How wide is your entrance way? Mine is 122cm and I have a 40 cm wide console table that works. An indoor plant or some sculpture each side of the table reduces the starkness of it too. Otherwise some floating shelves is good to decorate - just be warned, people (especially husbands) do have a habit of throwing keys, mail, newspapers, etc. in this area. I would not consider the darker wall, while it looks great and makes a fabulous impact statement, your bright and cheerful entry is far more liveable on a daily basis. Art to me is the best answer, search 'arranging wall art' on Houzz and you will get hundreds of ideas. You can use paintings or photos, just choose your theme and colour choice. Black and white can look stunning too and as you will see from Houzz photos an eclectic mix works as well. One idea I picked up was painting the frames in a solid colour - I project I hope to work on this year. [houzz=] [houzz=] [houzz=] I love the layout of your home too.

Look at my city art prints. They fit the cool theme. Or for something more traditional look at the limited edition painting prints on the same site. You can find them on printspace.com.au

For those interested and who are able to Sydney Contemporary today, Habitus are hosting a panel discussion (imminently!) on the topic of selecting art for your interiors : What are the do’s and don’ts of art in the home? How can you design a home around the artworks you love – or create a space for them? When should you consider artwork in the design process?

I think a clear (Lucite?) console table would work well, with perhaps a plant in nice timber plant stand and possibly a decorative basket underneath. A smallish bowl on table could serve as a holder for keys, sunglasses, etc., unless you already have a drop-off point in entryway. I do like idea of other for potted plant in hall upstairs, but perhaps not in path of stairs, esp with those two doors located there. Here are photos to give idea.