Front Door Mats Australia

CREATING IMPRESSIVE ENTRYWAYS

An entranceway defines the first impression visitors make of your building. Entranceways are expected to be warm and welcoming. They are expected to be places that celebrate the visitor and their sense of arrival. Good design expects that entranceways offer a safe, protected, functional space to transition from the outside to the inside .

THEATRE AND DRAMA IN ENTRANCEWAYS

There is a theatre, a sense of drama, a clear sequence to how visitors make their entrance into a building (Auckland Design Manual, 2021; Bithell, 2015; Crafti, 2015). Firstly, if visitors can identify their destination (property lines and building site) from afar on the street, it builds a sense of approach and anticipation. Then, if they can identify the place and point of entry from the street onto the property line, it builds a sense of direction and connection. Next, there is a threshold, from where the visitor moves from the outside to the inside. Finally, there is a sense of arrival, of reaching the destination, a climax – that introduces the visitor to the wonders and beauty of the entrance foyer itself.
At each of these places of transition, visitors often expect to see where they are going, without being seen themselves. They expect to pause at times, collet themselves and their belongings, fix themselves up, before they enter you space. When they actually do enter your place, they expect themselves to make, in return, a good first impression on you.

FUNCTIONAL EXPECTATIONS OF ENTRANCEWAYS

From a functional point of view, a good shelter & lighting, heighten the sense of drama. Clear signage, clean lines of sight assist in wayfinding. Clean, slip-free, trip-free, catch-free floors add a sense of safe, dignified functional access.

Once at the doorway, visitors will instinctively search for a place to wipe their feet. Visitors need to perform this action, unobtrusively and without obstruction. A well-designed entranceway, will always offer a safe, discreet and functional front door mat, right outside the entrance doors for this purpose.

WHAT IS THE MAKE OF A GOOD ENTRY MAT?

At Paige Stainless we make front entry door mats out of stainless steel. Yes, that’s right, stainless steel, for clean, easy to maintain entry door mats.

Our door mats are made out of heelgaurd wedge wire grating. They provide a clean, attractive surface that helps to prevent trips and catches thanks to our PAIGE STAINLESS HEELGUARD ® grating technology. Furthermore, supplied in a slip resistant finish, our entry mats allow visitors safe, equitable access to your building. The unique properties of wedge-wire allow water to drain quickly away from your entrance door, further reducing the risk of slippage. The heelgaurd surface ensures that high, pointy heels do not catch on the floor, removing the risk of a trip-hazard at entranceways. They can be installed both outside and inside. Indoor floor mats add another layer of safety and access to the entrance way, whilst providing a sleek, unified transition from outside to inside.

If you are in the process of designing a superior entranceway, give us a call and see how we can help you create something grand, dynamic and theatrical. Our floor entry mats are guaranteed to meet Australian specifications and standards regarding underfoot safety, dirt and moisture control and aesthetic appearance.

References

Auckland Design Manual. (2021). Defining the entrance. Auckland Design Manual. http://www.aucklanddesignmanual.co.nz/sites-and-buildings/mixed-use/guidance/streettofrontdoor/definingtheentrance
Bithell, J. (2015). Design Considerations for a Welcoming Entry. Houzz. https://www.houzz.com.au/magazine/design-considerations-for-a-welcoming-entry-stsetivw-vs~49142851
Crafti, S. (2015). Architecture: entrance ways that create a strong first impression. Financial Review. https://www.afr.com/life-and-luxury/design/architecture-entrance-ways-that-create-a-strong-first-impression-20150721-gih169