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Expansive Entrance Ideas and Designs

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Lake Front Country Estate
Lake Front Country Estate
Markalunas Architecture GroupMarkalunas Architecture Group
Lake Front Country Estate Entry Porch, designed by Tom Markalunas, built by Resort Custom Homes. Photography by Rachael Boling
This is an example of an expansive traditional entrance in Other with a single front door and a medium wood front door.
Color Blocking
Color Blocking
Ann Lowengart InteriorsAnn Lowengart Interiors
We juxtaposed bold colors and contemporary furnishings with the early twentieth-century interior architecture for this four-level Pacific Heights Edwardian. The home's showpiece is the living room, where the walls received a rich coat of blackened teal blue paint with a high gloss finish, while the high ceiling is painted off-white with violet undertones. Against this dramatic backdrop, we placed a streamlined sofa upholstered in an opulent navy velour and companioned it with a pair of modern lounge chairs covered in raspberry mohair. An artisanal wool and silk rug in indigo, wine, and smoke ties the space together.
Estate - Lindon, Utah (40)
Estate - Lindon, Utah (40)
Magleby ConstructionMagleby Construction
Expansive rural boot room in Salt Lake City with white walls, light hardwood flooring and beige floors.
Modern Two-Story With Grand Staircase
Modern Two-Story With Grand Staircase
Duke Homes, Inc.Duke Homes, Inc.
Soaring ceilings, curved staircase, wood paneled walls, and statement lighting welcome guests as they enter.
Inspiration for an expansive modern foyer in Indianapolis with beige walls, laminate floors, a double front door, a dark wood front door, brown floors, a vaulted ceiling and panelled walls.
Entryway Decor
Entryway Decor
Fratantoni Luxury Estates Design/Build/RemodelingFratantoni Luxury Estates Design/Build/Remodeling
We love this formal front entryway featuring a stunning double staircase with curved stairs and a custom wrought iron railing, sparkling chandeliers, mosaic floor tile, and marble floors.
Design Excellence Award Winners - A Sampling of 20 Years of Professional Honors
Design Excellence Award Winners - A Sampling of 20 Years of Professional Honors
Pineapple House Interior DesignPineapple House Interior Design
The glass entry in this new construction allows views from the front steps, through the house, to a waterfall feature in the back yard. Wood on walls, floors & ceilings (beams, doors, insets, etc.,) warms the cool, hard feel of steel/glass.
East Camelback Mountain - Phoenix
East Camelback Mountain - Phoenix
Timmons Design StudioTimmons Design Studio
Outdoor Covered Front Entry
Inspiration for an expansive mediterranean foyer in Phoenix with grey walls, travertine flooring, a single front door, a dark wood front door, beige floors and a coffered ceiling.
Del Roy
Del Roy
The Hill GroupThe Hill Group
Photo of an expansive modern front door in Dallas with beige walls, light hardwood flooring, a single front door and a black front door.
Memorial Transitional
Memorial Transitional
Frankel Design BuildFrankel Design Build
This is an example of an expansive contemporary foyer in Houston with light hardwood flooring and brown floors.
Acucraft 4-Sided Glass Fireplaces
Acucraft 4-Sided Glass Fireplaces
Acucraft FireplacesAcucraft Fireplaces
This ultra modern four sided gas fireplace boasts the tallest flames on the market, dual pane glass cooling system ensuring safe-to-touch glass, and an expansive seamless viewing area. Comfortably placed within the newly redesigned and ultra-modern Oceana Hotel in beautiful Santa Monica, CA.
naples Bay Colony
naples Bay Colony
BCB DecorBCB Decor
inviting foyer. Soft blues and French oak floors lead into the great room
Design ideas for an expansive classic foyer in Miami with blue walls, a double front door and a light wood front door.
Knotty Alder Double Front Entry Doors and Staircase
Knotty Alder Double Front Entry Doors and Staircase
Orren Pickell Building GroupOrren Pickell Building Group
Front door is a pair of 36" x 96" x 2 1/4" DSA Master Crafted Door with 3-point locking mechanism, (6) divided lites, and (1) raised panel at lower part of the doors in knotty alder. Photo by Mike Kaskel
Bel Air Contemporary
Bel Air Contemporary
Joel Reis Architecture and Real Estate PhotographyJoel Reis Architecture and Real Estate Photography
This is an example of an expansive contemporary front door in Los Angeles with white walls, light hardwood flooring, a single front door, a dark wood front door and brown floors.
Exteriors
Exteriors
Chiott Custom Homes, Inc.Chiott Custom Homes, Inc.
Photo of an expansive classic front door in Charlotte with a single front door and a dark wood front door.
Sunset Residence
Sunset Residence
Hoke LeyHoke Ley
Blake Worthington, Rebecca Duke
Inspiration for an expansive contemporary foyer in Los Angeles with white walls, light hardwood flooring, a metal front door and a double front door.
Wading Place 1
Wading Place 1
SHELTER Custom-Built LivingSHELTER Custom-Built Living
Matthew Scott Photographer Inc.
Inspiration for an expansive contemporary front door in Charleston with white walls, medium hardwood flooring, a pivot front door, a metal front door and grey floors.
Manor Estate
Manor Estate
Canin Associates' Architecture StudioCanin Associates' Architecture Studio
Photo of an expansive classic foyer in Orlando with beige walls, medium hardwood flooring and brown floors.
Sunshine Pl
Sunshine Pl
Fratantoni Interior DesignersFratantoni Interior Designers
Luxury Transitional Home by Fratantoni Design, Fratantoni Interior Design, and Fratantoni Luxury Estates. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for more inspiring photos of our work!
In The Spotlight
In The Spotlight
Morrison InteriorsMorrison Interiors
A grand entry sets the tone of any home. Photo Credit: Rod Foster
Photo of an expansive classic foyer in Orange County with white walls, limestone flooring, a double front door and a metal front door.
Front Elevation - The Ascension - Super Ranch on Acreage
Front Elevation - The Ascension - Super Ranch on Acreage
Cascade West DevelopmentCascade West Development
Paint by Sherwin Williams Body Color - Sycamore Tan - SW 2855 Trim Color - Urban Bronze - SW 7048 Exterior Stone by Eldorado Stone Stone Product Mountain Ledge in Silverton Garage Doors by Wayne Dalton Door Product 9700 Series Windows by Milgard Windows & Doors Window Product Style Line® Series Window Supplier Troyco - Window & Door Lighting by Destination Lighting Fixtures by Elk Lighting Landscaping by GRO Outdoor Living Customized & Built by Cascade West Development Photography by ExposioHDR Portland Original Plans by Alan Mascord Design Associates

Expansive Entrance Ideas and Designs

The entrance of your home is a critical area to design well because as we all know, first impressions count. As the first thing that visitors will see when they arrive, your entrance is your opportunity to offer guests a warm welcome while introducing the personality of your home. Equally important, it welcomes you home every day, so make it somewhere that you’re glad to come home to. The entrance to your home begins the moment you get to the front door, so make sure both inside and out get the attention of your decorator’s touch. Make your foyer the best possible introduction to the rest of the house, and if you wish, you can have a bit of fun with the doorway; paint, tiles, door handles and lighting are all ways to make front doors a statement – a dramatic entrance, if you will.

What front doors can I choose from?

Your first decision when updating front doors is what type of external doors you want to use, taking into account style, security and accessibility. Investing in a high quality front door is always worthwhile – this is a purchase where a little extra money goes a long way. Hardwood exterior doors remain the most popular choice of front door; as well as being the most economical, timber also opens the door to an endless selection of paint, hardware and embellishment. However, natural wood doors do have their downsides – prone to warping, they require more upkeep and may require replacing if not adequately cared for. Whether you opt for solid oak external doors or an oak veneer option, wooden doors are a match made in heaven for period architecture – it’s hard to imagine a Georgian house without a solid, six-panel door, or a Victorian home sans its gleaming hardware and stained glass panes. If you prefer non-wooden exterior doors, the alternatives are UPVC doors, GRP doors (collectively known as composite doors) and steel doors. UPVC front doors are often the most inexpensive alternative to timber and offer added insulation benefits; because the material itself can be a comparatively insubstantial, UPVC external doors are built into steel door frames for added reinforcement. GRP (glass-reinforced plastic, or fibreglass to you and me) doors offer the same properties, with a woodgrain effect that can provide a happy medium for lovers of timber. Steel doors are less widely used in the UK than the US, and make great contemporary front doors thanks to their sleek, modern appearance.

How do I decorate my doorway?

Renovating or replacing your front doors is one of the quickest ways to give your home a makeover, and affords the perfect opportunity to add a splash of colour to the front of your home. To improve your front door’s kerb appeal you can flank the doorway with decorative trees or flowering plants in attractive planters and “dress” the door with shiny hardware. Door knockers and door knobs can be more than functional with a range of styles and materials available to add some personality to exterior doors. A traditional brass door knocker can be the perfect complement to a solid oak doorway painted in a rich shade of green or blue, whilst contemporary chrome door hardware will look perfect against a white or eggshell door. If you are looking for an elegant front door option, opt for a hardwood door with built in obscured glass panels to let light into your hallway. If you would rather avoid a glass paned front door for security reasons then smaller decorative glass panels can also be inserted into the surround or door frame. You can choose stained glass panes for decorative effect, patterned or textured glass will allow light in but protect your privacy or get your home name or number etched into a glass pane for a practical but personal touch.

How should I light my front entrance?

The warm glow from a doorway is one of the most welcoming sights that can greet us when we arrive home. An entrance light is of practical importance – we have all spent time fumbling for our house keys in the dark – but it also offers an opportunity to add warmth and character to front doors and entrances. A wall mounted lantern is a charming traditional choice, or for bright, directed illumination opt for a security spotlight. There are a whole variety of switching options available – you can choose a motion sensor light that switches on right when you need it most, a timer light that will offer illumination on a fixed schedule or a switched outdoor light. Pointing light upward is a good way to avoid harsh glare, or choose recessed lighting if you prefer not to have a hanging light in front of your external doors. An entrance is also a great place to display lighting as a decorative feature – choose a table lamp that echoes the lines and colours of the hall beyond it.

What furniture and storage do I need in my entryway?

It’s important to keep the entrance to your home as open and clutter free as possible, so selecting a few practical items that will help with storage and offer a warm welcome is the best approach for this area. Coat stands, umbrella holders and shoe racks are practical foyer additions that will keep the area tidy. For the knick knacks and paraphernalia that so often accumulate by front doors, sideboards or console tables are helpful and opting for a something with a drawer is a clever trick to ensure these things can be stowed out of sight. If you have the space, an armchair, occasional chair or hallway bench will prove useful for perching on when removing shoes and definitely consider multi-functional furniture such as a storage bench for shoes. A wall mounted shoe cabinet is a must have for a tighter space, getting shoes off the floor and neatly stowed away.

How do I decorate my foyer?

Particularly in the entrance to the home, colour can be a wonderful tool to set the tone of the house. Neutral palettes can create a serene atmosphere appropriate for greeting guests; alternatively, you might find yourself being a little bit more adventurous by choosing a whimsical wallpaper or a bold wall colour that could look overwhelming anywhere else in the house. In either case, the foyer can be blended seamlessly into the home with details that connect it to adjoining rooms. Even if your entrance is not self-contained, instead with exterior doors that open straight into the house, visual tricks make it possible to create the illusion of an entryway by defining the space as such. Changes in flooring, a well-placed rug, a screen or curtain, or even furniture such as a console table or coat rack, can be used to delineate the space and distinguish the entrance from the rest of the hallway. Decorating walls and furniture with photographs or artwork is a simple way of bringing your personality into the foyer and plants, lamps, candles, vases and ornaments can be displayed on windowsills, tables or shelves. As a final thoughtful touch, mirrors placed next to front doors are a practical choice for those last minute appearance checks, as long as it’s not directly opposite the doorway, which could back-light the user – decidedly not helpful!
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