The entryway is the first “hello” that welcomes you, your family and your guests into your house, and that’s why it pays to give it extra attention when it comes to decorating. And what’s a better than hello than a warm, inviting one? Here are some of the ways that you could effectively use color to create a warm entryway in your home:
- Pick a theme. First of all, it’s very important to plan a theme in order to create an integrated, put-together look in your design. In picking a theme, you could brainstorm of key words and adjective that you would like your entryway to achieve: some examples include “laidback”, “tranquil,” “homey” or “beach”. The important thing is that the keywords that you use make sense to you, and you would be able to actually feel it in the design that you would create.
- Know the feel that different colors give off. Colors can very dramatically determine the overall feel and vibe that an area would exude, and it pays to know of some of the common effects of colors. For example, blue and lavender usually give a relaxing, soothing effect; yellow gives the feeling of energy and vibrancy; and black and white gives off a polished, sophisticated effect.
For warmth and coziness, you could choose colors that are in the red-orange-yellow color family. Some of the colors that you can work with include coral, marigold, salmon, and pale daffodil. Try to obtain swatches that illustrate these different shades to help you decide on what colors to choose. Think of beaches and sunset, of warm afternoons and tropical paradise. Using these colors or others in the color family, you would be able to achieve a warm glow and radiance to your entryway.
- Select a color combination. A color wheel can help you determine the best combination of colors to work with. Colors that are beside each other in the color wheel (for example, blue and green) work to give a harmonious and seamless look, while colors that are opposite each other in the color wheel (for example, red and green) tend to complement each other the most.
Using the color wheel, you could play around with different possible combinations. It’s recommended that you work with three different shades of color: two of these should be within the same color family, and the third one a complementary shade. Shades that are within the same color family will serve to add depth and intensity to the room, while the complementary color will provide an interesting accent. A possible combination you could try out includes pale daffodil, matched with deeper orange, and accented by sky blue.
When designing, you don’t have to limit your colors to the paint you use on the entryway; you should also include the color of some key items in that area, such as the flowers, the vase, the cushions, etc. Take extra effort in planning out these details, and you will be rewarded by a warm welcome every time you go into your home. Good luck, and hope this helped!
