THE PROBLEM
We're all familiar with the challenges that entryways present. They need to be highly functional giving a home to keys, shoes, and all the bits and bobs of daily life while gracefully handling the elements from outside that get dragged in. But they are also the first and last things we see during our comings and goings. I like to believe that they require a spirit of love and service. As if to say, "Here, give me your things. Sit down. Take off your shoes and take a breath." So in this home, I set out to create just that.
THE SOLUTION
(In use for 5+ months at the time of this writing.)
I don't know about you but there are certain things that I am drawn to on Pinterest and Instagram. For me it's pantries, closets and entryways. The mix of function and beauty captivates me in the way that someone who does not paint can be drawn in by a beautiful work of art. I have an appreciation for the pretty picture but then my mind turns to how it was created -- the eye, the technique, and the skill required.
And while organization comes so naturally to me that it borders on compulsion, design does not. In recent years because of a growing interest and then in anticipation of moving into this our first home, I have devoured design books and online content in hopes that a small amount of what I have consumed will "stick". And in all of this I have to confess: entryways seemed the most approachable. I quickly began to realize that they seemed...almost formulaic. Nearly all of the entryways I liked best had the same basic components. Sure, the individual design choices were different but the same building blocks were all there. And in that realization the mystery of how to do it myself vanished. Here's how I see it...
A Table
Preferably as wide as your space can handle. Depth is less of a concern. Bonus points for a piece with a drawer or drawers. But I caution against more than one row of drawers. Just remember that if you like rooms that have a light and airy feel a honking piece of furniture is not going to get you there. (See my note on "A Universal Law" at the end.)
A Mirror
As close to the width of your table as possible. Mirrors can get expensive fast but go as big as you can afford and no, it's not just for checking your appearance as you head out the door. Mirrors bounce light around the room and make walls melt away. Not only are mirrors beautiful they are heavy-lifters in the design department. You won't be sorry. Also, given that tables are usually box-shaped, for this purpose I'm partial to mirrors that are round or at least have some some sort of curve.
A Place for Keys
It doesn't really matter what kind of vessel this is except to say that it should be able to withstand the wear and tear of your keys (and save your table from said abuse). I once tried to use what I thought was a reasonably thick alabaster bowl for this purpose and quickly realized what a bad decision that was. The one you see in the pictures was a cheap find at one of those "antique" stores that is as filled with treasures as it is with multiples of the exact same pice of bakeware that your grandma used. (Mine is Revere Ware and I think I gave something like $8 for it 14 years ago.)
A Place for Shoes
We're a shoeless household so the first thing we do is kick off shoes at the door. And while I'm fine with shoes "living" in proximity to the door, I should note that I only allow 3 pairs out in the open. Boots are relegated to the hall closet nearby and all other shoes live in the closet. Be honest, how many pairs of shoes do you really need to have readily accessible? Take them back to your closet. It's good exercise and your space will thank you by looking considerably nicer.
A Place for "Quick-Grab" Items
These are of course different for everyone. For us its masks (duh!), gum, mints, tissues, sunglasses, and earbuds. Small bottles of Purell, wipes, and lotion are just a few steps away on the back of the hall closet door which I wrote about recently. Make this space work hard for you. Make it serve you. Make it be useful to you.
A Place for The Outgoing
Amazon returns, in-store returns, mail for the mailbox, and all the other miscellaneous stuff that sits by the door ready for action also needs a place. For us, sometimes thats on the bench and sometimes in the basket on the bottom shelf and sometimes it's on the floor. I try really hard for it not to be the floor but ya know, #life.
BONUS ITEMS:
I'm calling them bonus items because I'm 36 and this is the first time in my life that my entryway allowed these luxuries. I've got to say that they make ALL the difference but to my mind they are still luxuries.
A Place to Sit
To take off your shoes, to put the thing that might otherwise get put on the floor, you get the idea.
A Lamp
Just like mirrors, lamps are magical. They immediately impart warmth and a sense of place. I have this one on a smart outlet timer. It is set to turn on before we wake up and cast some warm light in the house to get going by and turn itself off once the sun is up. It then turns itself back on in the early evening and stays on until our usual bedtime. So basically, except for the late night hours, it is working to keep the light on for you.
Something Green
At some point in my late twenties I "realized" that I could buy flowers for myself. That I didn't need someone to buy them for me. And pretty quickly that turned from "can" to "should". Cut flowers of nearly any type (but especially my favorite -- white tulips) make me so happy and they immediately add a breath of life to a space. Ilse Crawford pioneered the concept that all five senses should be engaged in a space. And to poorly paraphrase one of her major tenants, every space needs something living and that is usually accomplished via plant material or the dancing of a flame. But don't take my word for it. Read her book. It's fascinating. The point being that something green makes for a sweet hello every time you see it.
FINAL THOUGHTS: SCALE & A UNIVERSAL LAW
Scale
Of all the simple tenants of design that I have picked up, an appreciation for scale might just be the most important. The offense I see over and over again is an excess use of "smalls". All the cute things at Target? 95% of them are "smalls". The rug in your room that none of your furniture actually fits on? Too small. Smalls are addictive. They speak to us. They are relatively inexpensive and feel like a victory. But once we get them home and start to incorporate them into our spaces they are just. too. small! Adding insult to injury, they make our entire space feel smaller than it actually is. And once we have collected a mass of things that are all small that space starts to feel cluttered. Because it is!
I'm not an interior designer and there are lots of great resources out there. I encourage you to do some reading, but whether you are planning a space or just buying a new lamp, for the love of all things holy please carefully consider whether what you are buying is large enough to accomplish what you're after. Odds are, you need to size up.
A Universal Law
Lastly, it may surprise you to learn that I am NOT a physicist. And yet, I have tested hundreds of times over the simple theory that flat surfaces collect stuff and that drawers get filled with stuff.
"Stuff", if unchecked, will consume the entire space it is allowed.
This simple concept guides every single design decision I make. It is true that I tend toward more minimal design. But that is mostly the result of carefully considering what would happen if a piece gets "maxed out" and filled up. My assumption is that a piece will get maxed out eventually so I intentionally make selections that constrain that inevitability. Simple but I have to say that tiny shift in thinking has made a world of difference.
Until next time,
Jill
RESOURCES
Bench (HomeGoods)
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