15 Smart Ways to Decorate Your Hallway or Entryway

Console tables are thin and narrow, allowing them to stand in your hallway without taking up too much floor space. Once you’ve set up your console table, you can decorate it with flowers, books, antiques and other goods. If you choose a table with shelves, you’ve got more space for magazines, remotes and gadgets.

When you’re tired of everyone throwing their coats on the floor, installing wall hooks gives your family a place to hang up their coats and jackets. Wall hooks also tie your personal style together. Bronze and gold hooks enhance a home’s rustic design while matte black or white hooks pair well with modern layouts.

Have you ever left the house and realized at the last minute that you forgot an important accessory? With a hallway mirror, you can check your appearance before you leave, eliminating your worries. Mirrors also give your wall space a focal point and celebrate your style with a modern, antique or minimalist frame.

Like console tables, benches have a long, narrow shape that fits easily into your entryway. Since benches are usually sturdier than tables, you can stack coats, tools and muddy shoes without worrying about ruining your expensive furniture. You could also turn your bench into a small seating area with books and pillows.

You probably have enough family photos stashed in your house to fill a museum. Instead of letting the pictures hide in obscurity, try framing them and turning your entrance into a family photo gallery. If you don’t have a lot of pictures, you could hang up prints, drawings, pressed flowers and other art pieces.

A runner is a thin, narrow rug that brightens up hallways. Runners also add texture to vinyl or hardwood flooring, reducing the risk of tripping accidents. You can choose a bright, colorful rug that grabs your attention immediately or shop for a subtle rug that blends in with the rest of your decor.

Floating shelves attach directly to the wall with no visible supports, creating a clean, minimalist look that gives you plenty of extra room for your favorite decorations. To keep it simple, you could install floating shelves in an orderly row. If you want a more creative look, try installing shelves in a zigzag or staircase pattern.

A large, spacious entryway deserves the chance to become a grand entrance. When you hang up a chandelier or pendant lights, you’ll dazzle everyone who steps inside and looks up to admire the view. For a more subtle touch, try installing sconces that highlight your framed pictures and give the wall a quiet glow.

If you want to refresh your entrance without repainting the entire space, you could stick with a single accent wall. This grabs your attention without making the room look too monochrome. Give one wall a fresh coat of paint or a new sheet of wallpaper and then leave the rest of the room white.

House plants can provide fresh air, teach your family about responsibility and help you get back to nature. You could start with basic succulents and then gradually advance to colorful plants and flowers. If you don’t think your family will take care of real plants, artificial flowers offer the same aesthetic.

Everyone in your household walks through the entryway when they leave for work or school. Can you believe how many people miss this opportunity to set up a communication hub? Hang up a chalkboard, bulletin board or dry erase board and then write important messages and pin notes for everyone else to read.

When your hallway starts getting disorganized, baskets provide a place for people to toss their backpacks, dirty shoes and dog toys. They also give your room a charming antique vibe. Grab some wicker baskets from the local craft store and then arrange them near the doorway or place them under your console table.

If you have kids who tend to fight over personal space, you could end the arguments by giving everyone a personal locker. Lockers are compact enough to store in your entryway, and they have enough room for your kids’ essentials. Make it a family outing by inviting everyone to come to the store and choose their own locker.

Umbrella stands are perfect for accentuating your decor, increasing your storage space and protecting your flooring. Instead of dripping water all over the house, you’ll simply park your umbrella in the stand next to the doorway. You could even buy an antique umbrella stand to give your house a touch of old-world aesthetics.

A funny welcome mat keeps your floors clean while acting as a conversation piece. When you search online, you’ll find hundreds of welcome mats with quirky or snarky phrases. If you can’t find one that matches your sense of humor, order a custom welcome mat with your favorite saying or an inside joke.