One of the most important parts that make an entire home look more pleasing to the eyes is the entryway. That’s because the size of the entryway can play a huge role in terms of a person’s impression of your home.
In most cases, it should be better to go with a bigger entryway that will instantly give any person a good impression. So, how big should an entryway be?
The general rule is that an entryway should have a size that’s proportional to the home’s total area in square feet. In most cases, the entryway should be about two to four percent of the home’s area. So, if you have a home that is 1,500 square feet, the entryway should be between 30 to 60 square feet.
So, the thing you need to understand about an entryway is that its size must be proportional to the size of the home. That’s because going with an entryway that is too large may make the home look smaller than it is.
As such, you need to know how big your home is so that you can build an entryway that is proportionate to the size of the entire house.
How big should an entryway be?
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We all know that the home’s aesthetic appeal should be one of the biggest priorities that any person should keep in mind when decorating and designing the home.
In that regard, there are plenty of different factors that play into the home’s overall aesthetics, but there are those that really have huge roles in giving your home the instant eye-catching appeal that you may want it to have.
In that regard, one of the most important parts that play a role in the aesthetics of an entire home is the entryway. This is the part of the home that you pass through the moment you enter through the main door. And the reason why it matters is that it gives any person a good first impression of what the home is all about in terms of its overall aesthetics.
But one of the most important things that you need to know is that the size of the entryway plays a huge role in giving it that impactful appeal that it should have. So, how big should a home’s entryway be?
The general rule in relation to the size of a home’s entryway is that it should be proportional to the size of the home. We are talking about the square footage of the entire home. So, in relation to the entryway, its size should be between two to four percent of the square footage of your home.
So, if you have a home that’s maybe about 1,000 square feet, the entryway should be somewhere between 20 to 40 square feet in size. If you were to go with anything smaller, the entryway wouldn’t have the same kind of impact you intended it to have. Meanwhile, anything marginally bigger than four percent of the home’s entire area would make the home look smaller than it actually is.
However, there are also factors that you need to consider other than the size of the home. First, you need to look at how usable the space is, especially if you have a tiny home. That’s because you need to consider the space that the people need to take their shoes off or hang their coats when they enter your home.
Of course, there is also the issue of having an entryway that is already smaller than two percent or still seems small even if it is somewhere between two to four percent. These are issues that we will try to address as we go along with this article.
How to make a smaller entryway look bigger
While we did say that it is best to have an entryway that is somewhere between two and four percent of the home’s entire size, we also need to consider the possibility that a house may be too small to have a big entryway or already has a smaller entryway. So, how do you make a smaller entryway look bigger?
If you have a cramped or small entryway, there are plenty of things that you can do to expand it and make it look bigger than it actually is. And these are simple things that, when added to the entryway, can make an entire difference in making the entryway look bigger than its actual size.
First, you might want to add windows and mirrors that would help open up the entryway. While the windows and mirrors won’t provide you with extra space, they are great at tricking the eye to make an entryway look bigger because of how they seem to be pushing the walls back.
So, even though they don’t add space to the entryway, windows and mirrors can help make a difference in terms of the entryway’s visual size.
Second, you can go for larger furniture. Now, it might sound weird because large furniture can take up space. However, larger furniture can make an entryway look bigger because of how they create an illusion that the space they are occupying is actually bigger. So, if you are looking for furniture for your entryway, it is best to go with items that are on the larger end of the scale.
Finally, going with plain white or monochromatic styles can help make your entryway look bigger. This is another visual trick that can open up smaller entryways and make them look bigger than they are precise because the simple colors don’t occupy too much of the person’s vision.
How do you make a big entryway in a small space?
Now, what if you have a home with a smaller space and you don’t have much room for a larger entryway? What can you do to make a big entryway in a home with a small space? Or is it even possible for you to do so?
This can be a common problem for smaller homes or for homes that open up immediately into the living room. But the thing you need to know is that it can still be possible to create a larger entryway in such homes without necessarily making the entryway large in terms of the space it occupies.
The first thing that you can do is to have entryway furniture that you can place near the door. What this does is that it creates a mark where the entryway starts without making the entryway look cramped or closed.
In some cases, you can also use shelves and bookcases that serve as partitions. They will essentially create a fence that will demarcate where the entryway is and where the living room is. It’s not much, but it can make an entryway look bigger than it is if you have a smaller space in your home.
What to design your entryway with
If you have a large entryway, here are some essentials that you need to decorate it with:
- Shoe rack – The shoe rack is a must because you may want your guests to put their shoes on it, especially during a muddy day. It also gives your home a more welcoming appeal.
- Door hook – Door hooks are also important because of how you want your guests to have a place to hang their coats. However, if you already have a closet for coats, you might want to skip this one.
- Mat – A mat is a no-brainer because you want your guests to have something to wipe their shoes on when they enter your home.
- Storage bench – While not really necessary, storage benches can be useful because of how versatile they are. These are small benches with storage compartments that can be used for storing shoes and other smaller items. Having one will make it easier for your guests to take their shoes off the moment they enter your home.
