Front Entryway Alternatives

Posted by Jenni Barnett on Friday, March 11th, 2022 at 11:56am.

Your home’s front entryway has a big job. As soon as visitors cross the threshold, they’ve already begun formulating their first impressions of your home’s interior. Additionally, your home’s main entry also greets you each time you return from a long day away.

Because there are already a multitude of fantastic design ideas for traditional foyers and mudrooms, today we’re focusing on homes without a delineated entryway. We’ve seen countless homeowners struggle to create front entryway alternatives for homes, condos, apartments, and tiny houses that either don’t have entryways at all or have spaces that are not clearly defined.

If you’re dealing with how to make an atypical space feel more like an entryway, keep reading. Today on the Parks Realty blog we’ve got stylish strategies to help you warmly welcome friends and family into your home.


Challenge #1: When Your Front Door Leads Directly into a Room

1.) Build an Entry

Our first tip is our most extreme, but it arguably packs the biggest punch. If your front door opens into a large living or family room, consider installing an airy—but fully-enclosed—wood and glass enclosure complete with an additional door. Whether you use your entry as a transitional space to keep out the mud and damp of rainy weather, as a mini greenhouse to grow houseplants year-round, or keep the feel on the formal side with traditional entryway accoutrements, this space will be a feature your neighbors will envy.

2.) Use Furniture as a Divider

To physically separate your living space from your entry, you can keep it as simple as using the back of  your sofa to create a “hallway.” Alternatively, a low bookcase, console, or narrow sideboard can serve the same function. Once you’ve added a runner, some shoe storage and coat hooks, your entryway will be well-defined and feel complete.

3.) Highlight the Entry Wall

A visual alternative to a physical divider can be equally effective, yet stylistically far more versatile. Choose a boldly patterned wallpaper or paint shade that sharply contrasts with the room itself. Then determine whether you prefer to accent the entire entry wall or just the space immediately surrounding your home’s door. Either choice will go a long way toward setting the entryway apart from the rest of the room.


Challenge #2: The Front Door that Opens Directly into a Wall

1.) Get Reflective

The best solution here may be hanging a stylish mirror that will introduce guests to your home’s aesthetic. Beneath the mirror, install a floating shelf complete with a bowl for your keys, then add hooks below for jackets, purses, and umbrellas. If you have space, a narrow shoe rack and a hanging mail caddy are useful additions to this space-saving arrangement.

2.) Hang a Gallery Wall

If an entry mirror isn’t to your taste, consider installing a cohesive installation of small prints or photos. This approach will help transform the obstructive wall that greets your visitors into a visually engaging curated gallery space or heart-warming wall of personal photos. If you have an abundance of height available to you, don’t be afraid to take full advantage of it by extending your gallery wall nearly to the ceiling.

3.) Transform a Closet

If you’re fortunate enough to have a closet connected to this type of entry, you may wish to remove the door and redesign the reclaimed space as an extension of your entryway. Add some coat hooks, shoe storage and a few floating shelves for a recessed storage spot that will make your entryway feel more useful.


Challenge #3: The Front Door that Opens into a Hallway

1.) Install a Runner

The hallway runner may be a more essential visual tool in this application than in any other. While a long, narrow entry may not be the stately foyer you long for, a beautiful runner can still make it impactful, intentional, and elegant.

2.) Keep Storage Solutions Slim

Rather than skipping entry storage entirely, opt for a slim console table with as much storage as you can find. Rather than keeping the console’s top bare, set up key and mail storage, install a statement lamp, and hang a mirror to create a cohesive, balanced look.

3.) Create a Faux Mudroom

While Middle Tennessee doesn’t typically see the most inclement weather, we’ve recently had a noticeable uptick in rainy and even snowy days. Even when the weather is beautiful, the practical appeal of a mudroom can still be used as a framework from which to create a positively homey entryway. 

A bench or pair of low stools can be used for donning and removing shoes, and baskets can be tucked underneath to store them. If you have pets or children, a synthetic indoor/outdoor or sturdy natural fiber runner will be more suitable than a more precious style. Coat hooks, vertical cubbies, or stacked shelving will complete the cozy transformation of your entry corridor.


Do you struggle with your home’s entryway? Share your creative solutions in the comments and let us know which of today’s tips you want to implement. 

If, on the other hand, you’re ready to search for a home with the entryway of your dreams—no strategic furniture arrangements required—we invite you to reach out to your neighborhood Parks Realty agent. As Tennessee’s premier real estate company, we merge our extensive network with the insight only a local company can offer.

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