Welcome Home: 26 Inspiring Entryway Ideas

The kitchen is the heart of the home, but the entryway is the face. You want everyone to feel comfortable when entering–both you and your guests.

Entryways are so important that spiffing up yours is one of our main tips for creating instant calm in your home.

An entryway is a busy space with frequent traffic, so its design should be functional, stylish, and versatile for your specific needs. Whether you live in a small apartment, an awkwardly designed older house, or a shared space, here are ways you can make your entryway a pleasure to enter.

1. Declutter the space

A cluttered entryway is the quickest way to turn off anyone who walks into your home–including yourself! So do yourself a favor and always return home in a great mood by decluttering and organizing your entryway.

In fact, here’s a free day from our Home Heal program that addresses entryways:

2. Coat racks

A coat rack or wall hooks are essential if you live in a chillier environment. The chair that we pile outerwear on is just not gonna cut it.

It doesn’t matter what type of storage system you decide on, there are only two rules that matter:

1. Have a designated space for everything.
2. Only keep your frequently used favorites by the door.

If you have a coat closet, jackets, seasonal coats, hats, shoes, and umbrellas should live in there and out of sight. Unless they’re super cute and/or part of your aesthetic, of course.

3. Have your dog hold your sunnies.

These adorable doggies, customized to your own furry friend, can hold eyeglasses and sunnies in an adorable, unique way.

4. Mirror for a last hair check

A mirror in the entryway is a classic for brightening up a space, adding depth to a cramped corner, and giving you a space to freshen up your lipstick before heading out the door.

You might keep a small collection of products with the mirror (or hidden in a drawer in the entryway) to touch up your appearance–makeup, a comb, small bottle of hairspray, etc.

5. Shoe storage

Particularly for my shoeless households, we need something to keep our shoes in when we walk inside.

I use the bottom shelves of an old baker’s rack (adopted from the side of the road and spiffed up). You might use a box or drawer system, if you’d rather keep your shoes out of sight.

Two things I’ll mention about shoe storage:

1. It has to be convenient. If it’s way easier to just toss your shoes on the floor than it is to put them in their proper place, that’s probably what you’ll end up doing most of the time.
2. Storing your shoes in an enclosed space might be a no-go, especially if your footwear often arrives home damp. Somewhere they can breathe, like a shelf, might be a more sanitary option.

6. Inboxes

If you have housemates who are old enough to receive their own mail, it might be worth creating inboxes for each of you. That way, the mail gets sorted immediately and doesn’t collect on a surface.

You can use something as simple as a basket–I always prefer clients to repurpose something they already own–but if you have several adults in the household, you might want something like this sorting shelf to manage mail:

7. Bag hooks or shelves

Think of what you bring in with you when you arrive home. A purse? A backpack?

Whatever you normally take should have a storage space, and a convenient place is typically in the entryway itself. Use wall hooks, shelves, or baskets to store your frequently used bags.

8. Keys

Keys are a given! How do you store yours? Hook? Bowl? Something goofy like these meditating animals?

They can hold your keys, earbuds, and any other small items you tend to take with you when you leave the house.

9. Wipes

I keep a pack of baby wipes in a drawer by my front door to wipe my dog’s feet after a walk. If you have pets, small children, or just hate the idea of your dirty shoes being in the house, a wipe packet might be your speed!

10. Welcome mat

Bring some personality out right away with a quirky custom welcome mat.

Like this mixtape mat:

Or something gorgeous like this floral mat:

11. Outdoor decor

The entryway exists on the outside of your house, too! Consider its appearance. Do you keep it swept? I know mine has to be cleared of chicken poop every few days (they like to hang out with me on the porch).

What about an outdoor welcome mat? A wreath? Some potted plants? Seasonal decor?

I love to provide for wildlife in my yard where I can, because, for one, I care about them (a 2017 study found that the total biomass of flying insects decreased by more than 75% since 1989), and because vibes.

Look at this fun front porch addition! You can provide food, water, roosting, and shelter with this all-season butterfly biome:

12. Something for guests

If your goal is to be the hostess with the mostest, what about a little offering for guests when they arrive?

This could be a drink cart, candy dish, snack bowl, practical comfort items like hand lotion or tissues, extra phone chargers, guest slippers/fuzzy socks, or even fidget toys!

Here’s a whole set of fidget toys that would be great to offer to guests, especially if you’ve got some neurodivergent folks in the bunch!

13. Catch-all basket

Sometimes advanced storage systems just aren’t it. I get that! If you know that you won’t drop the keys in a bowl, the jacket on a hook, the bag on a shelf, the umbrella in the holder, the shoes in the bin, etc., then make a solution for yourself that works!

This might be a catch-all basket that you can throw everything into. It’s simple, just as easy as dumping it all on the nearest surface, it keeps the space clean, and you’ll always know where your things are when you’re ready to leave the house again.

I’d particularly recommend one with a lid to keep everything looking tidy, like this guy:

14. Sitting space

Somewhere to perch to remove and put on your shoes is one of those simple additions that makes a home feel intentional and comfy.

A simple chair like this:

15. Plants

Plants bring life to a space, have an overall calming effect (which I assume you want your entryway to have), and purify the air.

If you’ve got a total brown thumb, fake plants look VERY realistic these days–so all the benefit minus the air purification (though the power of placebo is quite strong…).

Historically, I’ve been pretty snobby about fake plants, but they look SO real now. Look at this snake plant. I don’t think I could tell it from a real one if they were side by side:

16. Smellies

We’ve got five senses (more than that, technically), and when designing a space, it’s important to keep them all in mind!

So what is the olfactory experience entering your home? Does it smell musty? Stale? Maybe a little bit like cat? If you’re not sure what your house smells like, go on a long walk, then take a deep inhale when you walk inside. That should help you eliminate most of the nose blindness and get a real idea of how it smells.

If it doesn’t smell so inviting, your entryway is a great place to put something like potpourri, incense, a nice candle, or an air freshener. You might even drop an air purifier in some strategic places throughout your home.

Incense holders range from simple and sleek to straight up gorgeous. Just look at this one!

A piece like that would bring a delightful smell experience to the entry of your home, and add incredible visual interest and uniqueness.

17. Lighting

If you’re techy, having an automated lighting system can be great! Either use smart bulbs connected to an app on your phone to initiate whatever Arriving Home setting you’d like to program, or wire several lights to one switch by the door. (Smart bulbs sounds a lot easier to me.)

Simply hitting one button to set your whole house to your favorite lighting, music, etc., can make arriving home a delightful experience.

Another idea is to use natural light (maximize light from windows with reflective surfaces), or candlelight to set the mood. Something like this bizarre conversation piece candle can burn for SIXTY HOURS, making it a perfect entryway piece and tone setter:

You can buy replacement wax to use this holder again and again!

18. All-in-one piece

For smaller homes, I can’t shut up about these all-in-one pieces of entryway furniture:

You can store your shoes, bags, coats, scarves, hats, and everything else on the ample storage space of hooks, bins, and shelves. And the bench can hold up to 200 pounds, making it the perfect place to perch for shoe removal (for many households).

It fits neatly in most tight spaces, even flush against three walls. And a lot of them are pretty stylish!

19. Drink cart

I LOVE styling a drink cart. I think they’re so unique. You can make it alcoholic, you can go for coffee, or even create a little tea station. It’s so nice to offer guests a cocktail or mug of something warm when they walk in–it’s also nice to offer it to yourself when you get home!

I find drink carts are a common item you can find secondhand, if you’re a big thrifter or Facebook Marketplace Extraordinaire. You can find them in so many styles to suit your vibe. Here’s a teeny tiny one if you’re working with a smaller entryway:

20. Define the area

If your house is like mine, the “entryway” is kind of “a corner of another room that has a door in it”. But there’s a lot we can do to create a special space for a specific purpose.

One is to use wallpaper, shiplap, paint, flooring, or a rug. Do something to define the wall space and/or floor space to distinguish it from the surrounding area.

21. Conversation pieces

Several of my suggestions so far are bound to spark a conversation. Your entryway is a great place to drop some convo inspiration, or to show a little bit about yourself and your interests. This gives your guests something immediately to comment on, making a potentially awkward meeting with an acquaintance go much smoother on all sides.

22. Boot trays and snow mats

If you live in a snowy area, you NEED a boot tray or mat to drop your wet shoes on. When I moved to a colder environment, I really resisted the idea that I needed somewhere to specifically store my wet items, but after stubbornly drying the floor for months, I relented.

If you’re like me and hate to have unattractive mats around your entryway, you could put something like this adorable boot cleaner on your porch to help with the drips:

Alternatively, there are some very cute boot trays available, like this non-slip indoor mat:

23. Incorporate textures

We talked about considering the olfactory experience of your entryway–we’ve got the sense of touch, too! Capitalize on this by using textures in your design–wood grain benches, woven baskets, textured decor, fluffy or woven rugs, and plants can all bring compelling textures for both visual and tactile interest.

24. Don’t slack in design just because it’s a mudroom

What about those entryway ideas for those strange rooms? Mudrooms, laundry rooms, the through-the-garage entry–it’s not always ideal! Some houses don’t even have a front door.

While many entryways are in a sort-of-ugly-sort-of-inconvenient spot in homes (especially in older houses), there’s a lot you can do with that little bit of space to make it just that much homier.

Of the suggestions above, here are the ones I recommend focusing on for smaller/awkward areas:

• Declutter
• Shoe storage
• Inboxes
• Storage
• Catch-all baskets
• Define the area with rugs, paint, wallpaper, or furniture placement

25. Hardware

A super simple and affordable upgrade to any space in your home is to swap out the hardware. You can invest in some fancier-looking pieces, or just swap them out so everything matches. It instantly elevates the space for very little effort.

26. Upkeep and maintenance 

You don’t have to change anything about your entryway decor or aesthetic to sharpen up the area. Just decluttering, keeping it clean, and seeing to any minor repairs can make a huge difference. Use caulk, epoxy, paint, hinge grease, or weather stripping to keep your entryway in tip-top shape.

Ultimately, optimizing your entryway for functionality and style doesn’t have to be super extensive, difficult, or expensive. Decluttering and organizing with what you’ve got are both free to do and make a huge difference!

Next: You’re not lazy. Your system is broken.