Today, most homes have open floor plans with living rooms, family rooms, dining rooms and even kitchens that flow into each other. They also seem to have entrance areas that have never been decorated properly. Why, oh why, don’t these important spaces get any respect?

Yes, this room is usually the runt of the home and, yes, foyers are challenging because many don’t have four walls. But, we all know that first impressions count and, if the main rooms are thoughtfully decorated, isn’t it important that the first space that is visible also look lovely and inviting?

The other day I worked with a woman whose house had a fairly large open floor plan that held a family room, dining room, and an entry area that shared just one of the living room walls. After rearranging the furniture in the two larger spaces, we discussed her neglected entryway and decided to try and make it a more welcoming, functional place, too.

Here is what we did: We took a durable 5′ x 8′ wool rug from another room and placed it in front of the entrance door. Instantly, the area looked better. Next, we brought in a small mahogany chest with good closed storage (that wasn’t in service) and placed it on the wall that was adjacent to the front door. We then hung a lovely vertical 3′ x 4′ wood framed mirror above the cabinet where my client would be able to check her lipstick and hair before leaving home. Finally, we displayed a beautiful Japanese metal bowl on top of the chest that could hold her keys and mail, along side a cherished green cloisonné ginger jar that could hold fresh flowers. In ten minutes, the over-looked entryway had become a well-defined, functional and attractive space – a really usable room.

Do you have an entrance area that “can’t get any respect” and could benefit from your attention?