What Is an Antechamber?

An antechamber is a small room situated outside of the main room, but inside of the outer doorway. It is most often called the entrance hall because it connects the main room to the outer door. Basically, it links the outside with the inside. In most homes and businesses this is where the coats will be hung, where a greeter or butler will meet them and allow them to wait in order for them to be announced, or a place where shoe and boot closets or racks are placed. It also will usually have a table with some decorations, and be a neutral color compared to the main rooms that are found within.

This miniature room is commonly used to allow visitors to wait inside, out of the weather, but not far enough into the building to be within the inner private sanctum. In certain instances the person will be told to wait within the antechamber while the owner of the house is made aware of their presence. If the owner does not want the person to gain entrance into the building, then they will come out into the antechamber and talk with them briefly before sending them on their way. This allows the owner to screen which visitors actually gain entrance into the main room.

A standard antechamber will contain various objects around it that make the building seem neutral and inviting, as well as offering a place to hang coats and place shoes or boots. The walls and ceiling will be a neutral color, and the design structure of it will be nice but common. In this way the visitor will feel welcome but will not know exactly what the inner rooms are likely to contain. Most antechambers will have tile or wood flooring since it is directly past the outer door. Closets or coat hangers will be available for them to hang their bulky outer garments onto, and if the building does not allow shoes or boots into the main rooms, there will be racks or closets in which to place them.

An antechamber is basically what the majority of people would call an entrance-way, except for the fact that it is actually a small room instead of just a hallway. Many people build an enclosed porch onto their buildings, which serves as an antechamber. Even though there are numerous different sizes, types, and styles of these rooms the main premise is still the same. It connects the outer elements of the building to the inner areas that are considered private and privileged.