There are some great entryways out there; blogs, Pinterest, televisions shows, and magazines are filled with ideas on how to create a fantastic first impression for your guests as they enter your home. But what about you? Yes, YOU!
Ask yourself these three questions:
1. Does your entryway welcome you home and immediately put you at ease?
If your answer is “no”, examine why it doesn’t. Many times we come in and plop stuff down without paying much attention to the entryway of our home. We usually have a million things on our mind or have a specific destination in mind like the kitchen or bathroom. Â The next time you come home, make a note to stop and take a look around immediately upon walking over the threshold. This can be at the front, back, or garage entry door. What emotions or mood first comes to you when you do this?
2. Does your entryway cause immediate stress with clutter, things that remind you of all the undone projects and issues in your home?
If your entryway doesn’t have any “personality” when you do the exercise from number one above, is it because you are immediately hit with clutter, bills, toys, clothing, or shoes? Clutter can sap the life right our of any room in the house and this is especially true for entryways. Your entryway, or the way you choose to come into your home, may be different from the formal entry your guests see.  Back entries often are the target for clutter. Seeing clutter the first thing upon entering causes stress and doesn’t present a welcoming feeling. One way to tame the clutter is to set up stations for each type of clutter so it can be hidden from immediate view.  For example, trash bins with swinging lids can be re-purposed as easy drop spots for coats, toys, etc. A mail station made with our Wine Bottle Drink Tubs (one for each recipient) can help with the paper clutter.  Just remember to go back and take care of items hidden away so they don’t get out of hand.
3. Does the entryway reflect your style, passions, and set the tone for you to leave the stress of the outside world behind you?
Rethinking your entryway can help you decide how best to look at it from a home decor perspective. Color choice is critical.  Choose a color that sets the tone for how you want to feel when you come home.  If you often come home tired and need to have a boost of pep, then choose a bright color such as yellow.  If a stressful drive home is part of your daily routine, perhaps a calming soothing ocean palette of blues and greens may help welcome and calm you.  An additional way to add something that sparks your passion is to add a personalized shower curtain as a curtain to a small entry pantry.  Why not cover the mess with fun family photos that welcome you home?  If your passion is photography, for example, make the curtain out of your best photos.  Love to travel?  Set the scene with a photo of your next destination.
Rethinking your entry can help you come home and reset your mood so that you can make the most out of your time at home.