10 Entryway Design Mistakes You're Making And How You Can Easily Fix Them

The entryway serves as the threshold of your home. It gives guests their first glimpse of your style when they walk in, but it's also one of the easiest areas to mess up and overlook. It's easy to pay more attention to living rooms, kitchens, and bedrooms and neglect this impactful zone. Entryways should be functional, capture attention, and offer a welcoming vibe. If your current entryway aesthetic feels less balanced and stylish and more cluttered and underwhelming, you're likely making common design mistakes without knowing it.

It doesn't matter if it's big, small, broad, or narrow, an entryway is a mini representation of your home style. One of the most frequent mistakes? Forgetting about functionality. Don't get us wrong, aesthetics are important, but an entryway should work with your life — not against it. Without a designated place for keys, bags, or mail, clutter quickly takes over. A simple fix? Incorporate a sleek console table with drawers and wall hooks to make the most of vertical space while instantly adding style and functional order to your entryway. Another big mistake is not adding your personality to your entryway decor. A rug in a design seen throughout your home or a family heirloom can quickly change that. To help you avoid these faux pas, we've pinpointed 10 entryway design mistakes and how to fix any you've made — where even small changes make a huge difference.

An entryway should be stylish, but it should also be functional. When you're short on space, the last thing you want is entryway furniture that's just pure decoration and doesn't contribute to making your life easier. Instead, get a small stylish entryway table with storage, like shelves, drawers, or cabinets, that gives you an extra way to organize and store things for quick access. Use storage baskets for holding shoes when they're kicked off and drawers for keys you tend to misplace.

When your entryway lighting is less than stellar — or even nonexistent – your space likely feels dark, uninviting, and even sad. Entryway lighting should make a statement and brighten up the area. Whether it's through a pretty chandelier hanging from above, a modern table lamp providing ambient lighting, dimmable wall sconces, or a combination of any of these, don't forget to include adequate entryway lighting as an element of your decor.

No matter what entryway size you have, when you don't add character and personality to it, you're creating a generic space and missing out on a visual moment. Bringing personality to your entryway can be something as simple as a family heirloom resting on a table or family photos placed in frames that reflect your decor style. And, it can be as elaborate as a throw rug or runner in a recurring pattern seen throughout your home. 

When your entryway is more like a glorified hallway, the last thing you want to do is overwhelm the space with furniture, baskets, and knickknacks, which only make the area look cluttered. The solution? Hang up functional wall hooks that effortlessly blend with your decor style. Keep the entryway floor free of items you (and others) will trip over or kick across the room. With wall hooks, everything is kept neatly in its place and ready to go at a moment's notice.

Entryways tend to be small, that's why when you're not taking advantage of its vertical space, you're missing out on prime real estate. Instead of an entryway table, opt for a tall, vertical organizer that comes with hooks for handbags and jackets and a place for other items you bring inside. To inject a little oomph into plain walls, consider adding wainscoting or accent molding to elongate the space. For unused entryway corners, a tall plant or floor lamp will create balance.

When you forget to include a wall mirror in your entryway, you're missing out on untapped potential that's both functional and aesthetically stylish. As a functional piece, a mirror gives you a final chance to spot-check your look before heading out the door. Aesthetically, it incorporates a decorative design element by enhancing natural entryway light and helps make a small room appear much larger. Find one that's proportionate to the size of the wall and captures the style of your decor. 

If your entryway doesn't have a dedicated place to sit down — no matter how small the space is — you should change that. Although most people don't think to add seating to their entryway, it's a great reminder to reset before you head out or come back in the door. It's also a convenient place to take on or off shoes. Skip the entryway console and get a functional bench that has plenty of storage instead. You can hang wall hooks, artwork, or a mirror above it. 

While carpet can add warmth to an impersonal space, it isn't the best look in your entryway. Other areas of your house can be blanketed with the floor covering, but your entryway shouldn't. Besides the fact that entryways see high foot traffic, the carpet doesn't make an entryway look special. Harlequin floors will always be a good choice for an entryway, and so are hardwood floors and tile. Plus. they're much easier to clean up when they inevitably get dirty. 

Unless you're blessed with a grand foyer, bulky furniture can overwhelm your entryway and take the focus off its elegance. Large pieces make the area feel cramped, mess up the flow, and create an obstacle rather than a welcoming element in your home. Keep the entryway furniture sleek and leave the oversized options to other parts of the house, like in the bedroom with a supersized headboard. A chic, minimalist entryway console maximizes the space and feels less crowded.  

When you don't put any effort into your entryway style, it can sometimes make a bigger impression on your guests. Even if it feels like your entryway is so small that it blends in with nearby areas of your home, you can still make it special. Adding one simple thing, like wall art, a mirror, a shelf, a narrow table, or a plant, will instantly liven up your entryway and enhance the flow of your home.