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10 home entryways that make a striking first impression

A beautiful entryway sets the tone for the entire house
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Stepping through the front door and into your home – you’ve done it countless times. But when was the last time you gave a thought to the impression your home entrance is having upon not only your guests, but also your mood? A good entryway will feel relaxed, organised and welcoming. You’ll breathe a sigh of relief and say thank goodness I’m home

If you’re immediately greeted by shoes, school bags, keys, or a hallway table stacked with unopened letters and general clutter, it could be time to give your home’s entrance a refresh. Luckily, creating a great first impression is quite easy to achieve with a few styling and organisational tweaks. 

Here are 10 homes with amazing entryways that are brimming with style inspiration.

1. Georgian style home entryway

A stately front door, painted in Dulux Black opens onto a bright entrance hallway. Owner Laura says prior to renovations, the Georgian-style home was “very gloomy.” The solution? Knocking through the wall to the lounge to create a light-filled living room and entrance hall. 

Hallway with herringbone timber floors
(Credit: Photography: Simon Whitbread | Styling: Corina Koch)

2. Coastal Hamptons style entryway

Despite being newly built, this grand, coastal-style Hamptons home exudes timeless charm – right from the entrance. Wide plank timber flooring, an antique sideboard and artwork by Tim Shaw imbue the home with character and colour.

Coastal style entrance hallway
(Credit: Photography: Nic Gossage | Styling: Lisa Burden)

3. Country farmhouse entrance

It can be tough to strike the right balance between a grand farmhouse and a cosy country home, but Cape Town-based couple Angela and Justin rose to the challenge with gusto. “We wanted a rustic feel with an easy indoor-outdoor flow,” says Angela. At the entrance, double timber doors create drama, while the cottage garden and a relaxed coat stand make guests feel welcome. 

Double door entrance to farmhouse
(Credit: Photography: Warren Health)

4. Hamptons style entrance foyer

“Details really are the finishing touches,” says homewares buyer Kristie of her classic Hamptons-style home in Sydney’s north. At first glance, the entrance foyer may appear quite simple, but the layering of decorative elements including the wainscoted walls, the contrast of the black hallway table against the walls painted in Dulux Lexicon Quarter and the elegant wall sconces 

Hamptons style entrance foyer
(Credit: Photography: Chris Warnes | Styling: Fiona Gould)

5. Beach cottage entrance with pops of colour

A coat of white paint not only brightened up this once “dim and dated” beach cottage, it also provided a blank canvas for interior stylist Sarah Parry-Okeden to layer interesting items, indoor plants and pops of colour. “As every wall was painted white, I decided to go bold with the blinds,” she says of the home’s blinds, which are a shade very close to Pantone’s 2023 Colour of the Year ‘Viva Magenta’. 

Entrance to beach cottage home
(Credit: Photography: Brigid Arnott | Styling: Lisa Hilton)

6. Stone cottage living room entrance

Like many smaller homes, the front door of this stone cottage in the NSW Southern Tablelands opens directly into the living room. But a lack of a formal entryway or foyer shouldn’t stop you from setting a welcoming scene. Here, an antique pitchfork as well as a framed artwork purchased from a market (not pictured) and sisal runner (not pictured) create warmth, texture and a sense of arrival.

Front door opening into living room of a stone cottage
(Credit: Photography: Brigid Arnott | Styling: Jodie Gibbons)

7. Federation style entrance hallway

Oak herringbone floors direct guests from the foyer of this renovated Federation home and into the bright, open-plan living area. The walls are painted in Porter’s Paints Newport Blue, which emphasises the ornate archway, which was what originally made owner Jackie fall in love with the home. “I fell in love with the hallway arches, oversized skirtings and ornate ceilings,” she says.

Federation style entrance hallway with blue walls
(Credit: Photography: Alana Landsbury | Styling: Corina Koch)

8. Modern minimalist entrance

The generous proportions of this entryway in a contemporary Melbourne home are emphasised by simple furnishings and an oversized artwork by Michael Rich. When it came to styling the space, the homeowners chose to channel a minimal, yet luxurious look that heroes meaningful, collected possessions. “Most of the pieces in the home have a story behind them,” says owner Annette. 

Modern minimalist entryway with herringbone floors

9. Entrance hallway with heritage details

A coat of white paint allows the period details of this bayside Melbourne home to shine. Some of the home’s best features, including the front door and stained glass windows date back to 1906. Furnishings in the hallway were kept to a minimum, in order to create a wow-moment with the formal living room. “It’s the first thing you see from the front door,” says designer Jenefer Gordon of Eat Bathe Live, “so it needed to set the tone for the whole home.”

Entrance hallway with period details
(Credit: Photography: Shania Shegedyn | Styling: Alana Langan)

10. Sunroom entryway at a Noosa beach house

For most of the year, Singapore-based couple Debbie and Wes live in an apartment with limited natural light and outdoor space, which is why their Noosa holiday home had to be the complete opposite. Rather than a traditional front door, the pair chose to create an entrance sun-room with the help of skylights and pivoting batten screens. “The custom aluminium vertical battens at the front were a splurge, but … they’re the perfect solution to filter light and provide privacy,” says Debbie. 

Entrance sun room
(Credit: Photography: Louise Roche | Styling: Kylie Jackes)

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