A Welcome That Starts at the Front Door

Before anyone sees the living room, they see the entryway. In our sunken front entrance, that first glimpse sets the tone for the whole house.

For my autumn entryway decor, I never start from scratch. I let the pieces that already belong here carry the season, then add warmer colour, softer texture, and a few handmade touches. The result feels homey, a little time-worn, and ready for someone to hang up their coat and stay awhile.

Decorating Above the Entryway Closet

The space above the entryway closet is the biggest opportunity in the room. It’s high, it’s visible from the living room, and it holds a full display. So I treat it like a small stage that changes with every season.

An old iron window grate gives the scene a time-worn backdrop. In front of it, I layered a grapevine wreath, an old basket, books, pumpkins, birds, autumn stems, and white wire cloches.

Those cloches started out brown. A few layers of lighter paint made them fit my palette, and now they travel from room to room all year. If a piece you love is the wrong colour, paint it. It’s the quickest way to make a collection look like it belongs together.

Height is the secret with a display this high. Left alone, small pieces can’t be seen from below. I raised some on books and dishes, then added the taller cloches for more height and added depth. Now the display holds your eye whether you’re standing at the front door or looking across from the living room.

A little white fox wandered into the scene too. He has a matching friend, and the two of them travel through the house with the seasons.

Handmade Pumpkins on the Entryway Dresser

Below the mirror, the dresser holds a different kind of display. Here, the pumpkins are handmade, and the textures do the talking.

A drop cloth pumpkin topiary rises beside the mirror, finished with a leaf tag and a tuft of raffia, as jute pumpkins tumble down the side. Around them, old books, woven baskets, dried flowers, and velvet ribbon bring in earthy autumn colour.

The pumpkins are made from different materials, yet they look like a family. The reason is colour. Keeping everything soft and neutral ties them together. The mirror helps too, because it doubles the display and bounces light back into the room.

Want to make your own? You’ll find the tutorials here:  drop cloth pumpkin topiary tutorial and jute pumpkin tutorial. You can also browse all of my autumn DIY projects.

A Cozy Autumn Bench at the Front Entrance

The bench at the front entrance asks for very little. My husband built it years ago from old elevator wood, and it has interchangeable inserts, so the back can change with the seasons. So far, I’ve only painted the garden scene. I used to teach decorative painting, and I love gardening, so it suits me. I plan to make more inserts so the bench can follow the year.

For autumn, a soft throw, a green pillow, and the Let’s Get Cozy pillow from my Autumn Blessings Collection were all it needed. Two pillows in different textures and a throw you can drape over one arm turn a bench into an invitation to sit.

My other little white fox settled in here this year too.

Layers That Make an Entryway Feel Like Autumn

You don’t need a big shopping trip to get your entryway ready for fall. Here’s what did the work in ours:

• Raise small pieces on books and dishes, so a high display has height and depth.
• Paint the pieces that don’t match your palette.
• Mix materials like drop cloth, jute, grapevine, and iron, but keep the colours soft.
• Add velvet ribbon in earthy tones to tie the layers together.
• Use a mirror to double a display and bring in light.
• Give a bench a soft throw and two pillows in different textures.

Most of what you see here was already in our home. The layers do the work, and they’re why the entryway feels like autumn and like us.

You can shop the Autumn Blessings Collection

Pin It for Later: Autumn Entryway Decor: A Warm, Cozy Welcome at the Front Door

Want more cozy home ideas? Subscribe to my newsletter below, be the first to know about new collections, seasonal inspiration, DIY projects, upcoming classes, and gatherings, plus a peek into everyday cottage life in the city.

With Grace,
Kimberly