Narrow Entries

Our front room and entry are on my list of things that need to change this fall. They are the first thing guests see when they come over, and both spaces are in sad shape (complete with missing door casings!) My entry is shaped like a short hallway and while I like that I have an actual entry space, being narrow presents a unique set of challenges when planning an attractive and functional entry. I thought I'd share a few narrow entries I found online for those of us who want to take full advantage of all the nooks and crannies available in our home's floorplan!

This space is very tight, but it's still useable:

 (via Houzz)

These people found a nice piece of narrow furniture for storage (reminds me of IKEA's HEMNES shoe cabinet) and kept the design simple -- a light wall color and only a few decorative accents. Adding things like hooks and coats could easily have made this entry feel like a crowded closet, don't you think? I do like the pattern on the floor -- I think it was smarter to put the detailed touches on the floor instead of the walls in this space.

I really like the taller wainscoting in the photo below:

 (via Houzz)

You can have a color on the walls above and some architectural interest while still having an open looking space with clean lines overall, which I think helps make a narrow entry feel wider.

These next entries are wide enough for benches and cubbies which are great details that makes any entry a truly functional space (which we desperately need):

 (via Houzz)

(via Houzz)

I love the semi-gloss paint on the wainscoting and ceiling in that second room -- the light bounces around and makes it feel bright and open. The larger tiles also make the room feel more spacious. Between you and me, I also really like the cedar shingles used on the interior walls - what a fun detail! (I do no love the brick bench legs though. Just saying)

The unique light fixture and colored door in this entry are fun details in an otherwise sleek, white space!

(via homelife)

And the floating console table is a great fix for a narrow space. I can't decide if I like the look of the white door with white wainscoting or the pop of a colored door more.

This last entry I had to throw in here just because I think the tile is so fun and fresh and fabulous next to all the white, even though I'm not brave enough to do something like that in my own home:

(via Red Online)

I sort of have an entryway crush on that house.

I can't wait to tackle my narrow entry and add some form (and function!) to the space -- this has definitely given me some food for thought. Are there any other fabulous narrow entry spaces out there that I should check out? Tell me in the comments section!