How the stars of HGTV’s ‘Unsellable Houses’ make the most of a small entryway

We expect a lot from our entrance area. Since it’s the first and last place we see when we leave our home, it’s only natural that we want this area to be inviting and stylish. Since it is also a space that sees a lot of traffic, it also needs to be highly functional. But what if your entryway is small? This requires you to be really strategic in your choice of decor and furniture to use the space efficiently without cluttering it up too much. That’s exactly what twin sisters Leslie Davis and Lyndsay Lamb did when they renovated a traveling house in Season 4, Episode 11 of their TV show “Unsellable Houses.”

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Their first task (as seen on YouTube) was to recommend ditching the once-popular home feature called the sunken living room. Leveling the floor and eliminating the entryway step created a better transition from the front door to the rest of the house. As for the decor, they kept it very simple, with just a small round mirror on the wall and a white dresser near the entryway that has space for wallets, keys, and other belongings. To add to the style, they created an accent wall with wallpaper, but kept the color palette light and neutral to make the small entryway feel larger. Do you want to copy her style? Read on to find similar pieces that work well for entryways where space is at a premium.

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Deciding to wallpaper one of the entryway walls was a bold decision, as a vibrant pattern or dark color could have made the small space feel even more enclosed. But the two TV presenters cleverly used a cream wallpaper with a soft gray palm tree pattern, which gave the room an airy feel and definitely reinforced the ‘coastal casual’ look they were going for. This wallpaper from Spoonflower has a similar appeal (starting at $39 per roll) as this higher-end version from Seabrook Designs from Home Depot ($171 per roll). If you don’t like a wallpaper project, you can always use a stencil like this one from STENCILIT from Amazon ($39.90) to paint a palm tree pattern on your wall.

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Mirrors are a key element of any entryway, allowing you to check your appearance one last time on your way out the door. Davis and Lamb chose a round mirror with a whitewashed wood frame to reflect light around the small entryway, further evoking the bright, airy beach house vibe. This distressed wood mirror from ABBSR at Walmart ($70.99) comes pretty close, as does this mirror from FirsTime & Co. at Home Depot ($98.71). To create more storage space, the sisters placed a chic white dresser nearby, similar in style to IKEA’s KOPPANG ($129.99) or Amazon’s slimmer IKENO nightstand ($149.97). The three drawers provide much-needed storage space and there is still enough space in the entrance area to take off your shoes.

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