How to Remodel an Entryway
The order the work happens in, and what to settle before anything is ordered. Four feet of floor that sets the tone for the whole house.
BeforeAfter
- 1
Work out what the room has to do
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
Decide what is actually changing
On this project the work touches flooring at the threshold, console or bench, mirror, overhead light — and often wall panelling or colour and coat storage. Settling that list first is what stops a remodel growing sideways once it has started.
- 3
Hold the dimensions
Whatever the finishes, these do not move. Leave the full door swing plus 12in clear — an entry you have to step around is a permanent irritation. A console at 30–34in high and 12–14in deep fits without narrowing the route. Hang a mirror with its centre at 60in, opposite or adjacent to the light, never behind it.
- 4
Plan the light before the finishes
One good fixture at the right height beats three mediocre ones. Hang a pendant with 7ft of clearance beneath it, and if the ceiling is low use a flush fixture with a diffuser rather than a shallow pendant that everyone taller than 6ft notices.
- 5
Check it against the room you have
Photograph the space and render it before anything is ordered. A Standard run costs 4 credits and a new account starts with 4, so the whole thing can be seen before a single decision is paid for.
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.