COLUMN: Gail Mayhugh

DEAR GAIL: I want to make the entrance of my home inviting and my guests feel comfortable and welcome as soon as they enter. The whole family uses the front door and it can be unsightly at times, what can I do? -- Misha R.

DEAR MISHA: Making your guests feel welcome and comfortable starts at the front door. Stand at your front door for a few minutes and write down everything that you see.

Is it bright enough? Colorful? Clean and tidy? What do you see, hear and smell? Does it make you feel welcome?

To give your guests that great first impression, start from the outside and work in. Give your front door a fresh coat of paint or stain. Polish or replace the hardware. Hang a seasonal or holiday wreath on the door. To further dress up your door, add a nice brass door knocker and kick plate.

Throw away the dollar store doormat and if you still have that extra piece of leftover carpet welcoming your guests, shame on you. You can purchase a nice welcome mat for around $30.

Lighten and brighten the porch with a new light fixture or increase the wattage with nonglare bulbs. Add color with potted plants, which also add a nice fragrance.

Remember to touch on our sense of sound with a fountain, musical doorbell or wind chimes. If you have room, add a bench or chair.

Think of your porch as part of your home and make guests feel welcome as soon as they walk up to the front door.

Once inside, many of the same ideas will repeat. Stand in the foyer and ask yourself those same questions. What do you see, hear and smell?

The foyer is the first room that guests see and many times it does become a place where we drop what is in our hands as we enter. It can become untidy with keys, mail, school bags, shoes, briefcases and door flyers if you let it.

To start, you'll want to find a place for everything you bring in and put down. Or, find another area in your home for them. Instead of a console table, maybe a Bombay chest would work better for you since it offers storage space.

If shoes are removed and left there, consider adding a storage bench instead of decorative chairs. You can add pattern and color with accent pillows. If you don't want to fuss with the pillows, add a colorful stencil to the back. I like the high-back school or church-style benches.

One of the most welcoming things I like in an entrance is a soft accent lamp. Place a decorative table lamp, a bowl of candy and even a little welcome plaque, framed saying or welcome rock on a small table.

If you don't have room for a table, add wall sconces with a framed mirror or artwork and mantel shelf that you can accessorize. I prefer the warm glow that these smaller, softer light sources provide over the hanging foyer fixture. For planned events, light candles both inside and out.

You could also install a lighted recessed wall niche. There are prefabricated ones with lighting from below, arched tops and shelves. Most only need 3-4 inches to be recessed.

Consider painting your foyer a warm welcoming color. Custard yellow is a wonderful color and coordinates with most color palettes. Bring more color in with a floral arrangement, fresh flowers or potted flowering plants.

Again, address our sense of sound with a fountain or soft music. There is something soothing about the sound of a babbling brook or instrumental music. Let them feel like this is a home where they can relax.

Gail Mayhugh, owner of GMJ Interiors, is a professional interior designer and author of a book on the subject. Questions may be sent by e-mail to: gail@gmjinteriors.com. Or, mail to: 8170 S. Eastern Ave., Box 4-275, Las Vegas, NV 89123. Her Web address is: www.GMJinteriors.com.

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