Entryway Grid Mirror Wall (Perfect for Small Hallways)

A mirror in the entryway is a must. Not only does it serve a purpose for the last check before leaving the house. A mirror also helps to make a room appear to be larger. I still dream of an oversized entryway which looks like a luxury foyer with double doors, super high ceilings and nice decor. Maybe my next house will be my dream house, but until then, I need to make the best out of our builder-grade new construction home: with a Grid mirror.

Entryway design

Our house barely has an “official” entryway. Upon entering the house, you pretty much stand already in the living room. There is no proper separation or hallway. When we first moved in, we used our entryway console and a mirror we had from the past. It just didn’t match quite the style of our new home and furniture which wasn’t ideal as it was literally part of the living room.

In order to match our new style, we needed a new entryway table and mirror. However, I decided against a new table as it still would be in the way when opening the door to the closet. Just a small mirror would have looked too naked on the wall. Hence, the idea was born to make a grid mirror wall which would enlarge the area. It was also important to bring in some warmth due to the grey floors and tie in the design with the living room. I choose a wooden grid design which I could stain to match the wooden mantel of the fireplace.

Now, without the entryway table we would lose the storage space for our glasses, keys and wallets. I didn’t want to store them in the closet, so I came up with a shelf design which would hide these little things and add additional character to the home. The perfect DIY project was born. Read along…

Wooden Grid Mirror

To keep this project on a budget, I ripped 1×2″ Square edge whitewood boards into half with the table saw. This gave me almost square strips. You can of course buy perfectly square moulding, but then this would not be a DIY project on a budget anymore and trust me, only a few people will ever notice.

Once the boards were stripped, I slightly sanded them and then continued with the staining. I use my favorite Wood Stain mix: Dark Walnut and Ebony (Varathane) from Home Depot. Then I cut the horizontal strips which are the same width as the mirrors.

Installing the Grid and Mirrors

I bought the mirrors from Ikea. They are 12×12″ and come in a pack of four. At the time, Ikea had the best price out there. The mirrors come with sticky tape which I used for the bottom row of mirrors so that they will stick and stay at the wall immediately. For the remaining mirrors, I used Liquid nails to glue them to the wall. I started with the middle rows first by attaching the first mirror, followed by the horizontal wooden strip. For the wooden grid I used liquid nails and the brad nailer. Once the first set of mirrors was installed, I attached the horizontal wood strips.

I continued with the same pattern until all mirrors were installed. Finally, I added the outside strips as the frame.

Wooden Entryway Shelves

These tiny wooden shelves not only bring in additional wooden accents, but are also very practical. They hide glasses, keys and wallets so the entryway looks always organized. I simply used some painted MDF panels which I screwed into the wall. Then I attached 1/4″ stained plywood which would hide the belongings.