5 Simple Tips to Optimize Your Entryway

This is another one with a hat's off to The Nate Berkus Show. Speaking of which, what am I going to do when his show goes off the air in May? Such a bummer. Anyway, I digress.... So yesterday morning I was racing to get ready and turned on Nate so I could see what he was discussing. Sure enough he was talking about a home's entryway, and he was sharing some tips about how to optimize its look and appeal.

As I pondered these tips, I realized that they can also come in very handy when it comes to selling your home. Two great reasons to share these tips with you — to make your home look better now and to help when you are selling your home. But I'm jumping ahead. Before we get to the tips, there are three basic things to keep in mind when it comes to the entryway.

First, the entryway is your visitor's first impression of your house so you want to make it a visually appealing space that creates a great first impression. Remember that saying, "You have only one chance to make a first impression?" Well, this is your chance to make that fabulous initial impact as well as give a preview of your personality and design preferences. Second, not only is the entryway your visitor's first point of entry into your house, it's also your first point of entry into your house. Therefore it has a tendency to get filled with clutter - keys, coins, mail, coats, hats, papers and more. And so optimizing the look of the space involves de-cluttering and making the area look neat. Third, the entry space is usually small so it helps to do things that will make it look bigger.

So without further ado, here are 5 tips to optimize the look of your entryway:

1. Paint your entryway a bold color - Nate says this is the place to do it (he adds that the powder room is the other place to go bold). It's a small space, and so it won't take a lot of time or money to paint it a bold color. It also conveys a sense of who you are and what you like - think first impression.

2. Add a console table - Not only is a console table the perfect place to put and organize your clutter - keys, coins, mail and such - when you come into the house, this piece of furniture also adds personality and warmth to the space.

3. Display a patterned rug/runner on the floor - Because it's a limited space, you only need a runner or small rug. And the pattern will hide dirt as well as wear and tear, which is crucial for the entryway since this is where people consistently enter and exit the house. Furthermore, a patterned rug adds another touch of your style to the space.

4. Feature vintage hooks - Vintage hooks are often inexpensive, come in all shapes and sizes and convey another sense of your style. In addition, they are perfect for hanging coats, sweaters and hats and therefore make the space look less cluttered and more organized.

5. Hang a mirror - A mirror will make the entryway look bigger, which is vital with a small space. And there are so many kinds and styles of mirrors these days that you can choose one that will complement your design preferences. Nate also adds that a mirror makes it easy to take a last peek at yourself as you walk out the door.

What are your thoughts? Does your entryway already feature some of these tips? Mine does, but the bold color is still beyond me at this point. Would you use some of these tips in an effort to optimize your entryway space and/or when it comes to selling your home? I can't wait to hear....