Tips to create an entryway in a small space

This tiny condo is so small that it didn’t have an entryway. So where do you empty your pockets when get home from work? You do it on a shelf like this one. I created a mini entryway with a white round mirror, a funky three-tier shelf unit and a coat rack. It’s a simple, affordable and functional solution. Take a look. 

****(written by Liette, Co-Founder of UTR decorating)

Okay, these doors might look confusing because there are so many of them. That’s what the entry looked like before we got to work.

The hallway door opens into the kitchen (see the fridge), living room and office. The double doors at the back hide a stackable washer and dryer and there’s a small coat/broom closet on the left. We couldn’t add any furniture in the entry space because it would need to be moved every time laundry needs to get done. So using the wall was the solution. 

Every entry needs a mirror so that’s the first thing I hung – a mirror.

I measured between the light switches and the laundry door wall to find the middle point. I couldnt’ hang it in the centre of the entire wall because the shelf would have covered up the switches.

I used Hang & Level to mark the spot where to hang the mirror. Next, I pushed and twisted a Déco Hook into the mark made with the yellow Hang & Level tool – I didn’t even need a hammer. If you’re not familiar with this type of hook, take a look here; it’s amazing and it can hold up to 40 pounds, which is more than enough to hold the five pound mirror securely.

Once the mirror was up, I hung the shelf.

Hanging it was a bit awkward because of the two key holes it was fitted with. On the positive side, our Déco Screws fit perfectly in the openings so that’s the hardware I used to hang it with.

Warning: It’s amazing how much weight little stuff can weigh so make sure to secure the shelf using the appropriate hardware. You certainly don’t want the shelf to fall off which could damage the wall, the floor and break any of the items that were on it.

How I hung the shelf: 

I held the shelf with a screw in each keyhole. I centered the shelf with the mirror and pushed to mark the spot for each screw.

I tapped the screw into the wall to get it started, then used the screwdriver to drive it into the wall. Having a level sit on top of the shelf helped make sure it was straight before pushing the screws in.

Does this all make sense? I hope the pictures help explain the steps involved. 

Ta-da! Here’s what it looks like with some accessories and other functional stuff. For example the black box on the bottom shelf hides all kinds of little things – it’s a great catch-all. 

Of course our shelf needed to pass the laundry door test – and it did! The doors for the washer and dryer open to the left so there’s plenty of room to open the door and through a load of laundry without damaging the mirror or shelf. 

One more thing we did is to add a simple coat rack to the right of the shelf. This way it feels more like an entryway when opening the hallway door, and it hides part of the living room when there’s a coat on it. Refer to the “door” picture from above, you’ll see what I mean. 

I chose a round mirror because it adds curves to the otherwise very square linear entry. I chose a white mirror because I had already bought the metal shelf – I wanted the mirror to blend in the walls, allowing the shelf to be the centre of attention when the door opens.

The top surface of the shelf is 24 inches long so it can hold quite a few knickknacks. 

The shelf is pretty funky looking; it has a fancy industrial look to it. It fits perfectly in the condo décor with grey-ish kitchen cabinets. I love that it has three shelves to put stuff on, rather than just one like most traditional shelf units. 

I give this entryway transformation an A+. It cost under $100, it’s functional, it looks great and this project was done within an hour. Not bad, eh?

Do you have any ideas you’d like share to help create an entryway in a small space? I’d love to hear from you – please share in the comment box below.

Thanks for dropping by!