In the April 2011 issue of Martha Stewart Living, I shared my guidelines for setting up a beautiful, yet functional entryway. As fall approaches and your families start a new school year, I thought I'd revisit my advice from the column and other inspirational entryway ideas from past issues of Living.
More often than not, I find that people overlook the entryway as a space that needs to be decorated. However, the entryway sets the tone for your home, providing guests with an initial impression of your design aesthetic and greeting you each time you walk through the door. My hope is that these examples inspire you to create a space that is a pleasure to walk through as you start or end your day.
1 This is the entryway to my apartment, as seen in the April 2011 issue of Martha Stewart Living. I always like to have fresh flowers greeting me when I come home from a long day at work. (Martha Stewart Living, April 2011)
2 It's essential to have a mirror in your entryway. That way you can quickly check your appearance before running out the door. I like this sunburst mirror because it doubles as wall art. (rejuvenation.com)
3 This is another great option. It's simple, but the rope detailing makes it special. (restorationhardware.com)
4 This is a classic option, and it's a great size too. (homedecorators.com)
5 An umbrella stand is an entryway necessity. They keep umbrellas out of the way when not in use, and give you a place to dry them out after a rainy day. I like this straightforward black leather model. (comforthouse.com)
6 This Mediterranean red makes more of a statement. (larsbolander.com)
7 I personally like these containers the most. The metal gives the umbrella stand a clean look, and they come in multiple sizes. (allmodern.com)
8 This umbrella stand is actually made from a flower bucket which has been painted on the bottom. It's a more colorful, DIY option.
9 Another entryway must-have is a console. You need a place to set mail, keys, bags and other items without creating clutter. (wisteria.com)
10 The raised glass surface on this console allows you to add decoration underneath. (modernfurniturewarehouse.com)
11 This is a timeless console. And with its rounded shape, no one will be bumping into corners. (ethanallen.com)
12 I always keep a tray in my entryway to place mail. This tray is just the thing, because it's designed to look like an aged envelope. (johnderian.com)
13 The woven construction of this letter tray will suit most any home. (basketville.com)
14 The lacquer finish makes this tray très chic. (jonathanadler.com)
15 Shaker pegs are great for hanging outerwear, leashes and umbrellas in the entryway. You can make these pegs look like they've been there forever by adding them to molding. For simple installation, look for pegs that have screws on the end, like those from constantines.com
16 Benches are perfect for entryways because they give you a place to sit or put on and take off shoes. You can even store items in the cubbies included in this bench.
17 To prevent shoes from leaving dirt and scratches on the cubbie floors, use trays or baking sheets. Attach some felt surface protectors to the tray bottom so it will slide out easily.
18 This idea is perfect for winter, or for a rainy spring. Place large baking trays with cooling racks inside next to the front door, and let wet shoes drip dry on them.
19 Another creative way to do this is by filling a tray with pebbles.
20 This collapsible wine rack is perfect for organizing and drying out mittens, hats and other snow day wear in winter.
21 A fun way to label bins in an entryway is to take pictures of each family member–even the dog gets it's own bin–and attach the pictures with super strong magnets.
22 Galvanized rolling bins are an easy solution to organize shoes and other outerwear accessories under an entryway bench. Casters allow for easy access.
23 They fit kids' winter boots perfectly.
24 Another organizing idea for the entry is to use hanging baskets. These natural woven baskets look great on the wall, and the hooks are easily installed. They're perfect for sorting mail.
25 This set up is great for families with children because the pegs are at the perfect height. The upper shelf serves as the adult space, with cork boards for hanging important reminders.
26 Kids can easily reach the bins above the pegs, which are ideal for holding socks, mittens and school supplies.
27 This board is constructed out of matchstick shades, and looks much more sophisticated than a plain cork board.
28 This DIY peg board doubles as both wall art and organizational piece. It's made from a garden lattice.
29 There are other options for organizing mail too. This plate rack works great.
30 Use entry hall closet space wisely. You can double hanging space with an adjustable closet rod expander. Perfect when you have a lot of guests. Hanging organizers create cubbies for hats and bags and long projection hooks mounted on the door hold oversized totes.
31 Adding shelving to the bottom of a entry closet keeps everything neat.
32 If you don't have enough room in your hallway closet (especially during the holidays), you can easily make more with rolling garment racks like the one above.
33 This coat rack has hooks all on four sides, plus shelving.
34 You can create this temporary winter accessories storage with wire racks, wood rails and hooks. At the end of the season, simply dismantle and store until next winter.
35 The mirrors in this entryway bring a lot of light into the space, but they also function as a place to take that last glance before darting out the door.
36 For better household communication, place a set of decorative chalkboards in the entryway.
37 They provide a great focal point on the walls, while provide space for family members to leave notes.
38 A shelf in an entryway is the perfect landing place for mail, keys, and other everyday items. Dress up your shelf by painting it, adding flowers, a light fixture, mirror and art above.
39 Screw in a hook and you have a place to put the keys
40 For keeping track of her many keys, Martha uses a labeled Homasote board. Each key has it's own label and corresponding hook. This system makes it easy to just grab and go.
41 This key cubby is a great way to organize keys and hide them away . This type of miniature cabinet is an easy find at flea markets.
42 This metal shelf is another great entryway option. It has a folding mechanism that allows it to lay flat when it's not needed.
43 This is an entryway that can be put together fast. It only involves a few pieces: a chair, shaker pegs, shelf molding, a bucket and a tray. Now everything has a place.
44 For a sleek entryway look, try installing floating drawers. And the bigger the mirror the better. Opt for a full-length mirror if you have the space.
45 The drawers are the perfect size to store keys, dog leashes and other items. The top of the drawers double as a place to drop mail.
46 Mail boxes are a cute alternative for organizing an entry. Metal ones are magnetic so you can post things with magnets. You can store mittens and mail on the inside and use the hooks to hang up coats and jackets.
47 A collection of shutters mounted to the wall makes a nice organizer for papers and notes.
48 The great thing about this entryway is that it's color coded. Each family member has a place to pin things up and grab their mail.
49 This framed bulletin board looks great. Mount a shelf above that can be used for decorating or for more storage.
50 Install a roller shade under the shelf and you can hide the clutter of the bulletin board when gusts come over.
Kevin Sharkey 
From: Sarah | 8/26/11 at 6:42 am
Lots of great ideas for storage. Gone are all those piles of shoes and coats just dumped by kids. I particularly like the galvanised bins.
From: me | 9/26/11 at 8:46 am
Where can I get the square coat rack in image 33 of the slideshow?
From: Sandra Lugar | 3/7/12 at 11:18 am
Where can one find the rolling galvanized steel bins that fit under the mudroom bench? They look perfect!
From: Glenda Fader | 4/15/12 at 11:31 am
Love your Christmas tree. Did you spray the snow on it?
From: Melinda | 11/10/12 at 1:29 pm
I love the shelf in images 38 & 39, are there directions any where on how o build this shelf?
From: Blog Link | 3/30/13 at 5:50 am
It is the best time to make some plans for the future and it's time to be happy. I've read this post and if I could I want to
suggest you some interesting things or advice.
Maybe you can write next articles referring to this article.
I want to read even more things about it!