It is vital that you treat the front entrance of your home as you would a handshake: you offer a firm, warm, welcoming hand which brings the positive invitation for a pleasant experience.
The entrance to your home is the exact same thing.
This is where your home makes its first impression on your family and guests.
It invites the guest to enter and makes them want to come in and see more.
The entrance to your home is the first place for your interior design efforts.
If you are selling your home, tackling the entrance to your home is a must.
Many realtors report this as the first turn-off.
It the front entrance is not happy and welcoming potential buyers often go no further.
A welcoming entrance attracts buyers.
Let's start with the front door It must be pristine: in good condition, clean, and free of chipped paint or non-working hardware.
Your front door is probably a candidate for a fresh paint job or maybe it is a bit blah.
Pick a color that coordinates with your trim or one that appropriately reflects your personality and the surrounding area.
Think of the plants or flowers you may put out in the spring and take a cue from that if you need inspiration.
It needs to be obvious...
it is a focal point (unless you have a sign that says, "Enter here", hopefully not) it is appropriate to give it a little color! On a taupe house I had in North Carolina I selected a soft purple/pink the exact color of the impatients that I planted to surround the walkway leading to the front door.
It was beautiful and I received many compliments.
Don't be afraid to make it interesting! Once inside In order to create a warm and welcoming area make your entrance interesting.
Once you open the door the same rules apply: clean, neat and maybe a little of your personality.
The interior hall shouldn't just be a place to get from point A to point B.
Create a passageway that causes one to pause as the house says, "Welcome.
" It is the place you to give a subtle hint of what is to come.
The entrance hall or space has a functional purpose too.
If your area allows offer a table for which to set down keys, gloves or the mail and a chair to ease the comfort in putting on or taking off footwear.
A light is also necessary and if you have the table an attractive table lamp would offer the perfect welcoming glow.
Now for the fun part, decorating If the area is small, this often a great place for a fabulous wallpaper or paint treatment.
This should coordinate with any attached rooms but you can afford to be a bit dramatic here with color or pattern.
This is a great area for a "wow" wall.
Remember this is how you welcome your family and guests; you want the space to invite them for more by engaging their senses.
You can use fresh flowers, a nice candle, or a good potpourri/house perfumer.
Though that does not mean going overboard with artificial scents.
A note on that topic, many people find some scents especially in combination too strong and offensive (think of those stinky candle stores).
When selecting a scent pick something that smells natural such as evergreen, eucalyptus, lavender, vanilla, etc.
Men are pretty good at this, if they say it stinks, it does.
To guide you in making this "introduction" select a wonderful wallpaper or fabric that has colors that will appear elsewhere in your home.
You could think of it like a roadmap for what is to come.
Wonderful artwork can do the same thing, introduce colors and or give guests that place to pause, "wow" factor and insight into you.
The front entrance is a perfect place for collections, a collection, either on a table or on the wall.
You can use small boxes, collected shells from your trips, interesting pottery or art glass.
There are many different things people collect and this can be a wonderful to display them.
Please don't consider every 8x10 size school picture of your children a collection for the front door.
Who wants all those people staring at them the minute they walk in? Mirrors Everyone asks about mirrors.
They are functional and decorative ones can be really beautiful.
They can visually increase the size and light in a space.
If used well they can be very appropriate.
However you must consider what they are reflecting.
Is it appropriate and pleasing to look at? I happen to agree with that old Feng Shui rule about not having a mirror at the front door that reflects the front door.
It is like walking in and being reminded of where to leave, not very hospitable.
Goal Whatever you do with your front door and entrance it needs to be warm, welcoming, inviting and offer a little insight into what is to come in your interior and a bit of your personality.
This is where your home makes that first impression; your goal should be to make it a good one.
Every home needs a beautiful entrance.
With careful thought and planning every home can have one.
Following these simple tips will guide you to creating a wonderful welcome for anyone who enters your home.
The entrance to your home is the exact same thing.
This is where your home makes its first impression on your family and guests.
It invites the guest to enter and makes them want to come in and see more.
The entrance to your home is the first place for your interior design efforts.
If you are selling your home, tackling the entrance to your home is a must.
Many realtors report this as the first turn-off.
It the front entrance is not happy and welcoming potential buyers often go no further.
A welcoming entrance attracts buyers.
Let's start with the front door It must be pristine: in good condition, clean, and free of chipped paint or non-working hardware.
Your front door is probably a candidate for a fresh paint job or maybe it is a bit blah.
Pick a color that coordinates with your trim or one that appropriately reflects your personality and the surrounding area.
Think of the plants or flowers you may put out in the spring and take a cue from that if you need inspiration.
It needs to be obvious...
it is a focal point (unless you have a sign that says, "Enter here", hopefully not) it is appropriate to give it a little color! On a taupe house I had in North Carolina I selected a soft purple/pink the exact color of the impatients that I planted to surround the walkway leading to the front door.
It was beautiful and I received many compliments.
Don't be afraid to make it interesting! Once inside In order to create a warm and welcoming area make your entrance interesting.
Once you open the door the same rules apply: clean, neat and maybe a little of your personality.
The interior hall shouldn't just be a place to get from point A to point B.
Create a passageway that causes one to pause as the house says, "Welcome.
" It is the place you to give a subtle hint of what is to come.
The entrance hall or space has a functional purpose too.
If your area allows offer a table for which to set down keys, gloves or the mail and a chair to ease the comfort in putting on or taking off footwear.
A light is also necessary and if you have the table an attractive table lamp would offer the perfect welcoming glow.
Now for the fun part, decorating If the area is small, this often a great place for a fabulous wallpaper or paint treatment.
This should coordinate with any attached rooms but you can afford to be a bit dramatic here with color or pattern.
This is a great area for a "wow" wall.
Remember this is how you welcome your family and guests; you want the space to invite them for more by engaging their senses.
You can use fresh flowers, a nice candle, or a good potpourri/house perfumer.
Though that does not mean going overboard with artificial scents.
A note on that topic, many people find some scents especially in combination too strong and offensive (think of those stinky candle stores).
When selecting a scent pick something that smells natural such as evergreen, eucalyptus, lavender, vanilla, etc.
Men are pretty good at this, if they say it stinks, it does.
To guide you in making this "introduction" select a wonderful wallpaper or fabric that has colors that will appear elsewhere in your home.
You could think of it like a roadmap for what is to come.
Wonderful artwork can do the same thing, introduce colors and or give guests that place to pause, "wow" factor and insight into you.
The front entrance is a perfect place for collections, a collection, either on a table or on the wall.
You can use small boxes, collected shells from your trips, interesting pottery or art glass.
There are many different things people collect and this can be a wonderful to display them.
Please don't consider every 8x10 size school picture of your children a collection for the front door.
Who wants all those people staring at them the minute they walk in? Mirrors Everyone asks about mirrors.
They are functional and decorative ones can be really beautiful.
They can visually increase the size and light in a space.
If used well they can be very appropriate.
However you must consider what they are reflecting.
Is it appropriate and pleasing to look at? I happen to agree with that old Feng Shui rule about not having a mirror at the front door that reflects the front door.
It is like walking in and being reminded of where to leave, not very hospitable.
Goal Whatever you do with your front door and entrance it needs to be warm, welcoming, inviting and offer a little insight into what is to come in your interior and a bit of your personality.
This is where your home makes that first impression; your goal should be to make it a good one.
Every home needs a beautiful entrance.
With careful thought and planning every home can have one.
Following these simple tips will guide you to creating a wonderful welcome for anyone who enters your home.
Source...