How Can Furniture Help Elevate Your Entryway

Taking the time to develop a well-curated entry space in your home is an investment that will pay dividends for years to come. Your entry space not only sets the tone for the rest of your home, but it also welcomes guests and gives them their first impressions of you. The space is not only for decor; with well-picked furniture, it will be a very practical space that helps you start your day off well in the morning and welcomes you home every evening. In this blog, we will cover how the choices of material impact the overall aesthetic and functionality of your entry space, how specialty pieces like entry mirrors, entryway lights, and entryway rugs help to elevate the space.

The Wood Entryway Table – The Heart of the Space

The wood entry table serves as the centerpiece of your entryway. It’s a piece that should balance aesthetics and functionality. When selecting a wood entry table, consider the following:

The table in your entry space is the most defining and functional component of the room. The table has the largest impact on the overall aesthetic and provides the most utility; giving you somewhere to set things on your way out and way back in, it also gives a great chance to introduce design features in a unique way. When selecting your new entryway table, take a look at some key areas:

• Size and Proportion: Your entryway table should be large enough to serve you and the average items you carry in and out of the door. Because the table is such a good spot to place items like lamps and knick-knacks, make sure it has enough space to fit these items as well. That being said, do not choose a table that is so big it dwarfs your space and takes away from the practical function. This may mean utilizing custom-made furniture options to get the perfect size.
• Style and Finish: As mentioned before, tables are a great way to show off your own style and character. The entire shape of a table lends itself well to all different design styles, from colonial to deco to modern and everything in between. Take the time to look around and find one that suits you best.
• Material: Different materials lend themselves well to different desired uses and outcomes. Modern composites that incorporate plastic may have interesting looks but severely lack in durability and will not hold up over time. Metal tables, like those made by Tiffany in the early twentieth century, can bring a beautiful light and flamboyant flair to the space. Wood entry tables remain a reigning champ. The benefits of wood are deep: solid hardwoods offer a warmth to the space that cannot be faked, and the durability of custom furniture will last for generations.

Improving Functionality

A well-chosen wood entry table is not just for looks. It should offer utility and enhance the functionality of your entryway. Consider adding:

• Bowls or Trays: A small bowl or tray offers great functionality for storing small, quick-access items like keys and spare change. It can also be a small impactful item to remember a trip or heirloom.
• Baskets: Baskets can be a great option for storing items on top of a table or even better underneath. Having somewhere to keep extra gloves or other non-everyday items is very useful.
• Decorative Items: Adding a special vase or unique sculpture can do wonders to make the space come alive and make it your own. The top of your wood entryway table is also a great spot to adorn with memorabilia of your travels.

The Entry Mirror: Reflecting Light and Space

Choosing the perfect mirror to go on the wall in your entry space will serve your aesthetics, but it will also make the room feel larger and give you a spot to check your hair and collar every time you leave. To find the perfect entry mirror, keep these criteria in mind:

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• Size and Shape: Just as with the entryway table, choosing a mirror that is the correct size is very important. A mirror that is too large will draw unnecessary attention and be a distraction. A mirror that is too small will look out of place and not be functional. The shape is also important; circular mirrors can help to soften the look of a room, whereas rectangular mirrors help to emphasize stability and confidence.
• Frame Style: The type of frame that you choose for your mirror has a large impact on the overall aesthetic of your space. A frameless mirror is a very modern look but will begin to look dated quickly. Small metal frames give a sleek, modern appearance. Wood frames allow for different species of wood and different carvings and shapes that have tons of different looks and feels to match the rest of the furniture in your entry room.
• Placement: A normal height for a mirror is 57"-65" to the center of the mirror from the ground. Feel free to move this around to best suit your needs and the needs of your guests. Placing the mirror centered over a table gives a complete and symmetric look. Moving it off-center will introduce imbalances that, if done well, can lend themselves to a unique design feel. Place your mirror with intention.

The Benefits of Entryway Mirrors

• Reflections: Mirrors amplify the natural light coming into your space, making it brighter, more lively, and appear larger.
• Depth: Mirrors are like magic in how they trick the eye into seeing extra depth, making the room seem larger and people feel more comfortable in it.
• Convenience: A mirror by the door allows you to check for any last-minute touch-ups before you leave. It also allows your guests to make sure they are presentable as they come in.

The Importance of Entryway Lighting

As anybody in interior design knows, lighting is the silent design element that will either boost your space or kill all of your hard work. Highly artificial light gives a very commercial feel which might work well in a very modern setting but will look garish in a more traditional setting. Natural lighting and warm tones will give a very homely feel and be more inviting. When choosing how to light your entryway, look into these options:

• Ceiling Lighting: Lights on the ceiling are the most effective way to get light into a room. Puck lights and can lights are simple ways to illuminate a dark space. Chandeliers and more decorative ceiling light fixtures offer a great way to show nuanced and detailed design while offering a beautiful shimmering light into your space.
• Wall Lights: For the more DIY homeowners, wall lights can be pretty simple to install. They can also be easily installed by a qualified electrician. Wall lights are a beautiful design feature that adds to your space by providing more intentional light. Position them above special objects or art to draw attention and use them to show off your design style.
• Table Lamps: Like chandeliers, table lamps can be an ornate way to bring warm light into a room. A well-placed lamp on a solid wood entryway table will really tie a room together and make it very inviting.

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Lighting Tips

• Layer Your Lighting: Combining different types of lighting like ambient, task, and accent will create a well-curated space with depth and function.
• Bulb Color: Choosing a warmer bulb color, or an Edison bulb, will create a warmer feel, whereas blue bulbs and bright whites will be more modern and clinical.
• Dimmers: Dimmer switches can be bought at any home store and provide great functionality in being able to adjust the brightness of your space to accommodate and adapt to changes in the natural light at different times of the day.

Entryway Rug

A good entryway rug will invite color into your space and introduce textures to the room, giving it more depth and making it more inviting. With a seemingly endless number of rugs available online and in-store, keep these elements in mind:

• Size: Your entryway rug should fit between the other items occupying floor space in your entry room. There is nothing more annoying than a rug that sits under two legs of a table or chair but not the back two, or a rug that is too small and your toes come off the rug as you get up to a table or other piece of furniture.
• Material: Synthetic rugs like polypropylene are very durable but are not the most luxurious. Handmade rugs of silk, wool, or cotton are true heirlooms to be handed down for generations and are beautiful to look at and admire.
• Pattern and Color: Choose a color scheme for your rug that you enjoy, as you will be looking at it every day and it is a great way to show your style and taste.

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Placement and Maintenance of Your Rug

• Placement: Make sure your rug can extend beyond the width of your door and up to all of the furniture in your space so that it simultaneously does not get in the way of anything but will also allow a complete surface to walk on.

• Non-Slip Pads: The silent king of enhancing a living space is using non-slip pads underneath your rugs to keep them from sliding as people come in and out.

• Regular Cleaning: There is nothing worse than stepping onto a rug and having your shoes get dirtier than they were before. Rugs can be great at trapping dirt and debris in them; because of this, vacuum them regularly and get all of the dirt out.

Tying Everything Together

With a good understanding of all of the key elements of a warm and welcoming entrance space, let's look at tying it all together into one cohesive feel.

Coordinating Styles and Colors

• Consistency: Ensure that the style and color scheme of your entryway elements (wood table, mirror, lighting, and rug) are consistent. Mismatched colors will clash with each other and look out of place. This can be a good chance to use complementary colors to really add to your space. For example, greens play very well with the natural tones of wood.
• Accent Colors: Don’t be afraid to pick an accent color and stick with it. If you bought a beautiful blue vase on your last trip to Venice, show it off and incorporate a blue rug to tie everything together with a new accent color.
• Textures: Having different textures that complement each other will give new depth and warmth to your space. If you have a more rustic aesthetic, pair the warm wood with burlap so the two textures complement one another.

Personal Touches

• Artwork: As the spice of life, artwork is a great idea to take up some extra wall space, or sit on a table to share special memories or admire a beautiful piece.
• Greenery: Potted plants and other leafy decor are a great way to bring some life into your living space. Keep in mind that green is a great color to complement the natural tones of wood.
• Seasonal Favorites: Changing out a wreath on the door or other seasonal decor like pumpkins and Christmas trees is a great way to spruce up your entryway for the holidays, making it more fun and inviting.

Practical Considerations

• Drop Zone Does Not Mean Clutter Zone: Just because an entry table makes a great spot to leave keys does not mean it is a good spot for long-term storage. Keep clutter tucked away elsewhere, like inside a hall closet, so that your entry space does not become distracting and less usable.
• Creature Comforts: Adding a complimentary stool or bench is a great touch because it adds the very practical benefit of having somewhere to put on your shoes.
• Safety: Folded-up corners of a rug, broken chairs, or general clutter can increase the chances of somebody tripping in your entryway and causing an injury.

Conclusion

When designing your entryway, there are lots of decisions to make. A well-placed rug and an entry mirror will help to liven up your space. Having useful and meaningful entryway lighting will help to make your space more usable and inviting. At the center of your entryway space is the entryway table; metal tables can be a durable and elegant choice, and so can wood entry tables.

Arranging the elements of your entryway is just as important as the individual pieces themselves. Keeping the color scheme harmonized and getting pieces correctly sized for your space will go a long way to keeping the space well-curated.