How to Make Your Apartment Entryway Beautiful on a Budget
Living Pretty Ep24: Apartment Entryway Ideas - 3 Entryway Decorating Styles on a Budget
Are you in need of some apartment entryway ideas? If you're looking for entryway decorating styles on a budget, you’re in luck! Because in this video, I’m styling my entryway in my studio apartment in 3 different ways using ONLY decor I already own. 3 different entryway decorating ideas, zero money spent on new decor.
Figuring out how to style the perfect entryway can be tough, but it’s totally possible to give yourself an entryway makeover on a budget. Start by looking around at what you already have!
If you’re in need of small entryway decorating tips and studio apartment ideas, stick with me!
Watch the video now!
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I’ve made some slight edits in the transcript below so that everything makes more sense in text form. But overall, this is almost a word-for-word dictation of what I say in the video. I’m a much better writer than this, I swear, haha.
They say you only get one shot at a first impression, so what impression is your apartment’s entryway making?
In this video, I’m going to show you how to style a small apartment entryway in 3 different ways using my own entryway as an example.
And the fun little twist here is that I’m only using decor that I already own so you can see that it’s possible to level up your entryway styling without spending any money - or even without leaving your apartment at all - simply by switching some things around.
And if you’re new here, I’m Steffi, creator of the style blog Moda Misfit, and you’re watching Living Pretty, the place for apartment styling tips and small space decor inspiration. So if you want regular doses of interior style inspo, be sure to subscribe!
So I’m just gonna get right to it! I haven’t even planned what I’m going to do with my entryway yet for this video - it’s honestly the part of my apartment I put the least amount of effort into - so I’m just going to start grabbing some things and let my interior style juices flow.
Entryway Look #1
So with a curtsy to you, my dear viewer, I start dismantling my current entryway decor, which took all of 15 seconds because it was barely decorated in the first place.
After only moving one item into the entryway, my cat Helo is already very confused and concerned, because god forbid anything changes in her palace. The nerve of me, right?
So I just started grabbing some things I had a feeling would look good together, and began to play.
That leads me to my first tip when it comes to styling an entryway, or really anything in your space - just play around with things.
Let it be loose, at least at first, when you first get started. Now, I’m a big fan of planning and staying organized while styling, but there can be a lot of value in just improvising, especially when you’re not buying anything new and there’s no money on the line anyway.
Styling shouldn’t feel like a heavy burden. It shouldn’t make you feel guilty or incapable. It should feel like playtime. So tap into your childlike imagination and just play around with things.
The result of this styling playtime of mine was kind of a witchy, dark decor vibe, where I played with height between the two surfaces and created triangles with my accessories.
I’ve talked about the fact that creating triangles in your styling basically guarantees visual appeal in this video and this video, which I’ll link to below if you want to learn about this magical technique.
While this look is not perfect - a round table jutting out into an entryway isn’t ideal, which is why console tables are best - I’m definitely feeling like this is so much more visually interesting than how my entryway looked before.
Entryway Look #2
With this next look, the only thing I had in mind was that I wanted the color palette to be more on the coppery, burnt orange side, whereas the last look was dominated by green and black.
That’s another tip I have for you - sometimes starting with a specific color or color palette in mind can help propel you through your styling process with more ease.
So if you’re ever stuck on where to start, try starting with color and see where that takes you.
For example, starting with the warm wood of this rustic side table set me on a path of using other warm colors, like the orange in this rug, the copper of the faux eucalyptus, and the amber of this vintage style Scotch bottle. Lots of warm, orangey colors.
Then adding the black planet chart gave a nice dark contrast to the warmth of the other items, which is another tip I have:
When you’re coordinating a bunch of similar colors and tones like I am here, adding an unexpected contrast is a nice way to create more visual interest.
It’s also a nice way to completely throw off your styling, so be careful with this one. It’s all about finding balance, and if something feels off, trust your instinct and change it.
I have to be honest, something I’d change here now that I’m editing the footage is I’d definitely move the rug back a bit. A rug should be more blended into a styling scene, not living on the outskirts of it like it is here, so in retrospect, that’s something I would have adjusted. No big deal - no use crying over a poorly placed rug.
Entryway Look #3
Look number 3 begins with a pretty idiotic move on my part. But you know what?
Doing idiotic things is a valid part of the interior styling process. If you don’t try several stupid things while you’re styling your space, you’re probably playing it too safe.
So this is me thinking it’d be a fun idea to move my bigass armchair with an unsuspecting Helo on it to the entryway to create a cozy sitting area beneath my beloved Beck photo. Spoiler alert: it looked ridiculous.
So let this be my permission slip to you - if you do something that doesn’t end up looking good, that’s okay! Just change it. This is where so many people give up and resign themselves to just not being good at decorating, and therefore unworthy of a home that makes them happy.
No! This is part of the process. Messing up is part of the process. You’re probably just a couple mess-ups away from creating a beautiful little space.
So the first look in this video was dark at witchy, the second look was warm and boho, so with this third look I wanted something calm, gentle, and monochrome, which started with my silvery nightstand here.
Just like how I mentioned earlier that a simple color can be the thing that inspires the rest of your styling, a single piece of furniture can do the same. Sometimes all you need is that one piece, or that one color, that allows everything else around it to fall into place.
Speaking of falling - but not into place - you’re witnessing the beginnings of an epic battle between woman and faux cherry blossoms. ‘Twas a hard-fought battle against a worthy foe. A faux foe, if you will.
And just when I thought it was over… just when I began to slowly step away… my OCD ass couldn’t stop adjusting these damn faux cherry blossoms until they met my standards for perfection.
Interior styling really is enough to drive a person mad. No wonder so many people give up too soon.
Anyway, once I proved victorious against those asshole cherry blossoms of mine, I moved onto the finishing touches of the look. Much easier. Much less insanity inducing.
And I clearly think I’m hot shit now.
The result is the calm, cozy, monochrome look I was going for. Funny to think that the most stressful look to create ended up being the most soothing to look at.
And that’s really the thing, isn’t it? Interior styling can take a lot of tweaking and adjusting before it finally looks good.
I would even argue that most styling projects look downright bad right up until the very end, when things finally click. It’s an iterative process, and each flawed iteration is one step closer to the result that you want.
So if you walk away from this video with anything, it’s to stick with it. Embrace the flaws, embrace the mistakes, and let it be ugly… until it’s pretty.
Man, there was a lot of faux flower battling in this video.
So, there you have it! That is how to style your entryway in three different ways without even buying anything or leaving your apartment during a global pandemic.
Comment below and tell me which one was your favorite? Was it #1, #2, or #3? Tell me below!
If you want daily glimpses into my studio apartment life, follow me on Instagram @moda.misfit.
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