14 Clever Small Entryway Lighting Ideas
The entrance of your home is the first area that greets your guests, and it influences the overall impression of your house.
So it’s essential to put in the effort to make it a warm and welcoming space for both yourself and your visitors.
Unfortunately, many entryways can be small and leave us with limited room to decorate, resulting in a cramped and cluttered appearance.
But with the proper lighting techniques and fixtures, you can give your tiny entryway a more spacious and open feel.
There are several small entryway light fixture ideas that can transform your narrow hallway into a bright and spacious area.
If you are wondering how you light a small entryway, I’ve included several small foyer lighting ideas with pictures that will give you inspiration for your home’s front entrance.
Here are 14 small entranceway lighting ideas that can make your space appear brighter bigger and more spacious.
1. Consider Glossy Pendants
A good way to make a small entryway look and feel brighter is to incorporate pendants that are glossy and shiny rather than matte.
Shiny surfaces have the ability to reflect light throughout a space since these objects tend to reflect light better than matte ones.
These entryways look and feel brighter with these beautiful glossy pendants giving the space an overall aesthetic appeal.
So if you’re looking for a way to create a more airy and open entranceway then consider adding glossy pendants for your small foyer lighting.
2. Choose Light Colored Fixtures
Enhance the look of your small front entrance by choosing light-colored fixtures instead of darker ones. Consider colors such as light blue, white, beige, tan and soft pink.
Lighter shades much like glossy pendants reflect light throughout the room making it look bigger and brighter. On the other hand, darker fixtures will absorb light and can make your space feel cramped.
Like the entryway in the first photo, if your style is more boho, farmhouse or rustic, light brown fixtures are a good choice.
Alternatively, if you’d like to add a pop of color but still keep it light then consider a light blue fixture like the second photo.
In addition to making your space look bigger, light and neutral colors tend to make a home feel warmer and inviting so you’ll definitely want to consider those.
3. Make Use of Natural Light
A perfect way to make your tiny entranceway look and feel more spacious is to make use of natural light. Offcourse not everyone will have the luxury of having windows at their front door, but if you do you’ll want to take full advantage of it.
A window isn’t the only way to get natural sun rays into your home. If your door is glass and allows the sun to shine through during the day then that is also a great way to light up your space. A skyline is also another great option if your home already has one.
In addition to creating a more open space, natural sunlight has the added benefit of making us feel good! It has been shown many times that it is better for our mental health and well-being. So make use of those beautiful rays whenever your can.
4. Add a Table Lamp
When you have less space in the hallway of your home you want to use the little area that you have wisely. A great way to do this is by incorporating table lamps.
Table lamps come in all different styles and designs so choose something that goes perfectly with your home’s overall aesthetic and your personal style.
If your taste is more boho or farmhouse then consider adding a table lamp that is made of wood and other organic materials.
For a more traditional and classic vibe like the first photo, you’ll want to add one that has a metallic base and a simple white cover for a timeless look.
5. Choose a Skinny Floor Lamp
With the limited space that you have for your entranceway, it’s always best to go for things that are skinnier and taller. Drawing the eyes upwards is a great way to create the illusion of more space.
A skinny floor lamp is a great choice for your small front entrance lighting because it enhances the space making it feel wider than it is which is perfect for smaller spaces.
This white floor lamp is stunning and has an industrial and modern look to it as it sits nicely in a pink room with a white table. The black lamp is also beautiful and creates a chic and boujee look to add warmth and sophistication.
These lamps are modern, sleek and contemporary and are guaranteed to impress your visitors and serve as a conversational starter.
6. Add a Traditional Floor Lamp
If you would like to incorporate a lamp but want something that is more classic then you can add a traditional floor lamp instead.
These lamps are timeless and will give your space a fresh and welcoming vibe that will make your entrance feel more inviting and welcoming.
The floor lamps in these photos have a gold base and a simple white covering that can pair easily with all design styles. It blends seamlessly with the white wall of the first photo and pops against the bright yellow backdrop of the second.
7. Pick Small Pendants
Consider using smaller pendants placed closer together at the entrance of your home in order to create the illusion of a bigger and more spacious space rather than larger ones.
This is because when smaller pendants are placed closer together they end up creating a more cohesive and balanced look.
Whereas if you were to place large pendants in your foyer they would need to be spaced out further apart overwhelming the area making it feel cluttered and disjointed.
So if you’d like to make your space feel more inviting and enhance its overall aesthetic you will want to incorporate small pendants.
8. Add Skinny Table Lamps
Use skinny and narrow table lambs in your small entryway to make it look more spacious. These types of lamps take up less space and as a result, will end up reducing visual clutter.
Skinner lamps will provide a vertical element that will draw the eyes upwards making the ceiling appear higher.
Avoid placing overly bulky and wider table lamps on your console table since they can be overwhelming and crowd your space.
These narrow lamps in the photo are a great example of what we are going for. They are slender with a round glass covering giving them a more open feel.
9. Select Open Fixtures
Another way to make a small entranceway look and feel bigger is by adding some open fixtures to your home. These can be pendants or chandeliers that have an open design style which can create the illusion of more space.
Light fixtures that have an open design allow light to shine through them and reflect off of the surroundings, which will make your entrance appear brighter and more spacious.
In addition, open fixtures will draw the eyes upward and make the ceiling appear higher than it actually is making it feel more open and less cramped.
Overall, these fixtures can be used strategically to create the impression of a larger and more inviting entry that both you and your guests will love.
10. Incorporate Tiny Table Lamps
Little cute lamps can make your small entrance look bigger and more welcoming for you and your visitors. They provide a focal point in the room and can draw attention away from your limited space and toward your lamp.
They take up less visual space in an already crowded area and leave you some room for other decorative pieces that you’d like to keep on display.
You can also use these little lamps to highlight key features of your front entrance such as artwork, or other details that you want to stand out.
If you’re looking for a statement piece in your entry without it being overwhelming consider placing a bright yet tiny lamp on your console table such as this lovely red lamp.
Alternatively, you can let it blend neatly into the background by adding a neutral-colored lamp such as that in the first photo.
11. Install Recessed Lighting
Create the illusion of a higher ceiling in your small entrance by installing some recessed lights. They work perfectly in smaller spaces because they provide even and non-intrusive lighting throughout which can make your space feel bright and inviting.
In addition to reducing visual clutter, they are a nice decorative element to your space that is stylish and visually appealing.
So if you are looking for streamlined and minimal lights that don’t take up valuable space then these lights are a good choice.
12. Try an Office-Style Lamp
An office-style lamp is another good way to add some additional lighting to your tiny entranceway that will brighten it up and make it feel more inviting.
Choose a lamp that fits well with your decor and color scheme to create a cohesive look that will tie everything together.
13. Use Candles
For a cozy vibe to your small foyer consider adding some candles to provide a warm and soft glow that will create a welcoming and relaxing atmosphere for you and your guests.
In addition to providing a decorative element to your smaller space, candles can help add a nice scent, which will mask unpleasant odors that can come from muddy boats, dirty shoes and socks.
Choose a scent and style that fits well with your space. If you are into subtle soft smells then try a lighter scent such as ocean breeze or cucumber melon.
For a stronger scent that will make a statement try something like mahogany teakwood or a lemon-scented one.
14. Add a Wall Sconce
The best way to provide lighting to your small entranceway is to use a wall sconce. Wall sconces take up limited space since they are on the walls instead of your entryway floor or tables.
Not only are they a good way to save on space, but they’re also a great decorative addition to your space enhancing your foyer’s overall appeal.
Looking for more ideas? Here are some related articles that will give you inspiration for your next remodel:
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