If it's true that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, then you shouldn't judge a house by its entrance but...that's just a theory.
Facts reveal how the first impression is the one that most influences the perception of an environment.
The entryway is your home's calling card. Decorating it with care will make you feel welcomed upon your return, and your guests will appreciate your personal style.
Make your entrance the poster child for your home
The key word is "consistency." Stay true to your aesthetic, even when decorating your entryway.
Identify the guidelines of your furnishing style .
Are you a minimalist or a maximalist? Do you prefer plain walls, wallpaper, or colorful paint? Do you have a passion for raw, natural materials, or do you prefer designer furniture with clean, modern lines?
Now think about the elements that make your decorating style unique and distinctive. Those details that are repeated throughout the rooms and that truly define your home. Imagine them side by side, like a mood board .
I bet you already have a clearer idea of how to furnish your entryway. The solution we're looking for is often right before our eyes.
Furnishing an entrance…that doesn't exist
Have you noticed that we stopped building houses with entrances ?
Until the 1990s, apartments almost always had a dedicated space , dedicated to the functions of the home's entrance. Sometimes, this space corresponded to the beginning of the corridor , other times it was a separate room . Today, the open-plan model sees the modern entrance as a fluid and unfiltered connection to the living area.
The question arises spontaneously: how do you create an entrance in an open space? All you need is a wall , small or large, adjacent to the main door.
The entrance bench: an antique and versatile piece of furniture
There is a piece of furniture that is excellent for furnishing an entrance to the living room : the bench .
Being longer than it is wide, it's ideal for compact spaces . Furthermore, being an open piece of furniture, it lets light through and doesn't take up much visual space . In an entrance hall leading to the living room, this is an advantage: the bench's discreet volume doesn't obscure the view of the living area.
The bench is a piece of furniture designed to be a spartan yet roomy seat, enough to bring a good part of the family together in front of the fireplace.
Once upon a time, it was a simple, long, single wooden plank. It wasn't meant to be comfortable. It was used in churches and outdoor spaces and had a purely practical, not decorative, purpose.
Even older than that of the bench is the history of the chest , home to wedding trousseaus, ancestor of the wardrobe, a solid and indestructible portable suitcase.
Before being appreciated for their design and accessories ( armrests, padding, and fine fabrics ), these pieces of furniture had to wait until the 19th century, when they were placed in the grand entrances of palaces . At the entrance, the bench provides a comfortable seat for putting on and taking off shoes, but this is only the most obvious and predictable of its functions.
In reality, an entrance bench is above all a support point for decorative and, at the same time, practical compositions.
On the bench you can have fun creating styles with:
- small containers for storing keys and other things,
- table mirrors for a last look before going out,
- pots for plants and flowers that welcome with a load of beauty,
- air fresheners , for a breath of freshness as soon as you open the door,
- frames with photos or prints , to tell the story of those who live in the house.
On the bench…style is not lacking!
Here are 3 ideas for stylishly decorating the wall around your entryway bench.
The first consists of placing a large mirror above the bench.
In an entrance hall that opens onto the living area, the mirror allows the main spaces to be reflected, revealing a preview of what would be seen by taking just a few more steps.
If the mirror is round, it can be placed centrally with respect to the entryway bench. If, however, the mirror is shaped like a vertical mirror , it can be placed, still on the portion of the wall above the bench, but to the side.
A gallery wall is an interesting solution. The section of wall above the entryway bench can be framed with a series of prints and paintings that end where the seat begins and ends .
A final idea for making your entryway beautiful and functional is to place a coat rack above the bench to optimize space . Matching the bench and coat rack will create a very cohesive and clean look.
A designer bench is also an excellent choice for a hallway, understairs space, or a hallway. Use these ideas to make these often underrated spaces truly extraordinary .
Have you seen Hiro's new entry products?
Come and discover them!
