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40 of the best Entryway Lighting Ideas

As the first room of the home, entryways are ideal areas to introduce your homes style and tone. While there are many factors that play into the entryway's grand design, the room's lighting has a larger impact than you think. Through pendant lights, chandeliers, wall sconces, and other fixtures, you can create an entryway that perfectly conveys your personal aesthetic and set the tone for the entire home.

Creating Balance

In alcoves such as these, it is easy to be touched by the complexity of the architecture, panelling, and doors. That is why the addition of a simple lantern pendant light works so well in situations like these; if there is already a lot of detail to absorb in these spaces, choosing a simple light that reinforces the area's aesthetic without drawing attention away from the other beautiful details will create a visually balanced, attractive space.

Classic Style

Lanterns and candles both fall into traditional, homey styles such as farmhouse, coastal, rustic, and traditional aesthetics. The lantern shown here uses both motifs to create a classic chandelier, but the worn textures of the lantern allow it to seamlessly transition into a traditional farmhouse aesthetic. When you are crafting your, keep an eye out for the types of lights, motifs, and finishes the chandelier uses to select your perfect light.

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Lighting Direction

Different types of lighting fixtures will direct light in various ways, which impacts the room's functionality as well as its ambiance. This modern entryway uses sconces to direct light upward and downward, while the chandelier casts light in all directions. Depending on the tone you want to create in your entryway, decide how and where the light is cast so that you can confidently set the room's tone and illuminated areas.

Marvelous Motifs

In any room of the home, utilizing motifs (recurring shapes, images, and patterns) can solidify a room's style. In this grand entryway, the rounded ceiling arches tie back to the front wall's curtains and then ties back to the two chandeliers. Through the repetition of rounded shapes and arches, this entryway features a unity that can be replicated and reproduced in other foyers.

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From All Angles

The rich wooden doors are the clear focal point of this entryway is it the warmest, darkest color present. Since the chandelier falls directly in line with the door, this foyer's chandelier uses light cream and polished metal to stand out against the door's finish and color. This entryway serves as a lesson to approach design from every direction: consider how the chandelier will appear when facing the door, when facing the opposite direction, and so on to determine what fixture will fit that space best.

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Ornamental Additions

Highly traditional styles that use crystals, ornamentation, and antique pieces can create beautifully elegant entryways. If you have large furniture or fixtures, or if you have a lot of detail in the room's accessories, it is important to find a light that balances that aesthetic. Without the proper balance, the space could feel kitschy or fake, but this room masterfully uses a light that is simple enough to not detract from the antique mirror, candles, or a table lamp, while still having enough detail to fit into the same style.

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Architectural Assists

Transitional style is rising in popularity as it combines the class of traditional style with the straightforward design of modern styles. The outside wall sconces helps balance the look between the two styles and complement the natural materials on the exterior of the home. When you select lights for your home's exterior, purposefully choose fixtures that will fit with the existing architecture, building materials, and landscaping.

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Varying Heights

In open concept homes, you are likely to see kitchens from the entryway. If the space next to the entryway has low hanging lights, consider using a higher light in the entryway. That way, your eye will naturally be drawn throughout both spaces and the two areas will be visually distinct from one another.

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Symmetry

Elegant and traditional spaces often utilize symmetry in the architectural features and design elements. This space leans into that aesthetic even with the chandelier, which has each bulb perfectly in place with its two-tiered structure. While you do not have to incorporate a crystal chandelier exactly like this one, using a neat and tidy ceiling light can help accent the room's existing symmetry.

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Long and Narrow Entryways

Not all entryways can be grand and elegant foyers. However, there are plenty of ways to optimize lighting in long and narrow entryways as well. As shown by this mid century modern entryway, three pendant lights have been equally spread among the path and provide key illumination along with style. This room proves how using a singular chandelier is not the only way to make a statement in an entryway; multiple fixtures can create an equally stunning space.

Adding Softness

In interior design, objects that have sharp rigid corners can sometimes feel cold. At the very least, they may create a more formal aesthetic. That is why this entryway wisely incorporates a chandelier with rounded bulb lights to contrast all the straight lines in the doors, windows, accents, and furnishings. If you have a space with a lot of straight lines and rigid corners, consider softening the space with rounded lighting fixtures.

Unexpected Design

The grand doorway into the foyer, the elevated room, and traditional hardwood floors all convey a very regal, traditional style. The multi pendant light above the central table however does not convey that same style, which makes it stand apart from the rest of the room. However, part of what allows it to work is the use of round shapes and metallic lines, which tie back to the swirls in the door and the metallic colors elsewhere. Combining different interior design styles is a fantastic way to add unexpected flair, but there should be some overlapping elements to give that different design purpose and connection.

Double the Design

A previous entryway showed how three pendant lights could be spaced closely together to create a larger impact than a singular chandelier or pendant. In this narrow entryway, the lights are spread out further to fill out an entire hallway. Though this space would look stunning with one central light, this room also proves how doubling the number of lighting fixtures and spacing them out can reinforce the hallway's natural direction and length.

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Complete Collections

Lighting designers often create fixtures featuring similar imagery and artistry in different forms, such as wall sconces, chandeliers, floor lamps, and so on. This entryway uses two lights from the same collection to create a wholly unified entryway. While you do not have to use a singular collection to adorn your space, it is a great idea for those who struggle with finding matching lights among various collections and designers.

Warmth

The entryway's lighting fixture in this home is not clearly visible from this angle, but the ambiance it creates is unmistakable. This home has many warm wood tones throughout the floor, ceiling, and fireplace mantle, so it is natural that the entryway's chandelier casts such a warm light over the space. Lights come in different temperatures that create different tones, which means you can select a light that creates a warm ambiance like this light or select something with a cool, modern mood.

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Making The Most of Monochrome

Monochromatic rooms that use only black and white are as dramatic as they are stunning. However, adding in one accent that breaks the mold is an inspired way to add to the room's elegance. In this entryway, the use of a white and gold light instead of a black and white one sets the light apart from the ceiling and allows both elements to shine as essential accents. You may use similar principles in your monochromatic entryway or foyer's light.

Defining The Home

The entryway is the first exposure someone has to your home, so it is an ideal space to introduce recurring colors and metals. The chandelier at the top of the photo incorporates a refined gold finish and white teardrops. Below, there is a gold floor lamp with a white lampshade. In the den to the left, there is another lamp with gold and white. While the chandelier easily could have been different from the other fixtures, the consistency does wonders in creating a cohesive home.

Masterful Pairings

Although the room displayed here is stunning in every way, a key part of its design is the chandelier and the floor beneath it. The floor tile beautifully displays diamond patterns, and while the chandelier does not follow that exact design, it does utilize straight lines as a key part of its aesthetic. Tying the floor's design (or rug) back to a ceiling light is an extraordinary way to balance the room's aesthetic and create a unified entryway.

To New Heights

The placement of your entryway chandelier has a huge impact on the impression it leaves and how it balances in the space at large. There are guidelines that suggest the bottom of your chandelier is at least 7 feet off the ground, or that the chandelier (and chain) take up the top third of the room. Following either of these guidelines will lead you towards adding a chandelier that balances well in the space.

Expand Your Horizons

Mesh is a material often associated with farmhouse style and country living, but this chandelier flips that formula around by using it in a highly-elegant, contemporary fixture. The takeaway from this simple entryway is this: materials, finishes, and structures are highly versatile and can be used in endless different ways, so don't be afraid to look beyond common shapes and materials for chandeliers that have incredibly distinctive style and presentation.

A Whimsical Wonderland

In outdoor entryways surrounded by vines and warm wooden doors, there is nothing more magical than a single light leading you further into adventure. Upon closer inspection, this outdoor pendant light from Hinkley Lighting has a lot of beautiful ornamentation that lends itself to that style, but you can use whatever style best suits your personality.

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Contemporary Design

Contemporary lights often take on an artistic vibe, and the light shown in this entryway definitely fits that tone. Even though the entryway leans more traditional with its trim, doors, and carpet, the contemporary light acts as an unexpected accent that reflects more of the homeowner's personality. If you personally enjoy more than one style, feel free to add an unexpected element or two of a secondary style to create a clear style statement while not competing with the room's larger aesthetic.

Tall Ceiling, Small Light

Tall entryways can easily accommodate large, hanging chandeliers, but sometimes a flush-mount ceiling light is enough to make a statement. Part of the reason it works so well in this room is because of the stained glass above the door, which is clearly seen thanks to the flush-mount light. If your entryway has a detail like this, or if you just want to create a smaller impact with your light, consider mounted ceiling lights or low profile chandeliers.

Cool and Warm

In entryways where you have an emphasis on cool tones, consider using your lighting fixtures as a source of warmth. That option comes down to both the temperature of the light and the colors of the lighting fixture itself. As you can see by this marbled, elegant hallway, most of the colors and textures create a cool aesthetic, but the warmer beige of the semi flush mount acts as a small addition of warmth to the whole area.

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Directional Design

The direction of the light, its distance from the ceiling, and the chandelier's structure all impact how the light will be cast on nearby walls, ceilings, and floors. Because this flush mount light is so close to the ceiling, it creates very clear lines towards the center and then branches out to create steady streams of light. When you place a chandelier or pendant light, carefully consider how far it is spaced from the ceiling and how the light will be reflected upon that surface to create another beautiful statement.

Drawing The Eye

In grand, open rooms, your eye is naturally drawn to all the unique elements. If you have one central focal point you would like to highlight in the middle of the space, use multiple lighting fixtures to the sides of the focal point. That way, your focal point (in this case, the door) does not get hidden behind the lights, and the lights stand out as other primary accents.

Finalizing Finishes

Although elegant designs are often known for their great ornamentation and silver and gold tones, modern elegant chandeliers can utilize different materials to achieve the same effect. This chandelier uses a hand-rubbed bronze finish to take an elegant design from unattainable to approachable and warm. This particular chandelier is available in two finishes, but the finishes each convey different tones because of their respective metals. When adding a chandelier or light to your space, it's important to realize just how much the metallic finishes impact the light's overarching tone and style.

Bowl Chandeliers

While chandeliers are often thought of as being large, vertically established accents, horizontal fixtures are an underutilized option that is ideal for entryways and spaces where you don't have enough ceiling height to support a larger fixture. Using options like this gives you greater freedom with your room, the directional space the chandelier takes, and how that light overlaps visually with nearby accents.

Artistic Design

Contemporary entryway fixtures tend to blend various styles, aesthetics, and materials to create works of art. The sputnik chandelier shown here uses retro coil bulbs, cut crystal disks, a matte black center, and gold accents to blend a variety of styles and create a distinctively artistic light. Incorporating contemporary fixtures such as this is a fantastic way to show how lighting fixtures can be both practical and highly artistic.

Linear Design

With modern and contemporary entryways, linear rod lighting is a popular option for adding dynamic lighting and extra artistic flair. The structure of this light is quite abstract, but bar light chandeliers and pendant lights come in a variety of finishes, sizes, and structures, so you may find one perfectly suited to your room's size and style.

To Boldly Go

Chandeliers and pendant lights can be a subtle addition to an entryway, but they can also create bold statements through their own designs and what compelling architecture they're paired with. In this space, a Koura Pendant light is used repeatedly and complements the dynamic ceiling and plantlife below. If you have a draw towards bold, dramatic spaces, go for it! Your home should be an expression of your personal aesthetic.

Structured Design

In this traditional entryway, everything is need and in its place: the windows are perfectly balanced and symmetrical, the door has minimal flourish, and the rug is highly traditional. In rooms such as this, you can add in a sense of whimsy and movement through a cascading chandelier. As you can see by this example, when this form contrasts with the rest of the room's structured nature, the artistic waves and cascading crystals stand out as a traditional yet free-spirited piece or art.

Defining The Purpose

Lights always brighten the space to some degree, but that may not be their sole purpose. In this entryway gallery, the chandelier successfully creates ambiance with the recessed ceiling lights and picture lights highlighting the path and artwork respectively. In this room, the chandelier serves as a work of art itself and a source of ambient light as opposed to task lighting. Whether this exact purpose suits your space or not, this room shows why it is important to consider what you want each light to accomplish.

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Daring Design

The illuminated focal point of this room comes across as a singular chandelier, but it is actually composed of perfectly arranged Hugo Linear Pendant lights. Each module has two hanging points and co-axis cables to simplify installation and create clean-cut lines through your ideal configuration. If you feel truly daring with creating a focal point with your own two hands, you may take on this task yourself or hire a designer to create a bold artistic statement.

Creative Casting

The orb pendant light displayed in this entryway perfectly suits the room's aesthetic on its own, but it truly shines with the shadows it casts on the walls and ceiling. Since those spaces are both bare, the shadows from the woven pendant light cast neat, unexpected detailing throughout the room. Let this serve as a lesson: with chandeliers and pendants that create unique shadows, the shadows themselves can be a form of artistic expression.

Superb Similarities

Although the central pendant is a different collection than the walls sconces, you would never know it because of all the stylistic similarities. If you are blending different collections of lights throughout one space, look at elements such as similar metallic and glass finishes, similar mounting, similar motifs (such as lantern designs or use of candles), and similar detailing. Considering these areas will enable you to seamlessly blend styles to create a balanced aesthetic.

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Oversized Style

Adding an extra large chandelier to your entryway is sure to make a statement, especially if you leave the surrounding area bare to draw attention to the artistic chandelier. Oversized chandeliers like this one can be placed in entryways with extremely high ceilings or a vaulted ceiling; in rooms with lower ceilings, chandeliers like this could easily overwhelm the space with its size and magnificent scale.

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MidCentury Contemporary 

Midcentury modern style has an appreciation for wood tones and geometric shapes. This focus allows mid century modern style to pair well with contemporary style, which also heavily relies on geometric shapes but adds extra sculptural elements to the lighting fixtures and other accents. Although mid century modern style is the most popular variation of MCM, let this light show you how mid century modern style lights come in many iterations fitting for a variety of homes.

Proper Pairings

Wallpapers are coming back into style, especially in entryways. The botanical wallpaper here is clearly a bold statement with its busy detailing and bold color scheme, but daring wallpaper is complemented by daring lighting. Look at the light's main materials, finishes, and imagery to reflect back to the wallpaper to create a masterfully designed entryway.

Purposeful Placement

Chandeliers, pendant lights, and ceiling lights are often centered in the middle of an entryway, but that is far from their only placement. If you want to accent another part of your entryway such as a side chair or table immediately inside the door, placing a light right in that area is a great option.

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Entryway lights are ideally suited and placed to define not only that room's style, but the style of the entire home. The intentional inclusion of lights, their placement, and their light distribution all work together to establish your ideal tone and welcome guests into your home.



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