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48 Entryway Ideas That’ll Give Your Guests the Warmest Welcome
Make a great first impression with your entry, foyer, or mudroom.
If your entryway could talk, you would want it to say, “Welcome! Make yourself at home! How about a drink?” Short of greeting friends with freshly squeezed lemonade in a Mason jar, we’re here with genius ways to make your front entry, foyer, and mudroom the most inviting spaces in your home. So right this way, if you will, to discover the very best entryway ideas from our favorite country homes.
Because houses come in all shapes, sizes, and styles (we’re partial to farmhouse style ourselves), so do entries, as you’ll see in this collection of entryway decor ideas. In storage-challenged cottages, small entryway design ideas include Shaker-style space-saving peg racks for jackets, hats, and leashes. And we love how a handsome antique dresser isn't just a spot to drop mail and keys but also stows away household items. Newly built farmhouses often leave room for large entryway ideas that feature reclaimed double doors, round center tables, and comfy benches for pulling boots on and off. Entryway wall ideas, like displaying collected artwork as a gallery wall, are easy to incorporate into any sized space.
Set the tone for your home with these charming, character-rich entryway design ideas. Come on in!
Discover more ways to create a warm welcome to your home:
Welcome In the Sunshine
This clever take on a Dutch door allows the California sunshine to really stream in this charming beach cottage. Instead of a traditional 50-50 Dutch door split, designer Alexis Garrett lowered the cut, with the lower section lined with vertical planking that mimicks the room’s vaulted ceilings. Grab-and-go beach hats and towels flank the door.
Get the Look:
Door Paint Color: Kensington Blue by Benjamin Moore
Hang a Bold Wallpaper
An entryway design idea we can fully embraces is to go wild with a bold wallpaper print. In this foyer, a large-scale paisley print sets a lively tone befitting the West Virginia property's history. A hand-painted Greek key design on the floor gives a wink to the homeowner's Greek ancestry and frames out the space.
Get the Look:
Wallpaper: "Kashimir" by Jasper
Pick a Bold Front Door Paint
Designer Max Humphrey chose a sunny, nearly neon, yellow to coat his modern-rustic rancher's front door. Above a neat row of handy hooks, tramp art frames that have been converted into mirrors add rustic charm. The motif of the indoor-outdoor rug, part of his collection with Thayer Design Studio, is inspired by friendship bracelets.
Get the Look:
Front Door Paint Color: Chartreuse by Benjamin Moore
RELATED: Front Door Paint Colors for the Most Inviting Entry
Hang a Peg Rack
In this tiny Cape Cod cottage, every square inch is put to use, including this makeshift entryway. A smart peg rack provides a handy spot to hang hats, totes, and jackets. A ship painting is a nod to the seaside location.
Chalk It Up
We love the idea of hanging making your entryway a family hub for what's happening by hanging a chalkboard or other stylish message center. Although this one is more decorative in nature, you can find large classroom versions in black or green to post the dinner menu, to-dos, and greetings for those coming and going.
Surprise With Pattern
This whimsical entryway designed by Cameron Ruppert Interiors features winding clover wallpaper, a Roman shade in a bold purple pattern, and a graphic rug that pull the color palette together. Solid and textural furniture pieces—the bench, hall tree, and table—keep the design balanced.
Get the Look:
Wallpaper: Klöverblad designed by Josef Frank
Play Up Pattern With Wallpaper
In the foyer of this charming Maryland property, a neutral wallcovering in a pretty mushroom hue provides a welcoming breather to the more color-rich rooms beyond.
Get the Look:
Wallpaper: “Toile Des Lapins” in Mushroom by Nicholas Herbert
Install a Dutch Door
So these homeowners can always be on the lookout for guests, a stately glossy black Dutch door is key. A narrow flip-top French dining table offers a spot to drop keys and mail. Above it, a large zinc mirror reflects light into the space. Hooks behind the door keep leashes and hats at the ready.
Get the Look:
Door Paint Color: Black Hollandlac by Fine Paints of Europe
Create a Mudroom Moment
In Country Living Design Director Maribeth Jones's sunny kitchen, the back entry was a dumping ground for all the things. Now, thanks to Shaker-style wooden screw-in pegs and a small stool, a makeshift mudroom keeps things organized and off the floor. Pro tip: Space pegs at least six inches apart for maximum pile-it-on capacity.
Get the Look:
Cabinetry and Trim Paint Color: Sudbury Yellow by Farrow & Ball
Wallpaper: William Morris “Fruit”
Pick a Serene Palette
The pretty blue-green and white paint combination seen throughout the house starts right at the front door in designer Christina Salway's Hudson Valley farmhouse. A hand-painted French settee with a striped cushion and piles of patterned pillows offers a comfy spot to pull shoes on and off. A vintage rug adds softness and color.
Get the Look:
Wall Paint Color: All White by Farrow & Ball
Trim and Door Paint Color: Quiet Moments by Benjamin Moore
Preserve Old Details
Homeowner Claire Zinnecker initially considered painting the entire entry space of her farmhouse fixer-upper a crisp white, but she later changed her mind to dark green and decided to leave the top half of one side in its original state, sealing the wood to prevent further chipping. Chunks of cheesecloth—once used on top of boarded surfaces to prep for wallpaper—also remain on the ceiling. Pretty screen doors frame views of the Texas landscape.
RELATED: See more of this charming Texas farmhouse was listed for $15,000 on Facebook marketplace!
Cover the Floors in Vintage Rugs
In this layered farmhouse entry, the well-worn stair runner is a reminder of the guests who come and go (and even the four-legged visitors surely appreciate the dog paintings lining the stairwell!). Other touches that add patina include the pair of handsome portraits above an antique bench and the colorful rugs thrown atop freshly painted wood floors.
RELATED: Tour more of this 18th-century farmhouse of your dreams!
Seek Smart Storage
Tuck in a Hall Tree
This petite entryway has just enough room to tuck in a bamboo hall tree. The compact piece, complete with a mirror, hooks for hats, and shelves, serves many purposes. The walls are painted a rich earthy brown that contrasts beautifully with the greenish-blue front door.
Get the Look:
Wall Paint Color: London Clay by Farrow & Ball
Get Creative With Storage
To create more floor space in this little Texas farmhouse, homeowner Linda Bradford removed all the built-in closets. The Bradfords now rely on antique furniture pieces to store all sorts of items around the house. Here in the entryway, a pine dresser stows everything from toiletries to garden tools. A peg rack adds more easy storage for hats, jackets, and totes.
Make a Strong Statement
For this Mississippi farmhouse makeover, a strong statement in the long front foyer was a must, and rich gray walls set against a high-gloss black ceiling and trim did just that. New upholstery on curvy antique chairs offers a nice balance of masculine/feminine as seen throughout the home.
Get the Look:
Wall Paint: Roycroft Pewter by Sherwin-Williams
Ceiling & Trim Paint: Tricorn Black by Sherwin-Williams
Add Instant Charm Underfoot
Charming fold-art painted floors add quite the flourish to this entryway. A navy Dutch door, petite entry table with fresh flowers, and bench pillows pull from the red, cream, and navy palette.
Mimic the Landscape
In order to honor the landscape outside their central Georgia farmhouse, these homeowners outfitted their entryway with pastoral wallpaper and mossy green trim.
Get the Look:
Wallpaper: Royal Oak by Lewis & Wood
Trim Paint Color: Hampshire Gray by Benjamin Moore
Make Use of Every Inch
Part of the fun of renovating old houses is figuring out how to repurpose quirky spaces. In this Wisconsin farmhouse, the homeowners turned a small nook off the entryway into a quiet, light-filled home office space.
Add Architectural Details Like V-Groove Wainscoting
This charming entryway, designed by Fran Keenan, serves up a breezy welcome with robin's-egg blue V-groove wainscoting and floral wallpaper. A hefty pine piece of furniture topped with a mirror offers a spot to display mementos and drop mail and keys.
RELATED: Add Loads of Character With These Wainscoting Ideas
Display Collections
In this entry, a glass-front cabinet from the 1940s holds an assortment of old water-hose nozzles—the collection that kicked off the homeowner’s lifelong collecting hobby. The piece also houses a menagerie of birds’ nests and other natural discoveries found while working in the garden or hiking. The antique tortoise shells on the wall were a find from Scott Antiques Markets. The portrait painting is from the 1940s.
Get the Look:
Wall Paint Color: Dark Chocolate by Benjamin Moore
Amy Mitchell is the managing editor for VERANDA and Country Living, where she writes articles on a variety of topics—decorating and design, gardens, and holidays. Amy’s experience in the shelter magazine category spans more than 20 years, as she’s previously held positions at Coastal Living and Cottage Living. Her personal pursuits include cooking, gardening, and hunting her favorite tag sale spots for the next piece of Pyrex for her prized collection.
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