Your entryway is the face of your home. It welcomes family members and friends, acting as a buffer between the outdoor steps and the rest of your home. It should be both functional (featuring a place to drop the mail, hang your keys and take off your shoes) and decorative (to warmly welcome guests throughout the seasons). Does your entryway need a boost? Take a look at these tips.

Do Some Clean-Up

Take a look around your door. Fix any broken light fixtures and burned-put bulbs, replace weather stripping that’s peeling and cracked, throw out the dead wreath leftover from Christmas, and toss old potted plants. Place a new welcome mat at the entryway and add seasonal décor items such as fresh flowers when the time is right. One way to command attention is to gather a colorful collection of ceramic pots with eye-popping flower choices to create an earthy palette, which looks particularly stunning against red brick or pale wood, says Houzz.

Open-Faced Closet

Do you have a closet right as you walk into your home that’s a catch-all for coats, sweatshirts, shoes and umbrellas, along with board games, old vacuum cleaners, that yoga mat you never use, and just plain junk? We’re all guilty of this. Consider taking the door off that closet as a decorative place to hang coats, keys and purses. This forces you to stash the junk elsewhere or better yet – throw it out – and reclaim your entryway as the welcoming and functional area it was meant to be.

Elements of Convenience

Because your entryway and foyer are stop-gaps where people like to check their reflection before heading out the door to work or lace up their sneakers before a run, it’s a good idea to add some convenience elements at this point. Add a decorative mirror just above a short bench ideal for taking stock of the next move. The mirror will open up the space and reflect even more natural light while the bench establishes your foyer as a place where homeowners and guests alike can take a load off. Adding a small high-legged kitty-corner table provides the perfect place to throw your keys and the mail upon stepping inside.

Spruce up your entryway this spring to welcome people to your home in style.