Hamburg  - Behind the front door of every house or apartment there's a space that decorators say is like a business card for the home.

Sometimes this area is a colourful scene full of family chaos, other times it is fastidiously arranged with a designer's touch. Similar to an appetiser, the space gives visitors an impression of what they can expect from the rest of the home.

An entry hallway strewn with jackets, bags and piles of shoes is not considered inviting, designers say. By contrast, one that has been planned and kept tidy might pique a guest's interest in seeing more of the home.

Step 1: The essential ingredients, skilfully combined

"A lot is judged in the first 10 seconds," said Constanze Koepp, who runs an interior design consulting company in Hamburg. "The entryway is the mini format whose appearance reveals what awaits me in the rest of the home, thus it shouldn't be used as a storage space."

To begin with, get rid of shoes, said Koepp. She recommends storing them in cabinets that are as flat and as inconspicuous as possible and that take up as little space as possible.

Equally as important in the entryway is a coat rack. But Koepp cautions that this often develops into a problem if it holds so many jackets and bags that it takes up half the space in the entry hall. She recommends using it for just one or two jackets and hanging the rest in a closet. Outerwear for the season can be brought out as the weather changes. "In the middle of summer, no one needs a winter jacket," she noted.

Another essential piece provides a place to put small items such as key chains and letters that have to be mailed. A dish or basket are the classic types of containers used for the purpose, but there are various methods.

"I always hang letters in a bag on the coat rack. Then everything is together when I leave the house," said Katharina Semling, a lifestyle consultant. It's not a must, but a small stool or chair also is helpful in the entryway for removing and putting on shoes.

Step 2: The accessories

"An entryway often is left as it is. But it really should be decorated nicely in order to get the most out of it," said interior architect Katharina Dobbertin. Particularly in small apartments, an entryway beautifully done up can turn into an extra room. To achieve this, the right accessories are fundamental. Number one is a mirror, Dobbertin said. It belongs near the door so that before leaving home you are able to check your outfit.

"Put yourself in the role of a guest. What is the first thing you see when you enter? It should always be something beautiful," Semling advises. An original poster, or a bouquet of flowers are examples of suitable items. In her own entryway she has hung a beautiful framed advertising poster from the 1950s.

Koepp has hung several pictures in her entryway to create a small gallery, and she otherwise swears by wallpaper and unusual floor surfaces in the space.

"Wallpaper is a dream," she said, although only one wall or just a part of one wall should be covered. For the floor she recommends felt squares from a home improvement store as opposed to a classic runner. They are not only cheap, they also can easily be replaced when they are worn out.

Step 3: Let there be light

"It should be bright, but homely," said Semling, referring to light in the entryway. Because there is rarely a window in the space, particularly in apartments, light has to be "pumped in," she added. The size and shape of the entryway determine which lighting is appropriate. Koepp argues against the widely used spot lights, which she said create an office atmosphere. Globe lights provide a more homely effect.

Step 4: Accentuate any special features and conceal any flaws

You should think of your entryway no differently than you think of yourself, said Semling.

"When you imagine yourself, you want to play up the more beautiful aspects and conceal things that are not so pretty," she said. Same goes for the entryway: cleverly cover up problem zones. Long, narrow entryways, for example, can be made to look shorter and broader when mirrors are hung lengthwise instead of upright. Or work with colours: Vertical stripes can make low-ceiling entryways appear optically higher. (dpa)