The Entryway Design Christina Haack Avoids (And Her Advice On How To Combat It)

When you enter a home, the first step inside immediately impacts the experience. Plus, a well-designed entryway can even raise a home's value, making it an important feature to pay attention to for renovators — and that value is something you need to know before preparing to sell your house. In an interview with House Beautiful, HGTV star Christina Haack, a real estate and design expert known for starring on shows including "Christina on the Coast" and "The Flip Off," agrees that the entryway is a key indicator of how a home feels. That's why, she says, she doesn't like it when you walk straight through the front door and into the kitchen. And that advice goes beyond just her personal taste.

While there might be some benefits to having a kitchen close to the entryway (such as an easier commute when bringing groceries inside), there are also problems. A kitchen right off the entrance to a home can make the space feel more chaotic and cramped, which is especially problematic given that kitchens are major players in how buyers view a home. By organizing a home so that the front door doesn't open directly into the kitchen, "We can open the space up and make it appear larger than it is," says Christina. In one of her own properties, there's a flow in which the entrance directly faces a large window on the opposite side of the living room, so there's an open feel that enlarges the space. Plus, with that added space, homeowners can opt for a more open-concept kitchen, which is a layout worth trying even for small kitchens and often a more attractive design for buyers.

Though Christina Haack expressed that opening the front door straight into the kitchen isn't always ideal, there are ways to create an open feel even if you can't change the layout of your house. One way to do that is to focus on the entryway to your home and align it with the mood you're trying to create by adding touches such as plants, paintings, or tactful storage solutions. Vertical storage is a great option that enables you to have more room to move around and helps you avoid clutter. You can use vertical storage furnishings, such as over-the-door hooks and wall mounted shelves, in both your entryway and your kitchen to promote organization and create synergy and space between the two areas.

Another way to open up the space between your front door and kitchen is through focusing on a kitchen renovation. Christina has used two-toned cabinets to color-block kitchen spaces and add a little flavor without taking away any storage space, and she also has tips for remodeling your kitchen on a budget so you don't have to break the bank when you're designing the room. Something as simple as a new paint job, ideally with a light color that won't cramp the space, can help your kitchen feel bigger — and it's typically far less costly than knocking down a wall.