How to Create a Beautiful Entryway

eHow

For a lot of decorating enthusiasts, the entryway is a difficult room to tackle. It’s the section of your home that becomes the landing point for many a clothing item and miscellaneous bag, as well as the de facto resting place for daily necessities like car keys and mail. How can you refresh your foyer to look beautiful and functional? That’s an easy answer: by tackling a few weekend projects to help define the space. Here are 15 DIY ideas that will make your entryway welcoming to guests and accommodating to your everyday routine.

Go Faux on a Metal Table

In many homes, the entryway doubles as a high-traffic storage area. Make a side table for extra space. Don’t worry about the work of making a metal top — you can use paint to get the look.

Danielle Driscoll

The Trendy Textile Bench

Kilim rugs are having a moment in home decorating. Instead of laying a rug down as a dirt attractor, find some hairpin legs and build a bench. You can sit on it while putting on or taking off your shoes, and pull it out for extra seating when friends come over.

HavenByTheBae

Give a Coffee Table an Extreme Makeover

If you have a lot of space to work with in your entryway, invest some time and money into making a new piece of furniture. Find an old coffee table in your garage or at the thrift store, and rebuild it as a storage bench.

Machelle Vanderhoeven

Hang Your Hat on a Modern Rack

The phrase “hat rack” seems archaic in 2016, but having a dedicated space to hang coats and bags is an organizing game-changer. This version is so chic you’ll want to put it out on display.

Caroline Burke

See Ceramic Vases in a New Light

When you come home at night, you want to have a light to turn on as soon as you walk through the door. But as of right now, you're in the dark. You can make a lamp out of a big ceramic vase, and you'll never have to walk into a pitch-black home again.

Bethany DeVore

Corral the Clutter in Rope Baskets

Instead of wasting time looking for your car keys or rifling through the mail to find restaurant coupons, put it all in rope baskets. Make at least three: odd numbers are a good design principle, and you’ll want enough to throw all your stuff in.

Chelsea Foy

Get Sculptural on Decorative Spheres

If you want to create a decor detail that you can display throughout the year, think about filling trays or glass vases with decorative spheres. Depending on your room’s color scheme, you can use metallic or bright spray paint.

Lucy Akins

Good as Gold Glass Vases

For entryways in an apartment or bungalow, focus on making tiny projects. Buy a plain glass vase from the craft store, or find one you already have. Paint on some gold leafing, and it’ll be ready for a fresh and fragrant bouquet of flowers that don’t take up a lot of space.

Gillian Ellis

Greet Guests with Plastic Animal Planters

Sometimes the best decor refresh is just a new plant. Scour the local toy store to find plastic animals for quirky animal planters. The finished project will add dimension to your shelving, and delight friends who stop by to say hello.

Tim and Mary Vidra

Ultra-Hip Hydroponic Plants

These glass hydroponic planters would look gorgeous on a windowsill next to your front door. Pick out small succulents from the local nursery and watch their water roots grow.

Lucy Akins

Here Comes the Sunburst Mirror

Mirrors are a great design trick: they make any room look bigger. A modern pick like a sunburst mirror can be pricey, but a spray paint and wood skewer version gets the look for way less. It’ll put a smile on your face every time you’re on your way out.

Brynne Delerson

Arrange the Perfect Gallery Wall

For an entryway that’s long and narrow, consider putting a gallery wall up. Print photographs of your family and friends, and mix and match different-sized frames. You can also try framing art prints and interspersing them with your photos.

Carrie Waller

Try a Pair of Faux Antlers

If you want to live in the woods but can’t shake off your penchant for modern decor, this pair of antlers is the best of both worlds. You can make these out of clay in just a few days, and the beloved aesthetic can last for years.

Francesca Stone

Style the Chicest Bookshelf

Some older homes have built-in bookshelves. If you’re lucky enough to have this incredible design element in your foyer, fill it with your favorite books, travel mementos and photo frames in a stylish way.

Amber Lewis

Make It Personal with Herringbone Wood Letters

Instead of a traditional art choice, think about hanging herringbone wood letters. Depending on the wall space, try the first letter of your last name or a short inspirational word. Every time you walk into your entryway and see the DIY projects you absolutely love, you’ll know that you’re really at home.

Sarah Dorsey