Apr 18, 2021

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Front doors are special - they're the fist interaction people have with your home. They make the first and strongest impression. Pottery and plants have long played an important role in cultivating a personalized entryway. Here’s a little list of things to consider as you search for just the right pot that will say Welcome to My Home!

Pinpoint where you want your pottery to be placed.
Then determine how wide or narrow of a pot the space can accommodate.
A pot that’s too big makes the entryway feels cluttered instead of inviting.
A practical, safe, easy-to-use entry is most important.
Once you know how wide you can go, imagine what the smallest suitable size is so that you have a range to work within on your search.

Accent pottery for a front door needs to stand up to the scale of the architecture.
Medium to larger pieces tend to make more sense.
Anything under 12” wide will probably get lost due to scale.
Anything over 20” will usually be more appropriate.
You can always add smaller accent pieces once a larger focal piece is selected.

Height is more about personal preference or the style of your home's architecture. Tall and formal? Lower and more casual? It’s all about your taste.
But design considerations like sight lines and plant choice help you to get the most out of your purchase.
Very low pots like bowls and minis may be lost, especially if planted and draped in foliage, as people approach your door.
An exception to this rule is raised entryways - if there are steps up to your front door, lower, smaller containers will be in people’s sight lines as they approach your steps.
The higher your entry from ground level, the lower and smaller the pots can be and still provide visual impact.

If you plan to play with a grouping of pots, consider the Rule of 3:

three pots
three sizes
three styles

You may choose to adapt this rule by choosing different sizes but sticking to the same style. But it's good to consider variety when creating a grouping of pots because it's organic and welcoming.
Sticking to the same style and size is ideal for a more formal aesthetic . It tends to work best with just two pots framing the entry.

Steph Green with Contained Creations recommends using the Rule of Thirds:

Divide the height of your door (including the transom if you have one) into thirds.
A planter that's 1/3rd the height is a good starting point.
Any plantings will look great growing up to 2/3rds of the door height.
Leave the top 1/3 open for light fixtures or plain old open space for spatial balance.