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level-up-entryway

Level up your entryway for the fall.

The best DIY home hacks, according to influencer Emily Henderson, is what she calls “leveling up.” Instead of starting from scratch, use what you already own and put your unique stamp on it. You can level up your home décor with these fall interior DIY projects for your entryway. They’re the perfect way to welcome the season in style.
Minimalist entryway.

Doors

One of the first greetings you and your guests get is from your front door. If the weather is still mild enough to update your front door, we say go for it. A bold new paint color like a vibrant green can change house’s entire façade. Bricks might not look so overwhelmingly brown and siding might not look so bland with the right color for your front door.

 

If the weather won’t let you paint your door’s exterior, though, you’re not stuck. Consider painting the interior side of the front door, the same way you would an accent wall. Or level up on interior doors you can see from the entryway. Try our tips for how to make hollow core doors look more expensive to keep that beautiful, welcoming feeling as you enter the rest of the home.

 

Door hardware

For being such small fixtures, front door handlesets and interior door knobs and levers have a surprising ability to change the overall look of a door. Replacing your hardware is a cost-efficient way to level up your door. Schlage offers a variety of styles and finishes that complement nearly any style of home. Whether you have an historic home that needs glass knobs that turn without coming off in your hand, a transitional home with tired-looking builder’s grade brass knobs or a contemporary home that needs a sleek lever to complete the look, we have something for you.

 

Installing new Schlage door hardware is simple, too. Our knobs and levers are guaranteed to fit standard pre-drilled doors and all you need is a screwdriver. Check out this guide to installing door hardware to see the simplicity for yourself.

 

And in case you’re wondering, the Schlage Custom™ Alexandria is a great choice for updating your glass door knobs. For that transitional home, try the Schlage Merano lever in Satin Nickel. And for a sleek contemporary lever, you might want one of our most popular designs, the Schlage Latitude lever.

 

Crown molding and trim

Adding crown molding above a door or windows is a surefire way to take your entryway, or any room for that matter, to the next level. Addicted 2 Decorating shows how simple it is to turn what was essentially a hole in the wall into a defined passageway. Imagine the impact when you add that kind of detail to your front door.

 

You can also simply update existing trim with a fresh coat of paint. And don’t think it has to be white. Try a bright lemon yellow or a rich plum, instead. Door trim is small enough that you won’t feel overwhelmed by a color that’s a bit bolder than you might normally choose. To make sure your new paint job looks flawless, be sure to clean your molding and trim well and repair any cracks or dings first.

Landing strip

This isn’t the first time we’ve talked about adding a landing strip – a small area where your keys, sunglasses and so on can land – in your entryway. In the spirit of leveling up, consider moving a piece of furniture from elsewhere in the house to your foyer. Even if you already have a landing strip, a simple swap will give new life to the space.

 

Try some of these ideas for a “leveled-up” landing strip: A refinished sofa console table, a narrow bookcase or that small cabinet that seems too undersized for any other wall in your home.

 

And if simply moving furniture from one room to the next isn’t enough, consider painting it, replacing the drawer pulls or applying some removeable wallpaper that looks like marble to the top.

Storage

Whether it’s a closet, a bench with storage or simple hooks, they all provide much-needed organization for an entryway. It’s easier to level up a closet than you might think. Make better use of your shelf space with DIY drawers. Hang baskets on the inside of the door to collect hats, winter gear, bags and even mail. Think of everyone in the home, too. A rod or coat hooks down at kid level will take away any excuse for them not hanging up their things.

 

If you’re looking for a storage bench, you can go as simple or as extravagant as your DIY skills allow. Add some crates under an existing bench, maybe reupholstering the bench or giving it a new coat of paint to start. You could also flip some shelving on its side, doctor it up like Gail from My Repurposed Life, and you have a “leveled-up” cabinet-turned-entryway bench perfect for your space.

 

Hooks come in all shapes and sizes, are made with all kinds of materials and can provide an unexpected look that will delight your guests. Repurposing items like old door knobs for an instant winter mudroom refresh never looked so chic.

Entryway décor

Whatever you decorate the rest of your house with, you can also use to decorate your entryway. In fact, repurposing some of that décor from elsewhere can help maintain some style continuity throughout every room. Instead of going out and buying accessories exclusively for your foyer, try moving that large potted plant from the living room next to your door’s sidelight. Your child’s artwork on the fridge can be displayed in the entryway, either framed or on simple hooks. And those vintage Russian nesting dolls from your collection of travel souvenirs? Show them off on your landing strip.

 

The possibilities for leveling up your front entryway are endless. Spark your creativity, get new ideas for the holidays or find budget-friendly ways to improve your décor any time of year at the Schlage blog and Pinterest.

 

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front door handle