The Go-To Entryway Colors For High-Traffic Homes

First impressions matter greatly: When it comes to your home, the first interaction that most guests will have with your space is the entryway. While you can do a lot to make your house look welcoming and cozy, having the wrong colors on your walls can be an impediment to this goal, especially if your home is high traffic. Pets, kids, and a steady flow of guests can inadvertently smudge and dirty the walls of your entryway, creating a grungy appearance in a space in which you'd rather have crisp and clean ones. Fortunately, implementing better go-to colors for your entryway can make all the difference in putting your home's best foot forward.

There are a number of colors that you should never paint your hallways — the same goes for your entryways, particularly in high-traffic homes. Very light colors, such as stark whites and very light shades, might look great in a home that doesn't deal with a lot of comings and goings, but for a high-traffic home, these colors will simply be a magnet for stains and other marks that will muddy initial glances. Instead of these shades, try ones that will help to hide smudges and fingerprints (or utilize paint finishes that are easy to clean). These include gray, taupe, and beige. If you want your home to reflect your personality a little more, you can try a more colorful hue, such as a dusty blue or mossy green, both of which are refined enough to impress guests without highlighting stained walls.

Now that you know what to stay away from in terms of entryway colors, you can get inspired to make your entryways to your home more welcoming. As with any painting decision, it's best to weigh your home's decorative elements into the decision. If your home has lots of natural wood tones to it, you can confidently choose one of several versatile, neutral paint colors. These include gray, taupe, beige, or greige (a mix between gray and beige) for your entryway. 

A beautiful option for a gray paint is Repose Gray by Sherwin-Williams (SW 7015), which will do a fabulous job of camouflaging dirty walls but work well with lighter shades of wood. If you want a brighter welcome to your home, you can also try Shoji White by Sherwin-Williams (SW 7042) — just be sure to opt for a satin finish, which will be easier to wipe down and clean when the walls inevitably become dirtied.

Home décor schemes that have lighter elements, like ceramic vases or other brighter decorations, might find that pairing current home goods with a green wall color like Benjamin Moore's Soft Fern (2144-40) will create an inviting ambiance. If you're fond of purples, Flexible Gray by Sherwin-Williams (SW 6010) may provide a more exciting option, which works wonderfully with a wide range of colors that may be present in your current home décor. For a bluer entryway, Dusty Cornflower by Benjamin Moore (CSP-605) is a solid choice that will not draw attention to dirty walls, either. 

Before painting your entryway, prep your walls for painting in just five easy steps, including cleaning your soiled walls. This is because dirt, dust, grease, and other debris on your walls can interfere with the paint properly sticking, which can negatively impact the final result. As with the recommendation to use a satin finish for Shoji White, consider using this same finish if you want the look of your entryway to be consistently easy to maintain. Whenever the entryway walls get dirty, simply use a soft cloth with a small amount of soap and warm water to clean the grubby portion. You'll enjoy a fresher, cleaner, and more inviting entry for everyone.