Your entryway sets the tone for your entire home – but it’s also one of the easiest spaces to get wrong.
Designers often cringe at certain choices that make this high-traffic zone feel cluttered, chaotic, or uninviting. Since it’s the first impression guests get (and the first thing you see when you walk through the door), getting it right matters more than you might think.
These 10 items are best left out of your entryway – plus 5 extra offenders designers say should never make an appearance. Small changes here can make a big impact throughout your home.
1. Bulky Exercise Equipment
Ever tripped over a treadmill while trying to greet guests? Fitness gear creates hazardous obstacles in a space meant for smooth transitions.
Store your exercise equipment in dedicated spaces like spare rooms or basements instead. Your entryway should facilitate easy coming and going, not become an impromptu gym that forces visitors to navigate an obstacle course!
2. Overflowing Shoe Collection
While keeping a few pairs of frequently worn shoes by the door makes sense, an entire collection creates instant chaos. Those mountain-like piles become tripping hazards and collect dirt, dust, and outdoor debris.
Consider limiting entryway shoes to 2-3 pairs per person and implementing a rotation system. For the rest, invest in proper storage solutions elsewhere in your home.
3. Fragile Heirlooms or Valuables
Grandmother’s antique vase might be beautiful, but the bustling entryway threatens its survival daily. High-traffic areas with frequent movement of bags, coats, and hurried people spell disaster for precious items.
The constant opening and closing of doors also creates drafts that can topple delicate objects. Save your cherished possessions from this risky environment by displaying them in more protected spaces like living rooms or dining areas where they can be properly appreciated without the constant danger.
4. Full-Sized Furniture
Attempting to squeeze that oversized vintage armchair into your modest entryway? Think again! Large furniture pieces overwhelm entry spaces, creating bottlenecks and disrupting natural movement patterns.
What seems cozy in theory becomes a frustrating obstacle in practice. Instead, opt for slim console tables, narrow benches, or wall-mounted solutions that maintain proper circulation space. Remember, your entryway serves primarily as a transition zone—not a second living room—so keep furniture proportional to the area.
5. Unruly Charging Stations
Tangled cords create not just visual chaos but genuine hazards in high-traffic areas. Those messy nests of phone chargers, laptop cables, and miscellaneous adapters quickly transform your welcoming space into an electronic jungle.
Beyond the eyesore factor, exposed wires present tripping dangers and collect dust with remarkable efficiency.
6. Seasonal Decorations Off-Season
Those festive Christmas nutcrackers look charming in December but become oddly out of place by February. Leaving seasonal decor displayed year-round creates a disconnect that subtly signals neglect rather than thoughtful design.
Rotate your decorative elements with the seasons to keep your entryway feeling fresh and current. When holidays end, pack those themed items away properly.
7. Unsecured Area Rugs
Those stylish but slippery area rugs might look fantastic in design magazines, but they’re accidents waiting to happen in real-life entryways. Without proper anchoring, these floor coverings become dangerous slip hazards, especially when people enter with wet shoes.
If you must use rugs, choose options with rubber backing or add non-slip pads underneath. Better yet, consider more practical alternatives like indoor/outdoor materials or textured tile that provides natural grip.
8. Overly Fragrant Elements
While you might adore that intense sandalwood diffuser, your guests may find it overwhelming or even allergy-triggering. The entryway acts as your home’s introduction – not the place to assault visitors with powerful scents before they’ve even removed their coats.
Sensitive individuals can experience headaches or respiratory issues from concentrated fragrances in confined spaces. If you desire a pleasant-smelling entrance, opt for subtle, natural options like fresh flowers or lightly scented candles.
9. Exposed Utility Items
Nothing kills that warm welcome faster than being greeted by vacuum cleaners, mops, and cleaning supplies. Practical as these items may be, they belong in closets or utility spaces—not front and center in your home’s introduction.
The same applies to maintenance tools, step ladders, and other functional but visually jarring objects. Your entryway should present your home’s best face, not reveal its behind-the-scenes workings.
10. Overcrowded Coat Storage
When coat hooks resemble a department store clearance rack, functionality disappears. Those packed rows where jackets overlap create a disheveled appearance while making it impossible to find what you need quickly.
Limit entryway coat storage to current-season items only. Off-season coats should migrate to bedroom closets or dedicated storage. This practical approach prevents your entrance from becoming overwhelmed while keeping daily-use items accessible. Remember, your entryway should facilitate smooth transitions, not become a clothing archive.
1. Mismatched Storage Solutions
When your entryway contains a hodgepodge of unrelated baskets, bins, and organizers, the visual discord creates an impression of chaos rather than order. That plastic bin next to a wicker basket beside a metal container signals improvisation rather than intentional design.
Unifying your storage elements with consistent materials, colors, or styles creates cohesion even in small spaces.
2. Excessive Plant Collection
While a strategically placed plant adds life to an entrance, turning your foyer into a makeshift greenhouse creates problems. Multiple plants consume valuable floor space, complicate cleaning, and can introduce moisture issues in an area already subject to outdoor elements.
Limited light in many entryways also means plants often struggle rather than thrive. Choose one statement plant that suits the available light conditions instead of creating a crowded botanical display.
3. Children’s Toy Collection
When building blocks, stuffed animals, and action figures colonize your entryway, both function and style suffer immediately. Beyond creating tripping hazards, toy clutter in your entrance signals that chaos reigns throughout your home.
Establish dedicated play zones elsewhere and implement simple systems for corralling wayward toys. Even in family-friendly homes, maintaining some toy-free zones helps create balance.
4. Refrigerator or Freezer
Believe it or not, some homeowners place secondary refrigerators or freezers in their entryways due to space constraints elsewhere. This arrangement creates both aesthetic and practical problems in a space meant for transition, not food storage.
Beyond the obvious visual disconnect, appliances generate heat and noise inappropriate for entrance areas. They also encourage food-related activities in a space not designed for them.
5. Inadequate Lighting Fixtures
Gloomy, dim entryways create an unwelcoming first impression and pose practical challenges too. Struggling to find keys or check your appearance before heading out becomes unnecessarily difficult without proper illumination.
Equally problematic are harsh, institutional-style lights that feel clinical rather than inviting. Strike a balance with warm, adequately bright lighting that serves both functional and aesthetic purposes.