Decorating Ideas for Small Entryway Tables

The entryway is the first thing visitors see inside your home. Every piece of furniture in that space must make an impact. Small entryway tables are convenient for holding keys, mail and other small objects as you come in. Bring these practical pieces into the overall decorating scheme of your entryway without detracting from the overall design effect. Does this Spark an idea?

Covers

The simplest decoration for an entryway table is a tablecloth. The cloth should cover the top of the table and drape down to the floor. This covering does double duty. No one can see the table under the cloth, giving you storage space underneath, and you can use an older, scratched table. Drape a large square of fabric in a contrasting color to the tablecloth over the top. This fabric should be half the size of the tablecloth so it creates a layered look on the table.

Flowers

The entryway is the meeting point between the inside and outside of your home. Bring a hint of this transition to the table decoration in your entry area. Set a decorative vase in the center of the entryway table and fill it with fresh, seasonal flowers. Changing the flowers with the seasons keeps the entry area from becoming boring as the year progresses. Don't forget to regularly change the water in the vase to keep the flowers fresh.

Shelf Base

Use the entryway as a showcase for your collectibles. Set a small curio shelf on top of the back half of the entryway table, leaving the front half for holding keys and mail. Store small figurines inside the shelves or cubbies of the shelf. You can also use a taller curio shelf on top of the entryway table, and display trinkets on the top shelves at eye-level and use the lower shelves for sorting mail or storing keys.

Lighting

Use the entryway table to support a small table lamp and candles in decorative holders. These add light to the entryway as you are coming and going. To enhance the lighting effect and make the entry appear larger, use a mirror over the table, as suggested in "The Smart Approach to Home Decorating" by Creative Homeowner Press. Set the mirror at the same level as the lamp shade so that when the lamp is turned on, the light will be reflected in the mirror and add extra brightness to the room.