Saturday Styling: Styling a Small Entryway

Styling is unquestionably one of my favorite pastimes. What started out as a brief "how to style a small entryway" tutorial, quickly turned into "a small entryway styled 4 ways" blog post. And with all the hurdles I encountered over the past few weeks of putting this post together, I feel it's going to be that much more useful to all of you guys! Let's get to the breakdown.

So, when styling any space, the first consideration must be function. Consider all the solutions you need from your space, whether it be storage, organization or just another spot to put pretty thing. This is especially true if you're working with less space than most.

At our house, we use our garage door to come and go, so our front door is considered secondary. It only gets used when we go out to check the mailbox and to let in guests, but it is where we drop our keys and get a last look at ourselves when we're headed out. It's the very center of our home, getting passed at least 10 times a day, so ultimately, I just want it to be pretty!

Our entryway consists of two areas: a small vestibule area where the door swings in and you actually come into our home and then a little 4 ft wide extension of wall space just beyond the vestibule.

 

Because of the way the door swings in, there's no room to put any type of furniture in the vestibule, so I utilize the extended wall space to set up our entry needs....and for the purpose of this post...four different ways! And, although each way incorporates of all of the same elements: an entry table or cabinet, a source for ambient light, a place for keys, a plant and a spot for either a piece of art or a mirror, they all have a different vibe that I love. 

LOOK #1

Look #1 showcases a few of my favorite things: a vintage radio cabinet that's been passed down from my great-grandmother, a very special piece of art from my artist bae, Frances E. Berry, a few of my plant babies and a pom pom tassel from the hub's and my spring break trip to Cabo this past spring.

- Lots of black, brass and quirky pops of color

- Boxy furniture and art are counter-balanced with rounded lamps, bowls and planters

- Varying heights, tones and textures keep things visually interesting, causing the eye to wonder, taking in all the details

LOOK #2

Look #2 is a lot cleaner and more refined than look #1. The minimal art allows the eye to rest, yet still provides a visual foundation for the rest of the vignette.

- Inexpensive DIY art (tutorial coming soon)

- Unexpected way to display a collection. A few of my Asian calligraphy brushes add a ton of personality to the perfect touch of color.

- Saving a valuable surface space by incorporating a floor lamp.

LOOK #3

Look #3 is an example of the phrase "small but mighty". Even without a substantial cabinet with ample surface area, this vignette functions just a great as the others...and looks just as good too!

- A small vintage telephone table can still catch keys, mail and a pretty vase of flowers.

- A round, over-sized mirror brings a sense of weight and grounds the vignette

- The organic shape of the cactus breaks up the repetitive vertical lines of the table legs and lamp

LOOK #4

Look #4 is quite the departure from looks 1-3. Outside of the artwork, there are very few elements of black, giving the look a lighter, almost fresh feel.

- Just like in look #1, I balance the boxy cabinet and square art with more round, organic shaped elements, like the dome lamp, ceramic bowl and the grapewood branch.

- The colors of frame of the art, the grapewood branch and the books are all of similar tones, creating a consistent color story

- I added the white ceramic garden stool to 1. bring more of the white down to the floor 2. have an additional surface for a purse or backpack 3. hide the lamp cord

STYLING PRINCIPLES TO REMEMBER:

1. Hang your art/mirrors no more than about 6 inches above the furniture surface. You don't want them touching, but close enough to feel connected.

2. Try to incorporate a lighting source, like a table lamp. If you're short on surface space, opt for a floor lamp.

3. Always include something personal. A framed family photo or a small collection of seashells gathered on vacations instantly provide a sign of life and love.

4. Add another sign of life...a plant!

5. Play with various heights to create visual interest. Take look 1 for example. Look at how many varying heights are incorporated into this look. The top of the art, the top of the snake plant, the tops of the caligraphy brushes and the lamp, the tops of the planters, the top of the cabinet, the top of the dracena plant,  he top of its planter and then the floor.

6. HAVE FUN!