Entry essentials

One of the reasons we love to design entries?  They’re the first impression that guests have of your home!  While our designs differ from client to client, there are entry essentials that we use in almost every project.  Whether it’s a charming historic townhome in the city or a single family home in the suburbs, welcome and warmth guide the concept for the space.

Our entry essentials

While the entry is where a visitor first encounters your home, it’s also a place of welcome for you.  Stepping into the space should give you a sense of comfort and pride.  One of the most important ways we achieve this is by drawing from your style throughout the rest of the home.  A thread of cohesion weaves throughout and makes it truly yours.

Of course, your entry (or foyer or vestibule, depending on how you refer to it) acts as a transition space between home and the outside world.  Our essentials speak to this and ensure that it’s functional as well as stylish.

Table or chest

Do you need a table, chest, or console in your entry?  The answer is yes.  Even if you make it a point to banish clutter from this surface, you should have somewhere to put down your bag, mail, or keys.  Some clients like the look of a minimalist console table, such as the one we added in Fairmount.  Others prefer a piece with drawers to hold a neighbor’s spare key, extra phone chargers, and in one case, stamps – they always know where to look when they need to drop something in the mailbox!  This is an ideal spot to add a dash of beauty for beauty’s sake; fresh flowers in a vase, a much-loved keepsake, or a few books lend some life to the space and make it feel more homey.

Fairmount entry – photo by Rachel McGinn

Lighting

Good lighting is another must.  Obviously, you want light when you’re looking through your work bag to make sure you have your glasses or checking your purse for your phone.  However, light also adds warmth; think of walking up to your front door after a long day and seeing the glow of a lamp through the window or sidelights.  A cool or elegant chandelier is a great way to make a statement, especially in a two story foyer like our West Chester project.

West Chester entry chandelier; photo by Rebecca McAlpin

Seating

We like to incorporate seating in an entry whenever we can.  In a larger entry with a lot of wall space, a bench or settee feels cozy and anchors the space.  For townhomes and condos, a handy stool can offer a lot of function in a relatively small footprint.  We added a curved stool in Washington Square West so that our clients don’t need to sit on the steps to take their shoes off or put them on.

Woven stool in Washington Square West entry; photo by Rachel McGinn

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Glenna Stone Interior Design is an award-winning Philadelphia interior design firm serving Philadelphia, the Main Line, and surrounding cities. Utilizing her background and training in interior design, architecture, and engineering, Glenna specializes in creating interiors for residential and commercial design settings. We invite you to visit our website, view our portfolio, and catch up on the latest interior design concepts on our blog

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