Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Style

21OAK may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

How to use mirrors to widen your entryway

Julie Scagell
By

Mirrors can be a great way to make your entryway pop. You can use them to enlarge the space if you have a narrow entryway or use them to bounce light off the area if there is a lot of natural light available. Strategically placed mirrors in the entryway are the easiest and cheapest way to enlarge a small space visually. Plus, there are so many options of accent mirrors for an entryway, you’ll have plenty to choose from depending on your budget and aesthetic.

Mirrors bring in light and can be used on their own above a cabinet or small table, or you can place a large wall mirror or leaning mirror if space allows. Not only can mirrors breathe new life into a closed-off room, but you can also check yourself out before you leave the house. Here are a few ways to use them.

Recommended Videos

Create a mirror wall

The entryway is a perfect space to create a wall of art using mirrors of different sizes, shapes, and colors. Not only is it visually appealing, but it also helps transform a space that is often cramped and small. You can find a lot of options on websites like Wayfair, Ballard Design, and AllModern. You can also find old mirrors at estate sales and antique shops and repaint them to give them new life. Don’t be shy about using every part of the wall to hang mirrors—there are no rules here. It will draw the eye up and down, giving the appearance of a larger room.

Related

wall mirrorPut a mirror near the window

If you have any natural light coming into your entryway, hang a mirror near it to bounce that light across your space. This will brighten the area and offer a warm, inviting way to greet your guests when they arrive. If you have a small entryway without windows, find a mirror that’s cut and framed to look like a window. This will open up the space and give the room the feeling of being much larger and brighter than it actually is. Again, if you can find one that large (even floor-to-ceiling), it will enlarge the space even further.

Create multiple dimensions

If you have a larger entryway, you can use various parts to draw the eye in many directions. Use a small entryway mirror and hang it over a desk or writing area. Find another, larger mirror and put it on the wall opposite with a narrow table filled with picture frames or candles. Flank either side of your door with tall, narrow mirrors to offer balance and design. The mirrors will play off each other, bouncing light and creating dimension. You don’t just have to use mirrors on one wall; feel free to use them liberally throughout.

mirrored furniture entrywayUse mirrors in furniture

If your entryway doesn’t have much useable wall space, consider buying furniture that has mirrored doors or tops to offer the same benefits as a wall mirror. There are many cabinets with mirrored drawers and doors that will bounce light off the floor or windows. Often, these units come with mirrors that are antiqued or beveled, giving them even more character. Plus, they’re the perfect place to hide any items lying around the house.

As the saying goes, you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression, and nowhere is that more evident than when someone walks into your home for the first time. Having a small entryway isn’t a bad thing, and it gives you the chance to highlight it playfully using mirrors. It can provide first-time guests a window into your personality and a glimpse of what’s to come in the rest of your home.

In addition to mirrors, you can also use paint, tile, and decor to spruce up your entryway and make a statement, so it’s not just a room you pass through quickly to get inside. The only rule here is that there aren’t any! The entryway should be an extension of your home. Be playful, get creative, and look for inspiration before landing on a design.

Editors' Recommendations

Julie Scagell
Julie Scagell
Contributor
I am a freelance writer based in Minneapolis, MN. My passions include my dogs, talking about my dogs, and taking pictures of…
These Charlie Brown Christmas trees are your perfect holiday addition
The Charlie Brown Christmas tree is having a big comeback
Small spaces Christmas decor

If you're a fan of Charlie Brown, you've likely seen (more than once) A Charlie Brown Christmas. In it, Charlie gets mocked for finding a real tree for his centerpiece because of its short, puny, crooked branches and needles that seem to fall off without much effort.

Who knew all these years later that the Charlie Brown Christmas tree would become so popular with people of all ages? There's something to be said about the nostalgia this tree brings, and we're seeing it used as the main tree in the living room and in other rooms of the home, like the dining room, bedroom, and kids' rooms.

Read more
This is the easiest way to hang Christmas garland without damaging your walls
Decking your halls doesn’t have to mean damaging your walls
Red front door with winter wreath and garland

Sometimes, decking the halls comes with a caveat for many homeowners: hanging garland with screws and nails may damage your walls. And while stick-on hooks, putty, or wall tape are a go-to for many, these adhesives just don’t hold up heavy decorations for the entire winter season. So, today, we’re sharing a fantastic solution to hanging your Christmas garland this season from TikTok, which will protect your home while still allowing you to decorate as you like.

https://www.tiktok.com/@thekwendyhome/video/7296927492172975366?q=thekwendyhome&t=1699455884611
Use a shower rod
@thekwendyhome on TikTok shared her solution to decorating your entryways and archways with garland without drilling any holes or hooks into the walls. The solution? Use a shower rod.

Read more
What a hardwood contractor says your wood flooring says about you
According to a hardwood contractor, the species, stain, and cut of your wood floors can say a lot about you
bleached light wood flooring in an entryway

The home is a canvas for your personality, and your interiors should reflect your personal aesthetics. A professional hardwood contractor on TikTok, @lumberjackwoodsupply, says your wood flooring may reveal more about you than you might have thought. Here is what the species, color, and style of your wood flooring say about you (though, of course, some of these are a bit tongue-in-cheek).

https://www.tiktok.com/@lumberjackwoodsupply/video/7296136450888846623
What your wood flooring species says about you
Pine
If you have lighter, slim, natural pine floors, this TikToker says you likely fall into one of two categories. “You definitely have an appreciation for old things,” says @lumberjackwoodsupply. Alternatively, “you most likely own an old house that had these floors underneath.”
Walnut flooring
Walnut flooring is classy, elegant, and often sold at a steeper price. The hardwood contractor says homeowners with walnut flooring “have taste.”
Red oak
“There’s a good chance you didn’t choose to install this. It was just already in your house,” says this TikToker. But if you did choose to install red oak flooring, “you are either on a budget or you like to go against the status quo.”
Brazilian Cherry
“You probably live in an upscale but slightly outdated suburban home,” says the hardwood contractor. “There’s a good chance you hate the red.”
Maple
If you favor the sleek light wood tones of maple flooring to curate an airy and uplifting aesthetic, “You either live on the beach, or you want to look like you live on the beach,” says this TikToker.
Hickory
Hickory flooring is well-known for its boldness. It’s a unique wood with a quirky grain and various hues. If you have hickory flooring, “you like unique things,” says the hardwood contractor. “You want to be different.”

Read more