Inspiration

Four easy styles for a festive entrance way

It’s so simple to transform your entrance way with festive flourishes this Christmas. See our four favourite styles and find out how you can shop the look

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Four easy styles for a festive entrance way

The entrance way is the first space people see when they visit your home, so ideally it should convey your style and the mood of your house. Foyers and halls are also great places to decorate for the holidays, so dust off the console or sideboard and try your hand at creating a decorative Christmas setting this year. We guarantee your family and friends will be impressed, and you’ll feel a touch of seasonal cheer when you arrive home each day.

The minimalist

If you favour the less-is-more approach, this ever-so-subtle Christmas entrance is for you. The stunning framed pine cone print sets the theme for the minimal look and can easily be changed out during the year. This is offset by a simple block paint feature, 2m high x 1.2m wide. A scattering of black-painted pine cones on the console, a vase filled with greenery and a tray of candles help to finish this clean and modern look.

Paper Collective pine cone print, $115 (unframed), from Tea Pea; custom frame from Factory Frames; Mayson console table, $599, and side table, $299, from Freedom. On side table: concrete tray, $49.99, from Alex & Corban; Zakkia concrete vase, $29, and Zakkia concrete candle, $55, both from fluxboutique.co.nz; bullet vase, $14.90, from Country Road. On console table: Design House vase, $9.98, from The Warehouse; eucalyptus, $12.95 per stem, from Freedom; Connie frames, $89.90 each, from Country Road; Zakkia glass bowl, $41, from crisphome.co.nz. Wall and floor painted in Resene ‘Loblolly’, feature square painted in Resene ‘Thor’. Painted pine cones, stylist’s own.

The modern romantic

Lovers of pink will adore this warm entrance way illuminated with twinkling lights. Traditionally, Christmas wreaths are hung on the front door, but a variety of modern options will work beautifully as an interior feature. If you opt for a light-up wreath and don’t mind the battery pack showing, fixing one to the wall is an option. If you’d prefer to hide the power source, try propping the wreath on your sideboard so it becomes part of a bigger display.

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Lighting truly comes into play at Christmas, and nothing is nicer than arriving home to soft candlelight. To minimise the fire risk, opt for LED tealights, which give the same effect as real candles when popped inside tealight holders. You can mix tealights with candlesticks and hurricane lamps for visual interest. Plenty of scented candles are available but it’s that time of year to really indulge your senses, so look out for limited-edition Christmas scents.

Mirror, $20, from Kmart; Raffles buffet, $899, from Freedom. On buffet: glass bottle, $12, from Spotlight; SOH copper candle, $129, from Father Rabbit; star decorations, $12.99 for two, from EziBuy; Ecoya Sweet Fruits limited-edition Christmas candles, $54.95 large and $29.95 small, from Farmers; copper tealight holder, $19.99, from Shut The Front Door; LED tealights, $8 for six, from The Warehouse; copper boxes, from $11, from se3.co.nz; cloudy tealight holder, $14, from BoConcept; pear decoration, $21.95, from Freedom; tealight holder, $11.50, from Allium; LED wreath, $12, from Kmart; Amina copper candle, $19.95, Judd vase, $24.95, tealight holder, $5.95, dip vessel, $5, Ici tealight holder, $3.95, Neema lamp, $89, all from Freedom. On floor: glass hurricane lamp, $20, from Spotlight; Sawyer rug, $549, from Freedom. Wall painted in Resene ‘Coral Tree’, floor painted in Resene ‘Dust Storm’. Tree branches and other props, stylist’s own.

The Scandi fan

This black, white and grey scheme will appeal to the monochrome lovers out there. The styled entrance way is also great if you get lots of Christmas cards and struggle to know how to display them. Using this inexpensive plastic grid, you can hang your cards with a Christmas greeting and a few decorations. After Christmas, simply use it in your home office or kitchen as a notice or inspiration board.

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Black grid, $7.99, from Bunnings; console, $599, from Freedom; Pappelina Linn rug, $428, from Tea Pea. On grid: white star, $9.90, from Country Road. On console: black star, $3, from $2 and More; black cone, $4.95, from Freedom; Zakkia concrete cones, from $25 each, from fluxboutique.co.nz; grid tealight holder, $10, from se3.co.nz; candle holder, $14.95, from Freedom. Wall painted in Resene ‘Double Surrender’, floor painted in Resene ‘Black White’. Other props, stylist’s own.

The luxe lover

If space is tight in your entrance way but you are still looking to add a festive touch, try stringing a garland of tree decorations. This quick and easy ornament can be whipped up in no time. Simply take a selection of decorations and tie each one to a metallic cord so they stay in position. Hang with small nails or hooks.

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Lightshade, $159, and light cord, $89.90, from Citta Design; chair, $2195, and side table, $249, from Un Deux Trois. On garland: hollow ball, $9.90, from Country Road; disco balls, $7 for three, from The Warehouse. On table: cone decoration, $9.90, from Country Road; vase, $65, from Un Deux Trois; Fritz Hansen candle holder, $389.95, from cultdesign.co.nz. Large cone on top of boxes, $21.90, from Country Road. Wall painted in Resene ‘Madison Knox’. Boxes and other decorations, stylist’s own.

Words by: Vanessa Nouwens. Photography by: Melanie Jenkins.

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