessee, home is backed by near floor-to-ceiling windows, creating a sense of breeziness and fostering a connection with the property’s exterior.
Photo: Oberto Gili13/42Add a Center Table
In the baronial entry hall of Tommy Hilfiger’s Connecticut estate, an antique iron chandelier hangs over an 1840s Gothic Revival library entry table and Martyn Lawrence Bullard–designed stools, which are dressed in a Robert Kime print with a Samuel & Sons fringe trim.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn14/42Try Out A Daybed
At a Southampton home renovated by interior designer David Netto and architect David Hottenroth, a rush basket from Mecox sits beside the door in the entry hall, which is crowned by a Charles Edwards pendant light. A Poul Kjærholm daybed stretches out in front of the fireplace, and the midcentury French shell sconces are from JF Chen.
Photo: Luke White15/42Play with Paint
At Victoria and Vassily V. Sidorov’s country house near Moscow, designer Gabhan O’Keeffe painted the entrance hall to resemble padded white leather. The black walnut table’s wasp-waist silhouette keeps sight lines open, and the stone floor features a radiant inlaid pattern of limestone and silver mosaic tiles.
Photo: Douglas Friedman16/42Bring in Nature
Even in a New York City apartment, Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent manage to create a home that feels connected to nature. Earth-toned flooring, artwork, and furniture—French limestone floor, a Matt Connors painting, and a 19th-century French pedestal table specifically—create a sharp contrast from the grittiness of the city the moment they step through the door.
Photo: Derry Moore17/42Utilize Every Inch
Interior designer Tino Zervudachi’s black-and-white Paris entrance hall puts every inch of space to use—including the area underneath the sweeping staircase. The space is often used for dinner parties thanks to those eye-popping red-leather-clad 19th-century chairs.
Photo: William Waldron18/42Embrace Natural Finishes
The light-flooded foyer of this Long Island beachfront home by architect Thomas Kligerman and decorator Elissa Cullman welcomes with its warm, neutral palette and natural finishes; the bespoke door hardware is by the Nanz, and the steps are made of reclaimed oak.
Photo: Eric Piasecki19/42Choose a Durable Rug
Boasting spectacular views, the entrance hall of a Lake Placid, New York, home by architect Gil Schafer includes a 19th-century gilt-frame mirror from Sutter Antiques, a mahogany trolley from John Rosselli Antiques, and George III side chairs with seats covered in a Bennison floral.
Photo: Douglas Friedman20/42Try a Graphic Floor
Black-and-white floor tiles by Clé provide a graphic welcome at the Manhattan duplex apartment of Naomi Watts; the interiors were designed by the firm Ashe + Leandro. The entrance hall's pendant light is by Ralph Lauren Home, the 19th-century shellback chairs are from KRB, and the painting in the stairway is by Harland Miller.
Photo: Joshua McHugh21/42Try Playful Plasterwork
Imaginative plasterwork pops on the ceiling in the foyer of this Manhattan apartment, renovated by architects Peter Shelton and Lee F. Mindel. The plasterwork ceiling and picture lights were designed by the duo’s firm, Shelton, Mindel & Assoc.
Photo: William Waldron22/42Keep Things Open
The foyer of Brooke Shields’s New York City townhouse, decorated by David Flint Wood, is furnished with an 1860s Chinese desk adorned with decorative blue-and-white vessels. Open doorways and an uncluttered hallway create a sense of openness even in a closed floor plan.
23/42Hang A Mirror
In the entry of talent manager Scooter Braun’s idyllic retreat in the California countryside, vintage mirrors hang above a Louis XV commode.
24/42Try A Floating Shelf
A floating shelf has a lot to offer: It takes up a smaller footprint, allows for more storage space on the ground than a console table would, and adds some serious visual appeal too. In the entrance hall of Jimmie Johnson’s home in New York City, a FontanaArte mirror hangs over a Wendell Castle shelf.
Photo: Eric Piasecki25/42Mix Styles and Periods
In the entrance hall of this New York apartment by Steven Gambrel, a late-19th-century mirror from O’Sullivan Antiques is mounted above a circa-1920 Art Deco console from Florian Papp and a pair of vintage Axel Einar Hjorth stools from H. M. Luther; beneath the Takashi Murakami painting is a ’30s Art Deco bench from Karl Kemp Antiques.
Photo: Simon Upton26/42Highlight Architectural Elements
Accented with a 19th-century-style bronze knocker, the front door of a Marrakech home designed by Ahmad Sardar-Afkhami opens onto the entrance hall, which is furnished with an antique Syrian bridal chest and matching mirror, both inlaid with mother-of-pearl.
Photo: William Waldron27/42Choose Furniture with Storage
The New York apartment of Will Ferrell and his wife, auctioneer Viveca Paulin-Ferrell, was renovated by architect Richard Perry and decorated by Shawn Henderson Interior Design. Scandinavian ceramics from the End of History rest on a vintage Dunbar cabinet from Wyeth in the entrance hall; the FontanaArte mirror dates from 1960.
Photo: Nelson Hancock28/42Embrace Bric-A-Brac
How can you decorate your home entryway? Add in a mélange of charming items. At a Nantucket retreat designed by Markham Roberts, symmetry rules in the entrance hall, where a pair of Delft-vase lamps and objets d’art sit on an antique table from John Rosselli antiques.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn29/42Consider the Door
You might be inclined to take your front door for granted when it comes to your entryway design, but with a simple coat of paint, watch your space be reborn. In this reimagined Manhattan brownstone, designers Peter Pennoyer and Jeffrey Bilhuber opted for a bright blue paint. You can highlight your door further by choosing a contrasting tone or wallpaper on the walls surrounding it, like the colorful striped option seen here.
Photo: David Marlow30/42Go Full Farmhouse
Especially if your entryway serves as a quasi-mud room, a farmhouse entryway is the way to go. The traditional style is celebrated for its laid-back charm and utilitarian approach, and these are exactly the traits that make it a wonderful fit for an entryway, as seen inside this Karin Blake space.
Photo: Joshua McHugh31/42Embrace Petiteness
Even in a small entryway, you can still have plenty of fun. This Robert Couturier–designed New York apartment features a notably slim French Art Deco console from Bernd Goeckler Antiques, a FontanaArte mirror from Galerie Van den Akker and a Cindy Sherman photograph. The wall art is a drawing by Robert Longo. Additional slim foyer ideas include wall hooks, shallow mounted shelves, or even a simple gallery wall.
Photo: Scott Frances32/42Add Open Shelves
Entryway storage is of the utmost importance. Whether you need more space to store odds and ends, or you just want more room for displaying your favorite knick knacks, open shelving is a perfect way to do so without minimizing visual interest in a space by closing things off. This modernist home’s Charlotte Perriand wall cabinet is particularly stylish.
Photo: Francois Dischinger33/42Make It Tented
Tenting a room always adds to the fun, and this Miles Redd and Bories & Shearron-designed tented vestibule is no exception. The space feels almost feels fantastical, with a curtain-like console table mounted at left. Though it might feel dramatic, sometimes drama is exactly what’s called for, and it’s sure to leave an impression on your guests and continually add some pep to your day to day.
Photo: Marina Faust34/42Go Unconventional
Depending on the fixture, overhead lighting can create a less than welcoming vibe in a space. Adding a table lamp offers a cozier light source and with the right lamp selection, a lovely decor object even when the lamp isn’t switched on. In antiques dealer and interior designer Jean-Paul Beaujard’s own home, a mirrored lamp does just that.
Photo: Tim Beddow35/42Bring in the Patterns
In this English home by designer Adele McGann, patterns reign supreme. Striped wallpaper, patterned upholstery on the chairs, and an area rug all offer a rich backdrop to the beautiful entryway. The space manages to accommodate all of these patterns without feeling too busy because each one is almost entirely dominated by blue. Be sure to consider how the colors in your chosen patterns may or may not clash as you plan your entryway—sticking mostly to one color is almost always the best bet!
Photo: Pieter Estersohn36/42Add Stools
In this Aspen ski home designed by Alexandra and Michael Misczynski of the Los Angeles–based design firm Atelier AM, stools add a place to comfortably take off clunky ski boots in the entryway. If storage space is limited in your entryway, opt for stools with hidden storage to covertly stow tote bags, scarves, and the like.
Photo: Erhard Pfeiffer37/42Incorporate a Divider
In this Hollywood Hills home reimagined by designer Jim Walrod, a divider adds a soft separation between the entryway and the rest of the living space. The divider matches the ceiling’s wood paneling and acts as an accent wall. If you don’t want to completely block off your space, you can choose a slightly transparent divider, or even a makeshift wall of plants, for the same effect.
Photo: Fernando Marroquin38/42Go Bold with Color
Deep purple lacquer paint anchors the entryway of this Mexico City apartment by design duo Astrid and Eddy Sykes of multidisciplinary design firm WrinkleMX. Even the furnishings are vividly colored, with a bright pink rug and aqua velvet armchair announcing the home as a unique space from the moment guests step inside.
Photo: Miguel Flores-Vianna39/42Roll Out the Area Rug
Area rugs are the perfect tool for unifying a space big or small. In this Hudson Valley home decorated by Rita Konig, a colorful yet grounded area rug by Robert Stephenson creates a sense of harmony.
Photo: Douglas Friedman40/42Bring on the Books
Oftentimes the best design ideas are the simplest. Built-in shelving and loads of books can add a colorful, homey energy to an entryway. Just take the Kate Lester–designed home of Abby Wambach and Glennon Doyle for example. To balance the space, a gallery wall appears at right.
Photo: Gordon Beall41/42Wow with Wallpaper
No matter what style of entryway furniture you choose, adding wallpaper is the most impactful way to give a space a makeover. In this space by Carleton Varney, a bold green print outdoes even the elegant sweeping staircase.
Photo: Johansen Krause42/42Add Mirrored Walls
It’s no secret that mirrored walls can be a life saver in a small space and entryways are no exception. Mirrors grace the ceilings and walls for a cocoon of reflection in this entryway by Timothy Corrigan.
