Transform Your Entryway With The Midimalist Design Approach

As the starting point for the rest of your abode, the entryway spaces of your home really can set a tone. While it can be easy to overlook these areas as simple passthroughs, entryways are a great place to play with style. Architecturally, you can soften up your entryway with sleek and functional furniture, such as a modern entryway table that creates an inviting first impression. If you want more of an eccentric vibe, you could integrate vintage furniture to add upbeat visual charm. But what if your aesthetic falls somewhere in the middle of these two extremes? In that case, the midimalism design trend may be one that you'll want in your entryway space, a style that promotes a calm and clutter-free zone. 

Borrowing core design elements from minimalism and maximalism, transforming your entryway into a midimalist dream can bring a mix of sophistication and whimsical charm. For example, a midimalist passageway can include a bare eggshell or muted earth tone wallpaper lying behind a kitschy vintage entryway console. Or, you may incorporate natural elements and sleek tables layered with bold, small-scale wallpaper and decor that echoes your personality.

To fully grasp midimalism, you should get to know the core elements of both design extremes. On one hand, minimalism favors function, modern pieces, and neutral tones. Minimalist decor ultimately utilizes natural elements and creates large, open spaces. Maximalism, on the other hand, prioritizes ornamentation and excess, including vintage furniture, and personal decor that holds sentimental value. This design uses vibrant colors, gilded accents, and textures to add visual appeal to spaces.

Think of the midimalist design as being a blend of these two styles. The midimalism aesthetic balances out key elements of the minimalist-maximalist spectrum, mixing and matching gilded accents and dramatic patterns paired with the sleek and modern furniture as an example. As a concept, midimalism encourages mindful consumption and functionality, but allows for fun uses of vintage decor and quirky furniture pieces. With midimalist decor, you may see natural elements, including rattan or quirky crate-style seating and consoles against subtle earth tone wallpaper. On the flip side, you might see things like bright, over-the-top wallpaper patterns with a sophisticated console table or other entryway furniture.

Now that you know what kind of decorative elements you may find in midimalist decor, you can piece together the vision for your own entryway. Your entry space may feature a console table to store your keys, sunglasses, and other catch all items. It may also be a mudroom, which includes benches or chairs, and a storage area for shoes and coats. Because midimalist walks the line between opulence and utility in decor, you may want to consider furniture pieces that will help make your entryway more functional. For example, a modern console table and bench with seamless and hidden storage or floating wall shelf with hooks can look classic and sophisticated while delivering its function. These furniture choices don't demand a ton of visual attention, which leaves room to play around with other fun and vibrant details and textures to balance out their simplicity. You can use things like lush botanical wallpaper as the backdrop. 

You may also flip these midimalist concepts. Rather than go with sleek or modern furniture, you can opt for a kitschy credenza, funky hall tree and bench, or a vintage storage cabinet to keep your items stored away while also providing charm and character to the space. You can add more eclectic decor elements like a thrifted Tiffany lamp and pair it with a bespoke stained glass key holder. Soften up the space with neutral tones, like sage green or terracotta paint or wallpaper with subtle, minimal patterns.

When it comes to design, the possibilities may seem endless and overwhelming. Choosing either a totally minimalist or totally maximalist design style for your entryway, whether your home echoes modern bohemian or is a maximalist coastal oasis, might make you feel boxed in with regards to your home's overall decor. But with midimalism, you don't have to lean one way or another to have a cohesive space. Midimalism is a great example of how to mix and match design concepts in your home without spaces being too overwhelming — or underwhelming.

With a midimalist touch, there are tasteful styling choices that borrow from the functionality of minimalism and the kitschy visual intrigue of maximalism. Since your entryway is the first place you and your guests will pass through in your home, it's a great opportunity to impress. You can add warmth through the simplicity of your furniture pieces, while also adding edge by adorning entry tables with thrifted trinkets and other decorative pieces. Taking a midimalist approach can give you the best of both worlds, where you can balance simplicity and opulence.