Top 9 Welcoming Ideas to Decorate a Long Entryway

Create a long entryway that is an inviting space for all your guests with a few classy embellishments.

The last thing you want to feel is a confined narrow space when you open your front door. So how can you create an amazingly open and stylish first impression? With 9 changes to your entry decor you can take that long entry hallway and create a warm welcome for all of your visitors.

9 Ideas to Help You Decorate a Long Entryway

Avoid the appearance of small spaces! Make your entrance hall the perfect place to welcome family members and friends.

1. Add Wainscoting or Another Wall Treatment

Add wainscoting or another type of wall treatment to your wall space. This will enable your visitor to focus on the design rather than how enclosed your entry hall may be. I added wainscoting on both sides of my long hallway. Woodwork designs are a great place to start because they are timeless and create a warm welcome.

Another type of wall treatment is wallpaper. While wallpaper may not be a style preference for some, it has a way of making a smaller space feel so much bigger. And it can make a huge difference in design choice and setting the tone for your home.

The wallpaper in our master closet adds a lovely design element. I also used wallpaper in my daughter's bathroom and a bold wallpaper in another bedroom. Both choices made a big difference in room space and setting the mood with different color pallets.

2. Decorate a Long Entry Hallway with Multiple Light Fixtures

Natural light is ideal for your home, but not always feasible for your design. Using light fixtures is a great way to make a long hallway feel brighter and open, plus it can create a stunning focal point. However, adding multiple lights instead of a single light fixture is where you will see the biggest difference. Add a minimum of two lights down the hallway.

Ceiling lights are good to use, but any type of chandelier or pendant lights are ideal for added style. I opted for two smaller chandelier style lights and it looks so much bigger with multiple lights brightening up the whole hallway.

Plus, what a fun design element as the first thing guests see. Wall sconces or a table lamp may be additional light fixtures to consider if it fits with the design elements of your home decor.

3. Use Natural Light

When you have limited space, the goal is to create the appearance of as much space as possible. Natural light can make a space feel much larger and open, especially if you have a small entryway.

There are no windows in this long narrow hallway. It was originally supposed to be an open room behind the table, with a straight shot to my kitchen. But since my kitchen is rarely very clean, I opted to change plans and closed the wall. When people come to the door they can't see into my messy kitchen anymore, but it does create a darker, more narrow entry.

Knowing that the only option for letting light in would be the front doors, we tweaked our plans. I opted for ¾ windows in the double doors and added a transom window over the top for added light.

This additional window combined with the windows in the front doors makes this area feel large, open and bright. The natural light shines directly onto the white paint creating a very bright entryway space.

4. Entryway Table

A sleek console table is one of the best hallway decor ideas for a long hallway. A stylish table can make the room feel inviting and warm. A lack of table usually makes the space feel cold and bare.

Not only is a hall table perfect for showcasing your home decor items, but it also provides much needed storage. A cabinet with doors is a great way to hide clutter or even shoes. The doors of this piece add a nice texture too.

Another option is to find a table that will allow you some open storage that can also be used for storing decorative items.

I found this entryway table at a garage sale. The glass top was broken and the wooden table was scratched and worn. So I got a little creative with paint and made a new pallet top out of wood.

5. Area Rug or Runner

A beautiful area rug or a long runner can make all the difference when decorating a long entry hallway. What better way to emphasize the floor space you do have than with a stylish covering.

Think of your floor space as another blank wall that you can cover with a piece of art. I find that subtle patterns with minimal bright colors are much more characteristic in adding style and depth to your interior.

A long runner is also a good idea to draw the eye to a focal point instead of the long length of a hallway.

6. Use Hall Decor with Height

When you decorate a long entry hallway, an easy way to make it seem larger is by using decorations that will elongate the height of the room. Instead of drawing the eye down the long hallway, you are creating the appearance of height with visual interest.

A few ideas to help with this are:

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7. DIY Custom Sign to Decorate a Long Entry Hallway

Throwing in customized wall art or signs is a great option for adding in texture and dimension to a small space. It can set the tone or theme for the rest of your home as well.

There are many signs in my basement that I don't use anymore. Instead of throwing them out I have been finding new ways to use them. I wanted a sign for my entry way that would add a little bit of texture, but still be neutral.

How to Create a Neutral Sign for Adding Texture

You'll need:

Old sign
Dowels
Spray paint
Pin nailer or Krazy glue

Spray paint a bunch of dowels. I used 12 dowels for this easy project. Cut them down to various sizes and start placing on the back of an old sign. My smallest dowel is 2" and my tallest one in the middle is 12".

Make up a fun pattern or just start creating. I started with 2 inch dowels on the side and staggered them as I worked my way into the middle.

Once I had them in place, I cut wood dowels to fill in between the frame and the white dowel. You can use a pin nailer or Krazy glue to hold them in place.

A sign or picture with texture is perfect for adding dimension to a long hallway.

8. Add a Mirror to Your Entry Decor

Putting up a large mirror in your living spaces has a wondrous effect of amplifying the size of your room. Using a mirror in your entry or hallway is no different. It presents the appearance of added space while embellishing your decor with style and character.

An elegant round wood mirror is classic and timeless for your home decor purposes.

9. Minimal Filler Decor

And last, but not least, using additional filler decor on your table that presents a beautiful display. Opt for minimal decorations that will add style and dimension to your long hallway without over cluttering. Anything you use should enhance your home's natural features and create a warm and welcoming space for all your guests.

Choose decorations like:

Create an entry that is welcoming and beautiful with these 9 tops ways to decorate a long entry hallway. Friends and family coming to your home will never want to leave!

Happy Decorating!

Brooke