Types of Door Mats Best Suited for Your Small Home

When it comes to decorating, most people think of the major things – what color paint you’re going to choose, or how the furniture needs to match the carpets. But it’s the little things that tie everything together, and one of these little things everyone forgets are entrance mats.

It’s important to have an entrance mat that’s practical and actually does its job – after all, no matter how beautiful it is, if it doesn’t work, the rest of your house may end up filthy. This doesn’t mean you have to have one of the traditional large brown wire coil ones, however. There’s a bunch of gorgeous options out there.

Our first tip is to actually get two smaller mats. Rather than having one giant one take over your already-small hall, get a small one for inside and another small one for outside. This way you can stagger the impression they give, as well as being able to have a much more delicate one indoors.

Outside Entrance Mats

If you want to create the illusion of space outside, you really want to avoid getting anything that overwhelms the space. Whilst coir entrance mats are incredibly effective and can be printed with almost anything you want, they are large and often will catch the eye before anything else.

Instead, we recommend getting a rubber-mat in a faux-Victorian metal style. These are hard-wearing and easy to clean, but they also have lots of open space and can blend nicely into the space rather than drawing attention to themselves.

If you want something a bit different, have a look into pebble entrance mats. From black river rock to country-style pebble mosaics, these can add a charming element to your entrance without taking over the space. Again, they’re incredibly hard wearing and easy to clean, making them perfect for outdoor use.

Indoor Entrance Mats

Here’s where you want to start planning it to match your décor. If you’ve gone for an outside mat, you don’t need one that’s quite as efficient here, meaning you can choose some of the less bulky ones. We like the fabric ones that have rubber backing – they prevent the floor beneath them getting soaked, as well as ensuring your guests don’t slip.

If you go for one of these, you will need to clean it regularly but you do have a lot of options open to you – many shops sell them in a variety of colours and patterns, and you can even get them personalised. If you’re running short on a decorating budget, you can stencil your own designs on really easily too!

There are two approaches to finding the perfect entrance mat for the doorway to your small home – do you want to make it a focal point, or do you want it to blend away?

If you’re going for a hallway that has eye-catching elements – think, bright painting or stark, geometric lines, then you might want to use the entrance mat as one. In this case, try to ensure it fits with the theme you have going on. It may be easier in a case like this to get a plain mat and then customise it yourself to fit the theme.

However, you may find that if your hallway is particularly small, adding something that is eye catching right at the entrance makes it feel even smaller. In this case, you want one that will blend it, stopping the eye from being drawn to it and thereby emphasising the size. To do this, either buy one in a neutral colour/very delicate design or get your DIY skills out. If you have any space carpet from decorating, you can make your own entrance mats by backing pieces of carpet with rubber. This will guarantee it blends in.

Whatever you choose, make sure you think about it rather than just grabbing the first seemingly-practical entrance mat you see!Working it into your overall design will add a touch of class and design to your small house in a way you’d never dreamt of.