Creating a fabulous home entrance

If first impressions count, then the home entrance is critical. The front of the home sets the scene for what is within. Plants, soft colours and treatments help create an image.

Making sure the interior of your house is shipshape and reflects your personality is definitely time and money well spent. But don't devalue it by forgetting about your home's entrance

First impressions last at home

According to Melbourne-based interior designer Susi Inglis, from Design Interiors, the entrance is where your home makes its first, and most lasting, impression.

"Everything from the driveway and the landscaping to what you've decided to do with your front door and the sneak peek that you get once you open that door says something about what people can expect to find inside your home," says Inglis.

So, first things first – think about your garage door. Most Australian homes have garages at the front of the house, so it's usually the first thing people see from the street. "Consider how you can use plants to soften the look, and you may even want to install a timber, slatted garage door, rather than the run-of-the-mill steel look," says Inglis.

Exterior door designs

Then it's on to the front door. "The key here is that whatever treatment you give your front door, it should say something about what's happening inside the house," says Inglis. "It should all be part of the same story." This means getting the plants and colours spot on.

So, if your house has a tropical feel, rose bushes probably aren't the best choice – far better to go with a matching pair of agaves. Likewise, if your house is quite formal, position a topiaried ficus on either side of the front door.

The trick to letting your plants shine? Keep it uncluttered and, where possible, keep things symmetrical – what you do on one side, repeat on the other.

Choose the right colour schemes to match your interior

And, while you might think red makes a great opening statement, if that doesn't suit the elegant white interior that you've carefully crafted inside, then make sure you choose something more appropriate for your front door.

"Just like any element of design, you should never choose something purely on its own merits. Every choice you make should be made in relation to something else."

And lastly, remember that little things can create a big change – updating your home's entrance can be as simple as adding a new, more appropriate door handle, buying a couple of plants and giving the front door a coat of paint. Sounds like an ideal weekend project.

Contact an interior designer to discover a home entrance that says you: