"The Handshake, The Smile"

The entry on the left looks quite nice, but probably isn't practical. It lacks any place to sit and remove one's shoes, right inside the door; any place to set a briefcase, grocery bag, or a purse right within reach. Perhaps stitching on something like you see on the right would solve the issue. I wonder about the idea, though, of a staired entry. The second floor of a home is typically the more private domain of a family and so stairs seem like a stifling adjunct to what is generally the most public space. I've found this to render a lot of entries with a vague sense of unease, for those upstairs as well as those in the entry, and they are thus marginalized -- part of why we normally enter through a side/garage door, into the kitchen. The problem with this, though, is that these entries aren't made up to be entries. They're drab, ugly, utility corridors.

Wouldn't entering through a proper entry, leading directly into a sunny kitchen/living area give one the most proper sense of welcome? "Here, you are welcome to our family as a social entity, come and go as you please, in and out of the activities which comfortably bring us together."