Making An Entrance
The Entrance Hallway
You only get to make an entrance once right? Well in my house, its a constant struggle to keeping my entrance looking some what appealing, with the kids vast amount of shoes, bags and general stuff. I wanted to look at the key elements for making your entrance hallway look lush! Some of us are blessed with great natural light and original floor tiles but there really are a couple of keys pieces that can help create this space!
Firstly a chair, bench somewhere to get your footwear on and off. Number one, this stops the dirt getting trampled round the house, or if you’re like my crazy son, emptying half the sandpit on the floor every time he gets back form school. I love a rattan chair and there are plenty out there on the market, there’s something welcoming about this tactile material and I’ll be honest it really is a bit of me. Alternatively I love this football changing room bench and industrial cages below, one for keeping shoes off the floor, my pet hate but also for a harder look. Check out this one from Ark below, it has a real vintage feel. Secondly on the list a large mirror so you can check you’ve got it together before stepping out of the door, in my case check I don’t have any play toys stuck in my hair, the glamour of a life with young kids! A floor to ceiling mirror is ideal, see the one from Brissi below, but make sure you fasten the top section to wall, securely safety first! If your budget doesn’t quite stretch to something so large, any wall mirror is great for bouncing the light around, I love these circular mirrors the geometrical feel against the linear lines of the bench. Check out the decorative circular mirror from Kohl’s below.
If you’re lucky enough to have a spacious hall with a bit of width, a statement cabinet or table can really set the tone, I love this ethnic style piece from Anthropologie, or this vintage reclaimed rattan cupboard from Etsy, especially against this intense green, just lush! The beauty of buying vintage is no one else will have the same, plus you can easily upcycle any timber traditional pieces and add a pop of colour.. Dressing your cabinet I think is best kept simple, personally I’m not a fan of clutter but also a simple vase & some fresh flowers makes a great first impression.
Next up, somewhere to hang your jackets and bags, I’ve stepped away from the traditional coat stand, more for the space it takes up and is easy to get overloaded. A dressed coat stand can look fab, but in reality that doesn’t really happen in real life. There’s some great options for wall mounted coat hooks, whether they are separate or built off a series of vertical timber panels. This is a real chance to get creative and also make your space look individual. The simplicity of these shaker style coat hooks from Amazon below, can look fab without too much effort, alternatively you can use this opportunity to add more storage, I love this bespoke piece form Etsy below. I’m sure this could be easily adapted to your requirements or better yet inspire you to create your own piece.
Lighting in the entrance is key, it needs to bright enough to be able to see what you’re doing but I’ll be honest I would steer away from a cool white light, for me it wants to reflect the vibe of your interior, a welcome glow sets the scene. I am a huge fan of the rattan lampshade maybe it’s the Spanish life but these are soft enough to create a bohemian feel I love in my interior space, like these lush pendants from Milly & Eugene. There’s a chance to show a clash of materials here and I particular love these wall lights with leather detail from Warmly. I also feel the beauty of an Interior is the mix of fabrics textures & materials, I love to look around a room and at every point there’s something more to see, something that I have missed on my first glance.
Finally you can’t go wrong with a large floor standing plant or cactus, I’m having a moment with an interior cactus, anything big leafy and making a statement , check this Areca Palm out from Bakka. I think the key to making your entrance work is picking only a couple of pieces that fit in your space. If you’re really restricted on space there are some great options to create wall mounted storage, shelving display & hooks that can truly use the space, whilst looking cohesive and considered. Shop the full look below, all items linked.
Hajar Armchair - Wayfair
Wooden Lantern Nordic Hanging Wall Lamp - Warmly
Lace Rattan Pendant - MIlly & Eugene
Peg Coat Rack Coat Stand - Vinterior
Vermont Oversized Mirror Antique White - Brissi
Areca Palm - Bakker.com
Safavieh Gossamer Wall Mirror - Kohl’s
Simple Vase & Floral arrangement
Vintage Handcraft Hanger - Amazon
Vintage Rattan Cupboard - Etsy
Vintage School Locker Room Bench - Ark
Lombok Media Unit - Anthropologie
Empire Lights - Rothchild & Bickers
Armchair in Natural Rattan Cane - Firstdibs
Margrett Rattan Accent Cabinet - Wayfair
Wall Mounted Wood Organiser - Etsy
Bennet Mid Century Tufted Brown Leather Bench - Kathy Kuo Home