The entrance hall is your chance to wow guests. You have many options for entryways. Whether you want to welcome guests into a spacious space with a sparkling ceiling or a warm foyer with hardwood floors and blooms, your entry will set the tone for the rest. This is a great place to display a bold painting, sculpture, or elegant console table.
You can take inspiration from the AD archives for ideas on entryway decor. This will ensure that your foyer is as impressive as the rooms below. It’s true what they say; you rarely get another chance to make a first impression.
Define Your Color Palette
- In the entrance hall of this Minneapolis mansion, designer Michael S. Smith employed a painting by Jacob Kassay, Qing-dynasty vessels, and a tabletop sculpture by Anish Kapoor; the custom-painted fretwork pattern over the dining room doorway is by Gracie.
Encourage Lingering
- Nancy Morton, the interior designer, enclosed the loggia from her 1940 Boca Grande house in Florida to create an entry hall that doubles up as a casual living area, furnished with inviting seating areas.
Make an Art Gallery
- Obercreek is the Hudson River Valley farm owned by investor Alex Reese. The stone-floored entry hall has family portraits hung frame to frame against the pale gray walls. Windsor chairs flank the front door, while the 19th-century settees have flame stitch upholstery by Scalamandre.
Draw the Eye in
- The stylish Hamptons home was designed by Deborah Berke and decorated by Thomas O’Brien. A pair of pendant lights from Aero is positioned in the long hall. An Alexander Calder lithograph can be found at the bottom.
Simplify Your Color Palette
- The striking image of Brad Pitt, which Klein photographed in Bridgehampton (New York ), is displayed in the hall. It contrasts nicely with the space’s brown, white, and black colors. Horizontal boards amplify the room’s length, while the peaked ceiling adds drama and height.
Embrace Multipurpose
- A custom-made table anchors a New York City apartment entry hall. Vicente Wolf, the decorator, designed it as a mini-gallery with works from Richard Prince, Brice Marsden, Eric Fischl, and Thomas Houseago. An ample space can easily accommodate a fabulous cocktail party. The long table could also be used as a bar if needed.
Honor Your Heritage
- It can be a conversation starter for guests if family heirlooms are placed front and center in a home. After a fire, the 13-century entry hall of this Irish castle was rebuilt. The 17th-century Brussels tapestries were added to the house in 1935.
Refresh your guests with light and bright walls.
- Bright white walls and shiny silver flooring make the art pop in this home designed for Charles Zana by a couple with an extensive collection of contemporary art pieces. A deep red Anish Kapoor statue greets visitors, and a text painting of Richard Prince hangs next to a dramatic glass-bead sculpture from Jean-Michel Othoniel.
You can offer plenty of seating.
- Donny Deutsch’s Manhattan townhouse has a travertine-tiled entry gallery. It is highlighted by two custom Ingrao Inc. sofas that are both upholstered with a Perennials Boucle.
A Sculptural Light Fixture can be hung.
- A sunburst made of onyx and marble marks the entry to a Bel Air mansion renovated in California by Tichenor & Thorp Architects. A Pedro Friedeberg table rises above the Jean de Merry ceiling.
Add dimension
- Designer Ralph Lauren’s Bedford, New York home has a 19th-century Dutch chandelier hanging over the entry hall. The space is immediately drawn in by adding a tall vase and faux moose head wall mounted.
Maximize natural light
- Feeling like your surroundings are becoming duller when you step inside is not easy. Ray Booth, interior designer, Nashville, Tennessee, home’s entrance hall is surrounded by nearly floor-to-ceiling windows. This creates a feeling of spaciousness and fosters a connection to the exterior.
Add a center table
- An antique iron chandelier hangs in the baronial entrance hall of Tommy Hilfiger’s Connecticut estate. It is topped by an 1840s Gothic Revival library table and Martyn Lawrence Bullard-designed stools. They are covered with a Robert Kime printed with a Samuel & Sons fringe trim.
Get a Daybed
- A rush basket from Mecox is found beside the entrance hall door of a Southampton house renovated by interior designer David Netto and architect David Hottenroth. It is crowned with a Charles Edwards pendant lamp. A Poul Kjaerholm daybed frames the fireplace. JF Chen’s mid-century French shell sconces can be seen in the background.
Get in touch with Nature.
- Nate Berkus & Jeremiah Brent created an apartment in New York City that feels connected to the natural world. The home’s earth-toned flooring, artwork, and furniture–a Matt Connors painting and a French pedestal table from 19th century France–make it stand out from the gritty city.
Use Every Inch
- Tino Zervudachi, the interior designer, has created a black-and-white Paris entry hall that makes the most of every inch of space. This includes the area under the sweeping staircase. These 19th-century red-leather-clad chairs are a focal point of the room and can be used to host dinner parties.
Embrace Natural Finishes
- Thomas Kligerman and Elissa Cullman design this Long Island home. It features a bright foyer with natural light. The Nanz Co. door hardware and reclaimed oak steps welcome you to the warm, neutral, and natural ambiance.
Select a durable rug.
- The entrance hall to a Lake Placid home designed by Gil Schafer features stunning views. It includes a 19th-century gilt-frame mirror from Sutter Antiques, John Rosselli Antiques’ mahogany trolley, and George III side chairs with Bennison floral seats.
Get a graphic floor.
- Cle’s black-and-white floor tiles greet the Manhattan duplex apartment of Naomi Watts. The interiors were designed and built by Ashe + Leandro. The pendant light in the entrance hall is by Ralph Lauren Home. The 19th-century shell back chairs are by KRB, and the painting in the stairway is by Harland Miller.