A place to perch: form + function of the entryway

Sep 22

One of the most underappreciated spaces within many of our homes is the entryway. It becomes a catch-all for our shoes, our keys, our hats and walking sticks, our tote bags and face masks: all necessary items, but how to make the space less utilitarian? When moving seniors, this is one of the team’s favorite spots to decorate!

Especially when downsizing (or rather, right-sizing) into a senior living community, one has to think of ingenious ways to create ‘pocket’ spaces within your new home. Even a tiny entry - or one with an awkward layout - can still yield a space for a small chair on which to don or doff one’s shoes, a wall hook for keys, and a table or shelf on which to deposit all the accessories and accoutrements we carry with us out into the world.

A great way to bring a bit of your own flair to this everyday space is to brighten it up with some favorite art, perhaps a mirror to check your hair (and teeth!) before venturing out on the town. Consider utilizing a favorite piece of pottery - or even a large, sturdy seashell - that might otherwise gather dust on a shelf. Family heirlooms get a new life as a landing spot for your keys so THEY have a home within your home. Precious and useful? Now that’s nice to come home to.

It can be a fun new-home exercise, designing your landing pad. Treat it as a snapshot of the intersection of your lives, a place of pause as we switch from our outside identity to our at-home self. If this space is the first impression your home gets to make, ensure that it reflects the soul of the space: you!