How to turn a wall into an entryway

Not everyone is lucky enough to have the space for a dedicated entry room in their home. In fact, such a luxury is something often only dreamed about by those living in apartments or smaller homes, but a lack of space doesn’t mean you need to go without. With a little creativity, a simple expanse of empty wall can become your one-stop station for keys, bags and other entry way necessities.

1. Start with finding space

Depending on how your home is laid out, you might have enough room near the door for some narrow furniture, or you might only have wall space. Whatever you’re working with, locate the area you want to transform, and decide how much, or how little, furniture and new additions it can accommodate.

2. Add a seat or table

Depending on the space available to you, find a bench seat on the narrow side that you can sit on while removing shoes, and a basket that can slot underneath to hide those removed shoes. If you don’t have depth for that, consider a tall, narrow console table, or install a long shelf, where you can leave keys, wallet, sunglasses and other last-minute things that tend to get left behind if you haven’t already popped them in your bag.

3. Anchor the space with a rug

Rugs are an excellent tool for zoning a space, and can define a dedicated ‘room’ within a lager, open area. If possible, find a rug to anchor your bench seat or table to create an ‘entryway’, such as a narrow rug, small circle rug, or even a half-circle rug or rectangular mat if space is limited.

4. Install hooks

Create somewhere to hang your hat, coat, scarf and bag after a long day at work by fixing a few sturdy hooks to the all. You can even add extra hooks for things like pet leashes and shopping totes. Hooks are affordable, easy to install and come in a variety of shapes and colours to suit any style or theme. Arrange them at difference heights on the wall to cater to many items that may need hanging, or just one to three in a row if only one or two people live at the premises.

5. Add a mirror

A mirror is the perfect way to make your entryway feel ‘done’, make the space feel bigger and allow light to be reflected around the space. Round mirrors are band on trend right now, and the bigger, the better. This mirror will be your last chance to check your hair, makeup or outfit before you rush out the door every morning.

6. Dress it up

Now that you’ve carved out enough space to create a little entryway, now is the time to personalise it with a few things that will welcome you home. For a bench seat that might be a couple cushions, for a table it might a vase full of flowers or family photo. Whatever you pick, make sure it speaks to your personal style.

Laura Barry

Laura Barry is a writer, bookworm and interior design enthusiast with a love for reporting on all things homes, travel and lifestyle. When not tapping away at her keyboard, Laura can be found making endless cups of tea or perusing the shelves of Sydney’s many bookstores.