The front door to your home gives guests a glimpse into the home they’re about to enter. If the door is colorful and full of character, then it’s likely they’ll be entering a home with the same qualities. If it’s clean outside, your guest will subconsciously assume the inside of your home is clean. The front door to your home is a first impression of sorts.
Of course the outside doesn’t always match the inside. But, if you want the first impression to be the best, here are a few tips for amping up your front door and entryway:
- Remove any cobwebs or hives that have surrounded the doorframe or porch.
- Check your door lock. Grab a screwdriver to tighten it up if it’s not secure.
- Clean scuff-marks and dirt covering the door. A cleaning cloth, all-purpose cleaner and elbow grease can make a big impact.
- Add a fresh coat of paint to kick the color up a notch and make it look new again.
- Check the lighting to make sure walkways and stairs are easily viewable at night.
- Add a outdoor decorative light or use a high-quality spray paint to make an old light fixture look new again.
- Include a nice welcome mat so guests to wipe debris off their shoes before entering.
- Add seasonal plants and flowers to the ground surrounding the door. Planting fresh herbs like mint or basil will add a fresh scent and brighten the mood of your guests. Certain herbs have the added benefit of being a natural bug repellant!
It doesn’t take much work to keep a clean and tidy entryway but it does require a little bit of upkeep. The small investment of your time, however, will give a great first impression to your home!
Have you added any special touches to your entryway that give a great first impression?
Make sure you visit these other Room by Room bloggers to see what their saying about Entry Ways:
- Jami from An Oregon Cottage is talking about The Evolution Of An Entry.
- Nony from A Slob Comes Clean is talking about Overcoming Big Idea Paralysis.
- Taylor from Stain Removal 101 is sharing 5 Mudroom Ideas To Keep It Both Clean And Inviting.
linked to WFMW and Organize & Decorate Everything.
iDreamOfClean
Latest posts by iDreamOfClean (see all)
- Easy Way to Remove Sand from Hands and Feet at the Beach - May 12, 2013
- Clean Faster by Timing Yourself - May 9, 2013
- Easy Way to Make Memories with Your Kids this Summer - May 8, 2013
- Natural Green Ant Repellant - May 6, 2013
- The Path to a Minimalist Wardrobe - May 4, 2013
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I definitely need to work on my entryway! Thanks for these tips. Stopping by from WFMW. Hope to see you at True Aim!
Uh oh. I’m in trouble! My front porch is clean but my front door is NEVER clean! I’ve got a big, old black lab who uses the front door to go in and out for potty breaks & piddling in the yard. When she’s waiting at the door, she slimes the glass and gets the white front storm door dirty. I clean the glass weekly but it only stays clean about 2 minutes. One time I was cleaning the glass outside while she was inside trying to lick my cleaning cloth as I cleaned. I had already cleaned inside so I had to do it again! I think my front door is a lost cause!
However, I do agree with what you said and I notice a lot of people’s front doors are neglected. I think sometimes it’s because they don’t use them much. We only use our front door to let guests in and let the dog in and out. The rest of the time we use the garage.
We mostly use the garage door as well. Then, when we let guests in the front door, we see the mess and it’s too late by then :) But, hey, a big smile and friendly hello should grab their attention and make them forget about the door. Right? :)
I really need to do this – we neglect our front door too often!
{ 2 trackbacks }