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The front entrance is the first impression guests have of your home. To make an impact, it should be welcoming and show off your personality both inside and out.
If you would like to create a stunning entrance to your house, here are 5 simple design ideas you can try.
1. Paint Your Space
Whenever you’re updating a space, a fresh coat of paint is always a good place to start. It’s a quick and easy way to help make everything look newer, brighter and more welcoming.
Inside, choose a bold colour that will surprise guests and bring you joy whenever you enter the space. Alternatively, you can go with a neutral colour and use statement decor pieces to make the space stand out. We’ll talk more about decor in just a bit.
On the exterior, you can use outdoor paint to give your door, casings and moldings new life. If you have painted railings, give them a fresh coat as well. Consider a contrasting colour that compliments the colour of your house. Or keep it simple with a neutral tone and pick a bolder colour for your door.
No matter what colour you choose, be sure to give everything a good clean and dry it off before you paint. This will keep the paint looking nicer for longer.
2. Upgrade Your Hardware
To help make your entrance way look new again and add personality, update your hardware. Start by replacing handles and locksets. This will freshen up the entrance to your house inside and out.
You can also consider replacing light fixtures. To make easy work of this, look for fixtures that have the same mounting system as your current ones.
Outside, pick pieces that coordinate with the look and finish of your home. Indoors, add a unique light fixture to add interest to your space. Sculptural fixtures are always a great choice.
If you have a mailbox and house number near your entrance, you can paint or replace them as well. Try to match finishes and designs so that everything remains cohesive.
3. Consider Some Greenery
Plants are an excellent way to add life and texture to your space.
Indoors, you can find great year round plants that can be hung, kept in large containers or displayed in small pots on shelves. Some low maintenance options include:
- Aloe vera
- Snake plants
- Succulents
- Pothos
Outdoors, use hanging or standing planters that you can easily swap out depending on the season.
In the spring and summer, plant bright coloured annuals. In the fall and winter you can plant evergreen shrubs in the planters or use sprigs of evergreens and berries, small branches and ornaments to create seasonal arrangements.
To help your home look more put together, keep everything symmetrical.
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4. Don’t Forget To Look Down
The floor inside our homes and yard outside are often forgotten when redesigning an entrance way. But these spaces can have a huge impact on the personality of your house.
To help make your entrance the focal point of your home, create a walkway leading up to your front door. There are lots of different options for varying budgets. A simple walkway can be created using stepping stones or by outlining a path through the grass with stones, logs or plants. For a more complete look, you can use patio stones or interlocking bricks to create a path.
If you have stairs going up to your home, consider painting on a faux stair runner to add interest and draw attention. Outside your door, you can add a fun doormat to welcome guests and help stop dirt from making its way into your house.
Inside, consider updating your flooring. Entrance ways are a great space to try something new and unexpected without overwhelming your home. Patterned floors are a great option. Go big with painted tiles or try something a bit more subtle like chevron bands. Alternatively, you could add a patterned runner to create length and warm up your space.
5. Add Decor And Artwork
When it comes to easy design ideas for the entrance of your house, it doesn't get much simpler than adding decor and artwork.
If you have a larger entrance way, consider making it into a minerature gallery. Add shelves with unique decor and hang paintings that catch people’s attention. Decor and artwork are also a great addition to small foyers. To avoid overwhelming the space, focus on a couple of key pieces that compliment the colour scheme in your front hallway.
If you painted the walls in a neutral colour, choose one to three bold colours that add impact. If you chose a bold paint or wallpaper treatment, focus on neutral tones or tints and shades of your feature wall colour. To add interest, look for decor with textures and finishes.
Mirrors are also a great option for small or narrow spaces as they give the illusion of more space and can help brighten your entrance.
Outside, depending on the size of your front entrance space, you can add:
- Seasonal wreaths
- Sculptures
- Metal wall art
- Furniture
All these design ideas will help make the front entrance of your house more welcoming and liven up your space. Best of all, most can be achieved in a single weekend.
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