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  2. Size: Expansive

Large and Expansive Entrance Ideas and Designs

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Carmel Highlands Oceanside Home
Carmel Highlands Oceanside Home
Marla Sher DesignMarla Sher Design
This is an example of a large mediterranean foyer in San Francisco with white walls, a double front door, travertine flooring, a medium wood front door and beige floors.
Classic Transitional
Classic Transitional
JAUREGUI Architecture Interiors ConstructionJAUREGUI Architecture Interiors Construction
Piston Design
This is an example of an expansive classic foyer in Houston with beige walls, a double front door and a medium wood front door.
Double Doors Featuring the Warmth of Wood But The Durability of Wrought Iron
Double Doors Featuring the Warmth of Wood But The Durability of Wrought Iron
Clark Hall DoorsClark Hall Doors
These custom iron doors feature a Bronze finish, textured insulated glass panels, and personalized door hardware to complement the home's unique exterior.
Canterville House Renovation
Canterville House Renovation
Gemini Group, Inc.Gemini Group, Inc.
MHB Photo-Graf
Design ideas for a large classic boot room in Calgary with white walls, dark hardwood flooring, a single front door and a white front door.
Georgian Style Fireplace
Georgian Style Fireplace
Richard Ellis DesignRichard Ellis Design
This is an example of a large traditional foyer in Melbourne with beige walls.
Carmel Valley Houses
Carmel Valley Houses
Justrich DesignJustrich Design
James Hall Photography Light fixture by Paul Ferrante; railing custom by Justrich Design
Photo of a large foyer in San Francisco with beige walls, brick flooring and feature lighting.
Sims Hilditch, Radlett Family Home
Sims Hilditch, Radlett Family Home
Sims HilditchSims Hilditch
Polly Eltes
Inspiration for an expansive classic front door in Gloucestershire with a black front door.
Vineyard-Side Concrete Pool Deck, Patio, Driveway & Dark Walnut Interior Floors
Vineyard-Side Concrete Pool Deck, Patio, Driveway & Dark Walnut Interior Floors
Tom Ralston ConcreteTom Ralston Concrete
Another example of how these acid stained floors compliment the Persian rug, the fine Japanese Art on the wall, the exquisite craftsmanship and hardwood that looks directly to the fireplace perfectly centered with the hallway and then again out to the pool patio .
Brooklyn Heights Brick Row House: Bride's Row
Brooklyn Heights Brick Row House: Bride's Row
Bonaventura ArchitectBonaventura Architect
Lorraine Bonaventura
Inspiration for a large classic front door in New York with a single front door and a black front door.
Outrigger Residence
Outrigger Residence
Anders Lasater ArchitectsAnders Lasater Architects
Architecture by Anders Lasater Architects. Interior Design and Landscape Design by Exotica Design Group. Photos by Jeri Koegel.
This is an example of a large retro front door in Orange County with a glass front door.
New Projects
New Projects
RCL DevelopmentRCL Development
Photo of a large mediterranean vestibule in Miami with a single front door, a dark wood front door, white walls, brick flooring, beige floors and feature lighting.
Modern Marvel
Modern Marvel
KW DesignsKW Designs
Chipper Hatter Photography
Photo of a large contemporary front door in San Diego with a pivot front door and a glass front door.
Fairview Transitional Custom Home
Fairview Transitional Custom Home
Traci Connell InteriorsTraci Connell Interiors
This gorgeous entry is the perfect setting to the whole house. With the gray and white checkerboard flooring and wallpapered walls above the wainscoting, we love this foyer.
Mountain Retreat
Mountain Retreat
Yellowstone TraditionsYellowstone Traditions
MillerRoodell Architects // Benjamin Benschneider Photography
Large rustic front door in Other.
Indian River Retreat
Indian River Retreat
Pineapple House Interior DesignPineapple House Interior Design
Pineapple House designers removed the wall that blocked the view front door to the pool and waterway in the back yard. They were able to place the proper supports and define the foyer hall with paired wooden columns. Armillary Pendant lights in aged iron with frosted glass light the entry. Daniel Newcomb Photography
Greenwich, CT
Greenwich, CT
Valerie Grant InteriorsValerie Grant Interiors
Peter Rymwid
This is an example of a large traditional foyer in New York with white walls, dark hardwood flooring, a single front door and a dark wood front door.
Creek Side Modern
Creek Side Modern
Foursquare BuildersFoursquare Builders
Casey Dunn
Inspiration for a large modern foyer in Austin with white walls, medium hardwood flooring, a single front door and a medium wood front door.
Custom Home - Calgary
Custom Home - Calgary
Rusch ProjectsRusch Projects
Arete (Tula) Edmunds - ArtLine Photography;
Large contemporary front door in Calgary with a glass front door, white walls, dark hardwood flooring, a single front door and black floors.
New Canaan Shingle Style
New Canaan Shingle Style
Michael Smith ArchitectsMichael Smith Architects
Laura Moss
Photo of a large victorian foyer in New York with green walls and medium hardwood flooring.
Cottage
Cottage
Crisp ArchitectsCrisp Architects
Rob Karosis
This is an example of a large traditional boot room in New York with yellow walls, a single front door and a white front door.

Large and 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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