7 Steps to Increase the Appeal of Your Home’s Entryway

7 Steps to Increase the Appeal of Your Home’s Entryway Posted Date: Feb 05, 2014 By: Appearances play an important role in the image being presented, and where your house is concerned the entryway plays a key role. Source: www.simplifiedbee.com The significance of first impressions is something that is routinely stressed in myriad fields and situations, and homes are not an exception. The entryway to your home is the first thing to greet your visitors and guests and as such it should deliver the warmest welcome possible. Much like the introductory pages of a book, the entryway sets the tone for the rest of your home; should it fail at accomplishing that, it will effectively sour the overall impression your guests have of your abode. As such, here are several methods you can employ in order to make the entryway of your home more inviting to anyone who stops by. 1)    Keep it tidy A tight and clutter-ridden entryway is a bad introduction to have for one’s home as it immediately gives visitors the sense of being overwhelmed and leads them into expecting the rest of your home to be just as chaotic. As such, it is for the best that you keep this area as spacious and clean as possible by reducing the number of items that tend to pile up there. A good start would be to get a closet to keep all your footwear in instead of leaving them scattered in front of your door. 2)    Avoid dark overtones Guests want to feel warm and welcome whenever they arrive at someone’s home, and unless it is Halloween or you are throwing a supernatural- or spooky-themed party, you should avoid making the entryway so dark. Additionally, any windows should be dressed with light-fabric or light-coloured curtains in order to let natural sunlight into the home in the morning and create a brighter mood at night. Wall lighting which emits a soft, warm glow is also an option, but if you prefer overhead lighting you should use a more decorative piece to prevent it from being too harsh. 3)    Put up a mirror or two Mirrors are a classic but effective means of making small spaces look bigger than they really are, and entryways are no exception. Hang a large mirror on the wall, ideally over a large piece of furniture, to achieve this effect. As an added bonus, it will reflect any light in the vicinity around, making the entryway a brighter space all around. 4)    Add a personal touch Another thing that both makes your house inviting to your guests and a true ‘home’ to you is the presence of bits and bobs that say something about the person living there. Put a nice table or small display case against a wall in the entryway and decorate it with things that reflect who you are such as trinkets from past holidays. 5)    Bring the outdoors inside Most entryways lead directly into the living room, making them the transition point between it and the great outdoors. Enhance this connection by putting large floor plants in this area if the space allows for it. Small potted plants or flowers on a shelf or table near the front door work just as well; if you have no particular preference for a certain flower, go with something that has vibrant colours. 6)    Take the floor into consideration When people consider beautifying any part of their home, the one surface they tend to forget about is the one they are stepping on. While your entryway’s flooring may already have some character, be it from hardwood, tiles or marble, it can be further enhanced with a nice floor runner, carpet or rug. Oriental-style or patterned ones are good choices as they are able to hide any collected dust and dirt easily, but the classic ‘Welcome’ mat is also an option. 7)    Do not underestimate the power of scent Our sense of smell has a direct connection to our brains – with one whiff, we are immediately transported to another place or a treasured memory of our past. This makes it a crucial element in making people feel welcome somewhere; scents such as those of freshly-baked cookies or a home-cooked meal invoke the feelings of comfort and relaxation linked to the concept of home. While you cannot always be cooking or baking, you can employ scented candles, air fresheners or even fragrant flowers to achieve the same result. Just be careful not to overdo it as an overwhelmingly strong scent will have the opposite effect.