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5 Ideas to Update your Entryway On a Budget

Posted on November 14, 2023 by KylieMawdsley

TIPS TO SPRUCE UP YOUR FOYER ON A BUDGET

Your entryway is the first room that guests see when they come into your home and the last room they see when they leave. Because of this, you would think that if there were ANY room that you’d want to make a great first impression with, it would be this one. But it rarely gets the TLC it needs (kind of like me…wink wink).

Why? 

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Well, people don’t usually spend much time in the entryway; it’s more of a ‘pass-thru’ or ‘transitional‘ area rather than a ‘sit back and relax with a glass of wine’ zone (I, however, have been known to drink wine anywhere).

So, how do you add personality and interest to your entryway without spending a whackload of money?

You keep reading!

 

1. PAINT YOUR WALLS THE RIGHT COLOR

In an entryway that’s separated from the main living areas, paint color is the best way to freshen up and update. In most layouts, whether the living room/entryway shares the same space or if the foyer is a space unto itself, it’s best if the foyer is painted a light, neutral paint color.

The entryway is usually the hub of the home and has pretty major functions flowing off of it. While the ODD layout can accommodate a foyer with personality (like a small, vestibule-style entryway), the more flexible your paint color is the easier it will be to build a color palette in the rooms surrounding/attached to it!

Hallway, front door, entryway in Benjamin MOore Ballet White with White Dove trim, popular warm off white paint color with red stain oak wood floor

Benjamin Moore Ballet White and White Dove

This next foyer looks gorgeous in Sherwin Williams Austere Gray. However, because of the green hue, it will limit the color choices for adjoining rooms – not making it impossible, just not as EASY as a more neutral color…

Foyer and hallway warm toned oak floor, best green gray, Sherwin Williams Austere Gray, Pure White trim and front door. CLIENT PHOTO Kylie M Interiors edesign

 

POPULAR, FLEXIBLE PAINT COLORS FOR ENTRYWAYS

I highly recommend off-whites, in particular WARM off-white paint colors for their versatility. A few of my favorites include Sherwin Williams White Duck and White Heron as they’re hybrid colors, bridging the worlds of several popular neutral shades, including cream and taupe.

Same white on trim, ceilings, walls, cabinets. Foyer with Benjamin Moore Super White and Sherwin Gris painted front door, white oak flooring. Kylie M Interiors diy decorating ideas and edesign

If you want to see a round-up of some of my top warm neutrals, check this out

 

2. PAINT THE INSIDE OF YOUR FRONT DOOR

While painting the outside of your front door improves your curb appeal, painting the INSIDE of it can transform your entryway’s entire personality! Whether your entryway is its own space or in the same space as your living/dining room, or open-concept space, defining your front door…

  • adds personality
  • creates a focal point
  • is an opportunity to add an accent color that suits your home’s surrounding finishes!

This next foyer is pretty open-concept to the dining room beside it…

Contemporary modern front door painted black with beams and high, vaulted ceilings, glass railing going downstairs. Kylie M Interiors

Benjamin Moore Black 2132-10

We painted the door AND the trim to make the front door more of a focal point for the space, same with the photo below…

The Best Paint Colors for the INSIDE of a Front Door

Wall colour is Sherwin Williams Collonade Gray, front door inside is painted Urbane Bronze. Kylie M Interiors Edesign

Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze and Colonnade Gray

Plus, the color of your front door is easy to change when you get bored! My next client started with Sherwin Williams Mineral Deposit

Sherwin Williams Mineral Deposit best blue green gray front door paiont color. Light Pewter walls, White Dove trim. Kylie M Edesign

And changed to Benjamin Moore Iron Mountain for more contrast…

Front door painted Benjamin Moore Iron Mountain, glass insert, Crafstman style, walls Light Pewter, white trim. Kylie M

 

3. USE ACCENTS & DECOR THAT WINK TOWARD YOUR HOME’S PALETTE

Your entryway should be a polite introduction to your house, letting you know what to expect once you make yourself at home. Now, it doesn’t need to be a LITERAL translation, however, picking up on some of the textures and colors in adjoining rooms is a great way to create flow from the front of your home and onwards.

For example, you might have some artwork or an area rug in your living room with blues and greens in it. You would then repeat these same blues and greens in your front entry via accents.

It’s about providing ‘visual links and winks’ from space to space.

Entryway, Kylie M E-design, online color consultant. Benjamin Moore Steel Wool, Creamy, black interior front door, red and navy accents

Sherwin Williams Creamy and Benjamin Moore Steel Wool

For the above entryway to look connected to the adjoining rooms, they should contain at least one of the dominant accent colors seen here. There doesn’t need to be a lot of repetition, but a polite nod to the entryway is a great way to link the spaces up.

A FEW THINGS TO NOTICE

Sometimes large entryways can feel unfriendly. Adding a gorgeous area rug, rather than just a doormat is a great way to

 

5. IMPROVE YOUR FOYER’S LIGHTING

Whether it’s an entryway or an entire home, your lighting plan makes all the difference between a space that thrives and a space that dies.

If you have a booby light, replace it with something more decorative. If your ceilings are low, opt for a flush or semi-flush mount fixture. High ceilings are great for accommodating pendant lights.

Benjamin Moore Bar Harbor Beige, orange-pink beige with white trim, black painted inside front door. wood floor entryway.

The 14 Best Modern Beige & Tan Paint Colors

And don’t stop at wire-in lighting, add a table lamp or two!

Kylie M INteriors Edesign, home decor in entryway

Seriously, a gorgeous console table, hutch, or dresser adds function, and beauty, and looks even BETTER with a beautiful table lamp on it! I also have a table lamp in our entryway and use it 10 times more than the ceiling light. At night, it’s a soft backdrop to our living area, while still being functional when we transition through the entryway to other spaces. We have it on a timer, so it comes on in the late afternoon and goes off later at night.

2 storey entryway or foyer, white walls, Sherwin Williams Pure White, black front door, wood stairs, sliding barn door. Kylie M Interiors Edesign, online paint colour, virtual diy decorating ideas

All this room needs is a table lamp and it’s done! Sherwin Williams Pure White and Tricorn Black

 

5. ADD SOME FUNCTION

I love this Ikea cabinet. It’s cute when closed, great for SMALL foyers, and adds some serious function – and it’s affordable!

ikea shoe cabinet

I don’t have a photo of that bad boy in a client’s home, but the above visual will give you the idea – it’s only 12″ deep, and it will fit almost anywhere! (I do rely 100% on my E-design client’s photos so don’t always have exactly what I need).

And it doesn’t need to be IKEA to do the job. A console table with baskets or doors is another way to add function (and style) to your entryway…

Entryway of foyer with light wood flooring, black front door, home decor and Sherwin Williams Repose Gray. Kylie M.

Sherwin Williams Repose Gray and Tricorn Black

This next entryway doesn’t have a closet and opens into the living and dining area. Defining it with a handy hook wall is a great way to add function and personality.

no entryway, hooks on wall with board and batten, gray wash wood floor. Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray paint color on walls.

Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray

If you have no closet but have room for a cabinet and bench, a freestanding unit can do the job just as well…

How to choose best white paint colour. Benjamin Moore Glacier White, black built-in bench entryway storage. Kylie M Interiors client photo

Entryway with Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray lightened wood cabinet, Ken Kirkby art. Kylie M INteriors Edesign, online paint color

There’s a lot of storage in this cabinet – toques, hats, shoes, and more! 

READ MORE

The Best Whole Home Gray & Greige Paint Colors

How to Create a Timeless Home: 4 PART SERIES

Get the Online Paint Color & Update Expert that DESIGNERS hire! 

The best paint colours for any room from Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams. Popular Edesign blogger Kylie M Interiors. Diy decor and design advice. Market

Chat soon,

Kylie M Interiors, decorating blog, e-design, online colour consulting expert. signature

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN 2014, UPDATED IN 2023



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