3 Forgotten Elements of Front Entry Design That Every Family Home Should Consider for Maximum Usefulness

Creating a functional front entry design for your family home is essential for both aesthetic and practical reasons.

The front entry is the forgotten zone of the house. Yet it is the first thing we see and the last space we leave. Ironic. It also is the king of accumulating clutter, displaying our mess and hosting the mash-up of dumped items that rarely make it to their assigned home.

The dream is that the front entry is tidy, beautiful and doing its job.

In order to design the best front entry for your family, we need to get a few things straight.

• The Shoe Routine: Where you put on and take off your shoes
• The Dump Zone: Where you unconsciously put stuff when you get home
• The Last Mirror Check: How do you do your ‘last check’ before running out the door

If you want to make better use of your front entry, let me save you some time and tell you the three elements that I consistently see developers, homeowners, and DIY renovators alike consistently overlook.

Element #1: The Shoe Routine

You need to understand your shoes-on, shoes-off habits.

Contrary to every interior design blog, shoe storage near the entry will not solve your problem. Your actual problem is getting household members to put their shoes where they belong. To do this, you must make the storage spot the most obvious, convenient and comfortable place to take off and put shoes on.

Three actions to improve ‘shoes off here’ habits:

• Sitting Space: Buy a small ottoman, stool or bench and place it directly within arm's reach of the shoe storage.
• Clean Floor: Sweep regularly - no one likes the feeling of grit on their feet
• Rug: Place a mat/rug near the door; it’s not cold on the feet and collects excess dust

Proper planning ensures that your ‘shoes off here’ expectations become a habit and that your entryway remains tidy and shoe-free.

Element #2: The Dump Zone

Stop fighting your instincts to dump stuff wherever you already put it. You will lose.

Instead, plan around the habits and routines you already have. By taking this approach, you will save yourself time and a lot of disappointment. 

Three items to improve ‘dump zone’ habits:

• Floor Hamper: Go for a wider option, not a deeper one. The aim is to make it so easy to ‘drop’ items into and to contain the clutter. You can kick it under a chair if you have guests.
• Sturdy Mantel: A entry table that has some depth that you can clumsily put things down without playing the balancing act. Great for small items and bags.
• Kicker Drawers: A set of built-in drawers you kick to open and drop items into. Amazing.

If you have the space, you’ll love incorporating the combination of these elements. My favourite by far is the mantel & kicker drawers. So fast, So convenient. So tidy.

Element #3: The Last Mirror Check

Some say having a mirror by your front door is bad luck. If you ask me, bad luck is smiling at the cashier with a gunk of spinach in your teeth. No thanks.

Mirrors are packed with functional value; they’re great for the little things, like brushing hair, checking for clothing stains, trying on a new outfit and doing a tie before work. They also have fantastic aesthetic value: increasing the visual space, reflecting light and looking stylish. 

Three qualities to look for in a front door mirror:

• Size: Go large, go long. Really - the bigger, the better.
• Style: Find something elegant and make it the statement piece of your front entry.
• Tint-Free: Keep your mirror selection bright and clear for functionality - let the framing do the artistic work on this one. 

Bringing it all together.

If you are renovating - planning the front entry details into your renovation project is essential for a successful outcome.

There is a common mis-practice of leaving the front entry details until after the renovation project. This is a mistake because it often leaves you with limited space to work with, lacking virtual wall surfaces and storage. 

If you are styling - it is best to plan all purchases first. 

This will help ensure that you create a harmonious and effective finish rather than collecting mismatched items one at a time.

Planning for these three commonly forgotten elements correctly will maximise the usefulness of your front entry and offer you a harmonious, welcoming space.