How To Design Your House Entrance
The first impression is what it counts! Have you ever met someone and just after few seconds understand if you get on with that person or not? well for your home is exactly the same. The first impression is what will stick in our mind. Many people think that when designing a home the first room to start with will be the kitchen or the living area. Well, I actually start from the entrance, as this is what will set up the whole theme of your house. Is the first and last thing that people see when entering and leaving your home.
So what is there to consider when designing your entrance?
Budget
Start understanding how much you can allocate from your budget as this will determine how many items and of which price range you can afford. As for anything in-house planning is the key so even from the money point of view this is important. If you leave your hallway for last you will notice that you will not have anything left, and start using what every item you can find just to for the purpose.
Smell
Don’t forget that the entrance is not just about the look but the smell as well. The smell in a home is highly evocative. Of course every home smell different, but try and choose the smell that you like for your home and introduce the sense of smell in the entrance as this is the first thing that you and your guest will attract to in a subconscious level. It’s generally very important to design your home using your senses.
Layout
Well, the hallway needs to be practical too. So when designing think about where are you going to hang your coat? do you need a place for your keys? do you tend to look at yourself before leaving your home? so where you can hang a mirror, and would this be just enough to see your face or you need a full length one? where would you store umbrellas? or do you remove the shoes when you enter your home? well, if yes where you are going to put them? Do you perhaps have a bike that needs to stay in the hallway? all these questions might sound simple but actually very few people think of those when planning a new entrance and then once the new home is finished end up having all the same practical and everyday problems! We all know that the space in an entrance is quite limited so a good layout planning is essential.
Make a list of all the actions that you do when you leave and enter your home. From this list then check how you can plan with furniture or objects your everyday actions.
Lighting
Think about the lighting too from the beginning. Hallways, although, near the main entrance door are often dark. The right lighting in your entrance can be important not only to create a nice atmosphere but also for your comfort when you enter your home and safeness as well. Therefore your lighting planning should not stop inside but you should think about the exterior lighting. We often introduce sensor lighting so that as soon you or someone else get close to your front door lights turn on.
The door
Don’t’ stop your planning to the inside, like lighting the appearance of the external will impact you and your visitors as well. So think about your front door, the colour, the accessories, the pathway that leads to the street to it etc. If you want your home to remember, believe me, the exterior will be part of it!
Style
The entrance as mentioned before is the first area of your home that people will see so try and make it exciting and with the style that will follow throughout the whole house.
If the style that you have chosen for your home is contemporary for instance, do not make your entrance eclectic or country style. Think about when you read a book, the cover, the title and the first few pages will set the theme and you will know straight away if you might like it or not. If you like it you are excited to see when next is coming, right? For me when designing an entrance is the same as writing a book!
In this recently renovated Victorian house, we introduce an industrial style mirror and console and this will be connected with the crittall doors in the kitchen area. The cluster tiles, instead of re teak the Victorian style and the colour of the kitchen too. Adding flowers, candles and a table lamp or vase will make also your entrance more cosy and welcoming. Everything in your entrance should be somehow connected to the rest of your home.
Moretti Interior Design can help you to create beautiful spaces. For more information or to book a consultation in our West London studio, contact us today.
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