Why A Friends' Entrance Is A Must-Have In A Southern Home

Our 2024 Southern Living Idea House in Kiawah River makes a friendly first impression. A tabby sidewalk deposits neighbors and visitors from the street onto the front porch, where they’re greeted by blossom-filled planters and glowing gas lanterns. Of course, you expect the front of a house to put its best face forward, but at the Idea House, our side door (the entry point from the garage and driveway) makes for an especially cheery welcome too. That’s all thanks to the friends’ entrance—the feature that belongs in every Southern home. 

How It Got Its Name

With easy access to the garage breezeway and the outdoor living room, the side entry could have simply operated as a pass-through space. But that wouldn’t fly with our Idea House team, who wanted to activate every square inch of the home. “Everyone often ends up cramming in the kitchen, so what we created were these other places to get together or stop and rest,” says architect Kirsten Schoettelkotte of MHK Architecture. 

Designer Allison Elebash was charmed by the idea. “It’s one of my favorite spaces in the house,” she says. “I love that [the architects] named it the friends’ entrance. It’s so Southern. Where else do you have an entrance that’s dedicated to friends? I just feel like it’s such a welcoming name.”

What's So Special About The Friends' Entrance

She followed the name’s lead, transforming the nook into a pretty bar that inspires help-yourself hospitality. “I think you should always have a setup where people feel like they can make their own drinks,” says Allison, who chose blue-and-white zellige tiles for the backsplash and a vintage sconce to give it a sense of age. 

The proximity to the screened porch only enhances the spot’s appeal. “Its connectivity to the outdoor spaces is really special,” notes Kirsten. Allison agrees: “It’s easy to access from the screened porch, so it’s so nice when you have friends over. Everyone can come and go and make their own drinks; it feels welcoming and casual.”

Of course, you don’t have to have a full-blown wet bar at your side door. The concept of a friends’ entrance is as simple as encouraging friends and neighbors to come on in, wherever they please.