Once you open the front door, what are the first 3 things you want to do?
- Put down the items in your hands - like your purse, keys, mail and packages
- Take off your coat or put away an umbrella, and
- Then put away what you brought home, or turn on lights and the television.
So here is what to look for to making coming home easy --
How much space is available after you step inside the front door?
- Is there a coat closet directly inside within easy reach (especially in a colder weather climate)?
Very small tile area in this front entrance
- A place to put muddy boots or shoes - either inside or outside the door (again, depends on your climate)?
- If I leave my wet gardening shoes outside the door in Florida they will mold! But in northern California, shoes left in the garage or outside will be too cold to put your feet into in the winter.
- And, a place to put things down - like a table or shelf?
- This might be a sofa table, a hall table or end table if the front door opens directly into the living room.
- How large is the area covered?
- Is it in front of the coat closet?
- Will the floor covering wear well?
- Since this can be a high traffic area you probably do not want carpet in this area, but tile, wood or laminate that can be covered with a throw rug.
If a large number of people arrive at the same time they may spill over onto your carpeted area. Be ready for the carpet surrounding this area to show wear and dirt quickly. In one home we enlarged the tiled entry area and replaced the carpet in a complete pathway all the way thru the living room and into the kitchen.
Here is a photo showing where the small front entry is tile, but quickly changes to carpet. This front door opens directly into the living room and does not include enough space for more than one person before stepping on to the carpeted area.
What is the primary path you will take thru the house from the your entry points? Take a look at all of the floor coverings and the transitions between them for all of the entry doors. What are the primary traffic patterns in the home, and which floor covering will show that traffic with dirt or excessive, rapid wear. To decrease your maintenance costs from the start take a look at how to reduce or eliminate that problem.
Front Hall with Tile and Coat Closet
This home has a larger space and a coat closet, but you must step onto the carpet before reaching the coat closet!
Finally, where are the light switches and can you reach the panel easily when you step in the door? Many entrance light panels are wired to other outlets so you can turn on a lamp across the room. In newer homes these panels can be easily set to timers and accessed via an application on your smart phone prior to your arrival home.
What are the features you would like to see in a front entry hall? Please share your idea's and comments!