That's what my mom has too, except she has tile in a square in front of the door.

My sister had this situation. She placed the couch perpendicular to the door to create a "hallway" behind the couch just inside the door. Then she put a colorful runner there behind the couch and a tall narrow table against the back of the couch for keys and such, and boots/shoes were placed underneath the table. She added a hall tree for coats. A pretty lamp on the table lit the "hallway" and the couch itself.

Putting the couch there made the living room smaller but cozy, with an armchair and coffee table arranged in a conversation-type area.

Yeah, it's a problem. My front door opens into our eat-in kitchen. No room for any kind of entry and no coat closet anywhere! We take people's coats when they come in and put them in the back bedroom. I like oldgardeners idea of using furniture to create an entry area. Would that work for you?

The front door opens into the LR, right next to the eat-in kitchen. We use our LR more like a media room (big TV, speakers, stereo). The primary seating needs to face the TV - and I don't think we could do that if we positioned the couch to form a hallway.
We might be able to put a snall console table in the kitchen near the door to serve as a drop zone. Maybe have some hooks for guest coats.

I have the same issue and am in progress working on mine. I've found this article to be really helpful with the decision process.

Here is a link that might be useful: [8 Ideas for a Small Entry[(https://www.houzz.com/magazine/weekend-decorating-8-ideas-for-a-small-entry-stsetivw-vs~403771)

Those are some good ideas dalmadarling; I bookmarked it. I really like the one with the wall lights.

And in Sarah Susanka's books, somewhere she mentions such a situation. And her approach includes the option to add a piece to the ceiling which defines the small area devoted to the entry. You put the special flooring down, and it is also good to define the entry CEILING as well. Especially if you can add lighting there.

In another of the HOUZZ idea books, they had a square open back shelving unit which they placed instead of using the sofa as a traffic director. The spaces were squares and they added nice baskets to many of the spaces. If you do shelving there, and the room is small, keep the shelving without a back. Unless you make one end of it the area for a coat "locker",,,,,in which case it can become a "mudroom."

I don't think a formal console table would be appropriate in the kitchen area, but a piece that looks like a console, but suited to a kitchen, would be great. It might also serve for both recyclables such as paper recycling stuff and then winter boot tray, and a shelf above with hooks for coats or dog leashes or hats and gloves. It would be very useful if a butcher block top and wheels, so you could use it for a rolling island in times when guests are not coming over.

The type of entry that OldGardener describes for her sister is the solution we have in our Cape up here in MA. The living room is small to begin with. So I put this loveseat perpendicular to the front wall, which creates a walkway from the front door past a console table (on the wall opposite the back of the loveseat) and it leads to the tiny coat closet and the hallway to the main bath/powder area.
Actually there is only the loveseat, a lamp and small table, and two armed dining chairs beside the black granite fireplace hearth, plus the console table, in this room. We do use the space for quiet chatting with friends and family in a more one-on-one space. We have a huge (12 x 34) family room where there is another fireplace and the TV and a round painted drop leaf breakfast table, with an old sectional sofa....so the living room is a sweet little jewel of a space that provides a spot of calm and semi formality to a casual home.

That looks beautiful, moccasinlanding, great job on the decorating.

Oh, ML what a cheerful color on the walls...and I like those rugs! :)

It's so pretty ML. When are you going to give us an online tour of this house?

Ah, Marti, probably never. We are in the middle of dismantling all the furnishings. I wanted to leave it looking its best for staging it to sell. However, DH is now intent on clearing out most everything that is soft and pretty.

I think it has to do with my ultimatum that after 6 years of hem-hawing around, I was not coming back north next year. It is ridiculous that he cannot let a contractor do the necessary work on the bathroom here, that he's been remodelling since he came north on Mother's Day to do. And he still has not done it. It has been a great bone of contention with us, just about to the divorce stage if you get my drift. He is stubborn, and I am determined. (same thing I do believe.)

So, thank you for the kind remarks. I've loved being here, but time has run out on my energy devoted to this lovely 2000 sq ft cape, counting the finished basement, and I must devote my dwindling energy to ONE home, ONE town, ONE garden. I feel like Ulysses in Tennyson's poem, at the end of his days, one of my favorite poems ever.

But, not to change the focus here, I think the entryway is perfectly acceptable since the room has little activity going on. And it is an intimate small space giving an idea of what the rest of the house is like.

The color on the walls is BEHR WARM TERRACOTTA, flat latex enamel. One of my favorites for social areas. It is a strong color. However, I find it plays well with green plants and black accents such as picture frames and fireplace stones of black granite. Then of course, a white satin or semigloss trim.

I totally understand. But you can always use the pictures you have on the seller listing and then people can get a visual of how to use the space.

Good point, Marti. I will have to give the realtor the shots, when he does commit to a realtor.

Meanwhile, I went to Lowes and bought 60 packing boxes so I can begin boxing the books. And stowing the china which belonged to his mama.....not antique, but from his childhood which means close to 75 year old plates? wow. I don't want to break any now!! American Limoges Hollywood pattern I think, a creamy white with a narrow gold band. So the study will be the first room to go, except for my computer, which gets to stay until I grab it up and walk out the door. Sigh....parting is such sweet sorrow.

Prospect, I'm a big fan of the Apartment Therapy blog when it comes to small spaces. If you search for "landing strip" there, you'll find a ton of posts. I've linked to one post that has links to several others to give you an idea.

One word of warning--the AT site has a strong mid-century modern bias, but if you can see past the style of what they are doing to *how* they are doing it, you can get a wealth of ideas for your space.

And despite the name, there are a lot of houses and a lot of owners posting there, not just renters of tiny apartments.

Here is a link that might be useful: AT landing strip ideas