6 Ways to Create an Inviting Home Entrance
Welcome your guests with light, greenery and comfortable transition from the outdoors in
I visit a lot of homes each year in many different settings: some in-town, and some way out in the country. I'm always amazed by the frequency with which I have a hard time finding the front door of a home. Sometimes I'll even end up at a back or a side door. This ideabook includes 6 helpful ways on how to create an entrance to your home that guides your visitors from the outside in.
1. Lead people to the front door. This is the first step in helping your visitors get to where they need to be. A clear and well-marked pathway from the street or driveway to the front door let's people know you want them there. The architecture of this entry creates a hallway of sorts, guiding people right to the front door. The lights provide illumination in the dark and the columns provide an almost hallway-like barrier.
Here the large white steps are bordered by lots of greenery, guiding visitors to where they need to go.
2. Envelop your guests by making the entrance inviting. Almost as if they are arms embracing visitors, this curve of the railings on this grand staircase gently guides visitors up to the front door. The staircase is both impressive and welcoming at the same time.
3. Use light as a cue to the front door. Especially important in the winter months, having a well-lit front entrance helps your holiday partygoers find their way inside. This house front, while bathed in light, does a perfect job of directing people to the front door. The light around the entrance is just a little brighter than the rest. Landscape and hardscape lighting shouldn't be the main focal point, it should just highlight certain areas and features. The front door should always be the main attraction.
4. Soften the entrance for a nice transition from outside to inside. There's nothing more uninviting than a completely bare front entrance. To really welcome your visitors use some decoration around the front door. A simple bench or some type of greenery like flowers is a small statement on how you feel about your home and your visitors.
Soft, green and welcoming. This charming entrance encourages visitors to stop by just to experience this feeling.
5. Once inside, provide a place to rest and shed the outdoors. Your visitors are now inside and they need to get rid of their outdoor clothing. Having a small bench and coat rack encourages people to take off their coat and stay a while. This particular setup is great for family and visitors.
For a slightly more luxurious feel, an antique bench lining a hallway provides the same kind of resting spot. Having a nearby coat closet just completes the space.
6. Guide your visitors to where you want them. Your guests are now in your home, where do you want them to go? I've noticed in my own home (which is long and narrow), that people almost immediately travel to the back of the home where the kitchen is located. Use the architecture of the home as the route markers. In this home, smart design shows visitors where the real story is: The view out the back of the house. Visitors can make a quick stop to take their coats off and then go back to viewing the natural artwork.
Another smart use of decoration and architecture to help visitors find their way to the center of the home. The entrance runner starts the path with it's directional branches. Then you see the entertaining area in the background and the light at the end of the tunnel (not literally, of course).
Which of these tips will you use in your own home to welcome guests?
More: 8 Ideas for Lighting Your Entry
8 Ideas for a Small Entry
How to Choose the Right Rug for Your Entryway
12 Ways to Avoid Entryway Chaos
Which of these tips will you use in your own home to welcome guests?
More: 8 Ideas for Lighting Your Entry
8 Ideas for a Small Entry
How to Choose the Right Rug for Your Entryway
12 Ways to Avoid Entryway Chaos
