How to Lay Out an Entryway
The dimensions that decide whether the room works, whatever it ends up looking like. Four feet of floor that sets the tone for the whole house.
BeforeAfter
- 1
What the room is arranged around
An entryway remodel is small and disproportionately visible. New flooring, a proper light, somewhere for keys and coats, and a wall treatment that says the house was thought about — done in a footprint most people walk through without stopping.
- 2
Rule 1
Leave the full door swing plus 12in clear — an entry you have to step around is a permanent irritation.
- 3
Rule 2
A console at 30–34in high and 12–14in deep fits without narrowing the route.
- 4
Rule 3
Hang a mirror with its centre at 60in, opposite or adjacent to the light, never behind it.
- 5
Rule 4
Keep 36in of walking width past any furniture.
- 6
Rule 5
Run durable flooring at least to the end of the door swing, ideally further.
- 7
When it is tight
Where there is no room for furniture, take the wall instead: a full-height panelled wall with a rail of hooks and a slim shelf gives an entry identity without occupying a single inch of floor.
Questions
- What should I decide first in an entryway remodel?
- An entryway remodel is small and disproportionately visible. New flooring, a proper light, somewhere for keys and coats, and a wall treatment that says the house was thought about — done in a footprint most people walk through without stopping.
- What goes wrong most often?
- A console deep enough to catch the door. A pendant hung at head height in a single-storey entry.
- Will it work in a small entryway?
- Where there is no room for furniture, take the wall instead: a full-height panelled wall with a rail of hooks and a slim shelf gives an entry identity without occupying a single inch of floor.
- Can I see it on my own entryway before starting?
- Yes — photograph the space and run it through the Studio. It is generated imagery, so compare the render against your photo rather than treating it as a plan.