Five Ways Your Family Entry Can Give You A Happy Welcome Home

Many clients want a mudroom that is filled to the brim with practical storage and designed to be easily maintained but I think we are often missing designing a family entry that evokes a mood that welcomes your family home. One of our favorite clients recently asked us to help upgrade their mudroom to be just as beautiful as the rest of their home and it caused me to think about how we are approaching the design these spaces. I am sharing my thoughts with you on five ways your family entry can give you a happy welcome home.

I created the family entries featured here using a AI tool so I could illustrate my points about family entries. While I wouldn’t design each space exactly as it is and perhaps there are some slightly weird art placement, it was fun playing around with Mid-Journey and refining my skills using it.

Happy Color

Color is one of my favorite tools to add warmth and personality to any space. And as we’ve often heard paint is an inexpensive way to change an existing room. Simply painting the walls of your family entry can give it a lift.  Consider using a happy color like yellow or pink to give your family a cheery welcome home.

If you have an abundance of white cabinetry, try changing your bench cushions and accessories to a happy color like lime green! Just one of the five ways your family entry can give you a happy welcome home.

If you are fully committed to using color to create a happy vibe in your family entry, perhaps you could consider painting all the millwork in your mudroom light aqua color which is both soothing and welcoming. Walking into your home to a calming color indicates you are in a safe harbor. What could be a better feeling? For more on soothing color palettes read this blog post, “Soothing Color Palettes”.

 

 

Connection to Nature

Feeling connected to nature is one of the best ways to boost your mood! We think creating a connection to nature right as you enter your own home is a smart design move. There are several ways to create a connection to nature in any room and if you want to know more read about Biophilic Design in this post by from Metropolis magazine.

One way of creating a connection to nature is to have large windows that frame the natural view outside your entry. This is a great strategy if you have a garden, forest, or waterside view to frame. You may sacrifice a few cabinets but seeing the view is so beneficial for your mood, it may be worthwhile.

Another simple way to create a connection to nature in the mudroom is to incorporate plants. Design a spot for plants to be displayed and greet you with their beautiful greenery every time you step into your home! For those of us who have many months of winter, this may be better than framing a view of snow.

A third strategy you could consider is art that has a “nature view”. I love the water so I would consider a waterscape painting such as the one below to be a mood-boosting element in a mudroom. You might love the mountains or a forest view. Whatever type of nature scene appeals to you most could be used.

Soul-lifting Art

While nature views are fantastic any kind of art that is uplifting to you is a great option in our five ways you family entry can give you a happy welcome home. A piece of art that makes you smile or has vibrant and uplifting colors is worth considering in your mudroom.

One critical piece of design advice is to use a large piece of art that will create a focal point of joy in your family entry. I know I own smaller pieces that I love but appreciating them requires some intention and focus. Because we are often harried or distracted when coming home try to scale your artwork so it is impossible to just walk by it and let it become part of the background.

 

 

 

Joyful Wallpaper

Wallpaper that is a bit of fun is another of the five ways your family entry can give you a happy welcome home. A wallpaper can add whimsy, playfulness, or natural elements to your mudroom.

Wallpaper can be used effectively to lift the mood of the space and make it less about utility and more about beauty. Whether you have a home that is traditional, transitional, or contemporary there is surely a wallpaper that is available to use in your home.

 

Bold Rugs

If you have a completed room a great way to add a happy touch to your family entry. A wool rug can be both practical and beautiful.

A large rug can cover a boring floor and bring happy color and pattern to your mudroom. I often consider rugs on the same level as artwork. If scaled correctly they can absolutely transform a space from functional to artfully stunning.

Consider a rug in happy colors like yellow, pink, green, or orange for a vibrant vibe in your family entry.

Some of the examples show several of these elements used together. Consider using artwork and a rug. Happy color and a fabulous piece of art go together well. Including elements you love into your family entry is sure to create a space that gives you a warm hug as a welcome home!