Spruce Up Your Entry: Quick & Easy Ideas

If your back door is tired and sad, I’ve got some ideas for you to spruce up your entry!

Here are my quick & easy ideas to spruce up your entry. This past weekend, I gave my she shop entry a little love. This doorway was in some serious need of help. Now first of all, this door needs to be replaced, but that is not happening right now. In the meantime, it could also use a coat of paint, but I didn’t do that either. Maybe this fall, when it cools off a tad bit. What I decided to do was clean it up, and spruce it up.

I frequently have clients coming by to drop off or pick up furniture so it was important to me to have an entrance with some charm and character. I truly believe that how you keep your ‘house’ is a reflection upon how you run your business. I want this entrance to reflect the pride I take in my work but I also wanted to project a happy and playful attitude.

Clean It Up

I didn’t even take a picture of the taller than me weeds (not to mention the taller than me dead weeds from last year that I never cleaned up!) before I pulled them out and gave them a good dousing of weed killer! A good clean-up is the first step to spruce up your entry.

Once the weeds were gone, I knew I wanted to change certain things. These are simple and relatively inexpensive ways to spruce up your entry.

Colorful Doormat

A pretty doormat was a must for me. Of course I wanted something blue! The mat needed to be able to stand up to the elements since there is no covering over the entrance. There were so many cute ones to choose from. Here is the one I chose, Elfrieda Medallions Tiles Doormat at Wayfair. (This is not a sponsored post, just wanted to share my finds with you.)

This is a rubber mat so it will hold up really well. I love the bright colors and the tile design. And as much as I love blue, I really love blue and green together!

New Light Fixture

We had already purchased outdoor lights for our house, I just hadn’t got around to putting them up. The lights we bought are the Portfolio Ellicott Galvanized Outdoor Wall Light from Lowes.

It’s pretty easy to install new lights. Just turn off the breaker for the fixture and then its just a few simple wires to twist together. If you are not comfortable with installing a new light, you can have an electrician or handyman do it for a relatively low cost. There are so many lighting options available today, and they can really add some character to your home. In addition, to installing this light by the she shop entrance, I also installed two more by the second garage door and the door to the basement den.

Add Some Flowers

Flowers always make a entrance more homey and welcoming. And if you know me at all, you know I love cobalt blue flower pots and I have a bajillion of them (seriously at least 50 or more, I stopped counting at 40!). And considering we had a pretty cold winter here this year, I had quite a few things that didn’t survive, meaning I had several pots to chose from to use by the doorway. I like to have a mix of perennials and annuals in my pots. Perennials so I don’t have to replace them every year, and annuals for season long color. I planted a hydrangea in the larger pot and a mix of salvia, verbena and calibrachoa (a small petunia like flower) in the smaller pot.

Mother Nature has given us so many flower options, there is bound to be one perfect for your entrance. Whether you have shade or sun, covered or not and in just about any color combination you want. Even blue! Did you know that true blue flowers are had to come by? One of my favorites is Black and Bloom Salvia, which I used in my mixed planter. Hummingbirds love salvia. Here in the south, they are considered a tender perennial, meaning if you have a mild winter, they will come back.

For the planting containers, try to keep them cohesive. For instance, I use all cobalt blue pots that I have collected over many years. But you could use a rustic theme and use all rusty galvanized containers, or all concrete planters, or all pots of a different color family. This brings unity to your grouping and lets the plants standout.

Make a Sign

I knew I wanted to hang something on the door but feared a wreath or anything with fabric or flowers or a wicker basket would not hold up to the weather. So I opted for a sign. I really wanted to use the ‘this is my happy place’ phrase, because my she shop really is My Happy Place!! I was very happy to find this galvanized tin sign AND a stencil in the perfect size at Joann’s. It was meant to be!! Thirty minutes later I had my happy place sign done.

‘Hey Ya’ll’ is another fav saying for a sign, if you live south of the Mason-Dixon Line. Signs have exploded in home decor the last few years, giving you so many options to make your own or buy one ready made. Check out this awesome sign my friend Debbie of Refresh Restyle shared.

Her friend makes these custom metal signs. I want a ‘Cobani Bleu’ sign!! They a little more expensive than some, but the quality is fantastic, and you can have one made with your family name or favorite saying. Visit their company Facebook page at RTD Fab.

Architectural Interest

I love to add architectural pieces to any space. This piece of wrought iron railing was from my parent’s house. I don’t even remember why they were cutting it out, but they were going to throw it out and I said I wanted it. Can’t let good junk go to waste. Now I have dragged this to 3 different homes and never done anything with it. It was actually leaning up against this fence by the door buried amongst the taller than me weeds. As I pulled the weeds out, I saw it, and decided I could hang it by the door. I knew I would paint it, blue of course! But it was rusty and crusty on the frame and I knew paint would not stick on the rust. I was ok with this because I like rusty and crusty things.

I dry brushed the acorns and leaves with some chalk paint and left the frame black. I took a picture of the entrance before I hung the wrought iron piece and must say, this bit of architectural remnant really makes the entrance pop.

Just like signs, architectural pieces are hot right now. Whether it be wrought iron like I used or a short column or pedestal to top with a flower pot, or a garden gate, you can bring so much interest to an entryway with a salvaged bit of architecture. Vintage Markets are one of my favorite places to find these treasures.

A Whimsical Touch

The last element for sprucing up the entrance is my collection of rusty metal flowers. They add a touch of whimsy and fun to the entrance. There is a very skinny patch of dirt between the driveway and the fence, not enough room for much. But Sister suggested putting these big flowers in this spot and they work perfect.

If you have more space, think about a vintage bicycle with a basket of flowers or a Red Ryder wagon used as a planter. I adore old vintage chairs turn planters. Adding whimsy to your entrance brings smiles to your visitors faces. Now that is what I call welcoming your guests!

So there you have it, my ideas for you to spruce up your entry. Not only have I made a more inviting entrance to my happy place, but it has also made the entrance to our home more inviting. We park in this area and head through the arched gate to our kitchen door. For very little money, a little work and some creativity, we have a fun and inviting entry way. I hope this well help you think about ways to spruce up your entry. If you make over your entrance, I’d love for you to share it with me.