35 Small Entryway Ideas That Make a Stylish First Impression (2024)

You don't have to use low-profile furniture that hugs the wall just because you have a small entryway. A vintage round wine-tasting table and a pouf greet visitors to Katie Hodges's bungalow in the Hollywood Hills. She chose a vintage Ponce Berga wall lamp to light the corner without taking up precious surface space.

Jonathan Savage immersed the small entryway of our 2022 Whole Home in Preference Red by Farrow & Ball. This cocooning shade in a high-gloss finish makes it feel cozy, distinct, and intentional.

In Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Emily Janak chose to forego the traditional table and put a bench in her small entryway instead. It gives you a comfortable place to sit and put on shoes, and the firm cushion can double as a drop zone when needed. Plus, the space underneath is perfect for storing shoes.

A tried-and-true way to make any small space feel larger is to minimize the number of colors in it. We're not suggesting you go full-on minimalist if you don't want to, but you may want to take a note from designer Alexandra Angle and pick one vibrant shade (like the red seen here) to offset an otherwise neutral palette.

An easy way to make a bold impact in small entryway is to opt for a wallpaper with a large-scale print. Andrew Howard chose Iksel's Japanese Cranes print to adorn this bright space, ceilings and all.

Lathem Gordon made the small entryway in her own Georgia home pop with a gallery wall of black-and-white family photographs in coordinating gilt frames. A gray paint color cools off all the gold shine. And because it opens right into a bathroom, she made sure to choose a formal and pretty shower curtain that flatters the hallway.

A secretary desk with stools tucked underneath makes a surprising style statement and allows the small entryway in Juan Carretero's historic home in Catskill, New York, to double as a mini home office. Carretero opted for a deep green paint color to contrast the light wood finishes of the furniture and stairs, then painted the low ceiling in a glossy blush to "give your complexion a candlelit glow."

Because the stairwell eats into the square footage of this small entryway in a home designed by Studio Osklo, the firm decided to focus on the materials. With less room for decoration, they needed to work extra hard. Enter dark herringbone flooring and pin-striped paneling around the curved staircase.

In this Los Angeles bungalow, "the cheerful lavender tone (Benjamin Moore's Grape Ice) greets you as you step through the front door," says Leah Ring of Another Human. An upholstered bench in the small dining nook doubles as a place to sit when coming in and out. Ring decided to add a skirt to the bench to enhance the general whimsy and provide out-of-sight storage for shoes and dog leashes.

A small, wall-mounted demilune table brings old-world opulence to this apartment designed by Patrick McGrath, while the vibrant and eclectic leaning artwork and stacked books give it a laid-back vibe. The mirror bounces natural light around, and the small surface provides just enough space to prop photographs and flowers without jutting too far into the walkway.

This hallway feeds into the main living space and open kitchen, so it needed a landing zone that covers all the bases. Emil Dervish proves a little floating shelf and a basket are all it takes. Oh, and a bold paint color can make a door really pop.

A staircase is often the first thing you see when you enter a home, so you may as well make it memorable! Intricate parquet flooring and dramatic Carrara marble steps take center stage in this show-stopping entryway designed by Tamsin Johnson. A modern glass-and-metal table speaks to the artistic front door handle and mirror, providing a sneak peek of the home's elegant design style.

To bring some color into a small entryway while keeping it casual, lean some oil paintings on the floor under a narrow console table. We're loving the eclectic vibe of the houndstooth area rug, antique table, and farmhouse pitcher in this space by Andrew Flesher.

Eneia White optimized the niche in this small entryway by adding built-in shelves. Cabinet enclosures might make it feel cramped, so she left the shelves open and added seagrass baskets for hidden storage. The shelf has just enough room for a few decorative items.

Roll out a beautiful area rug or runner that introduces the color palette that lies ahead in the rest of your home. A color-saturated Art Deco rug like this one in the small entryway of a cozy Atlanta cottage is always welcome. Shon Parker then added an upholstered bench to warm up the stone flooring and offer a comfy seat.

A classic floor runner and a few decorative items embolden this eclectic small entryway designed by Juan Carretero. A pendant and statement table lamp light the way for quick tasks.

Lauren Waters's elevator opens right up into this open floor plan space that serves as a living room, dining room, kitchen, and office, so decorating the zone immediately around it was tricky. It needed to be functional and welcoming yet blend right in. She placed a full-length mirror in the corner next to a bouclé womb chair. It's pretty but also makes outfit approvals and shoe lace-ups easier. On the other side is an industrial pedestal table with a small catchall for keys, and though you can't see it in this photo, there are hooks just to the left for jackets and coats.

Customize an entryway workhorse that gets everything done in one piece! The floating bench in this Martha's Vineyard beach house designed by Kureck Jones proves just how useful it can be. With two drawers for essentials, a surface for a lamp, and a small bench with a comfy cushion, this three-in-one built-in has it all—and there's still room for a mirror and wall hooks.

All you need is one small corner to make this entryway design idea happen. Stack some coffee table books, add a table lamp, and hang colorful artwork as Andrew Flesher did here. Extra points if your vignette also includes a dreamy curtain-effect pewter table.

Both walls in the hallway entrance to Heidi Caillier's Puget Sound cabin are optimized for organization. On the left, the double-tiered console provides a home for books, vases, and lights, while the other wall is a designated hanging zone for coats and hats.