We rehabbed the original front door back in the fall. (Read about it here and here.) And now that we’re actually using it, it’s time to spruce up the entry.
I should point out that we don’t have a true entry or foyer. The front door opens up into the living area of our great room. To create the feeling of an entry, I placed an oversized chair perpendicular to the door and hung DIY wood shelves on one wall. This setup hugs the front door so when you enter the house there’s a “pause” or a moment before you step foot into the living room. Don’t mind the zigzag floor poufs. Those things act as bean bags for my kids and they get moved around a lot – from the entry to the living room to the boys’ bedroom and back. More than likely, they’ll get booted from the entry.
I want the entry to have a clear purpose (welcoming guests, taking off shoes, hanging coats and bags, etc.) but it needs to have the same vibe as the rest of the space. Adding a few key pieces will optimize the entry’s function and style.
Outside, I’ll be adding satin nickel house numbers, a crazy cool doorbell button, greenery in a sculptural planter, and a striped coconut fiber doormat to make the plain entrance more inviting. A fun bubble umbrella might make an appearance, too. The simplicity, texture and clean lines of the items hint at what’s going on inside the house.
Just inside the front door, there will be a woven bench, steel & wood coat hooks and a framed “Staredown” print.
I scored the hooks for $35 due to a pricing error in West Elm’s winter catalog. They were listed at $35 in the catalog and I immediately went online to order them but was disappointed to find them listed at $60. I sent an email to their customer service department kindly stating that I thought they should honor the price in the catalog even if it wasn’t the correct price. They did!
I had a hard time finding a bench that was the right size, style and price (preferably less than $100) for the entry. But on a late night date with myself at Target, I found the woven cotton and jute bench marked down from $110 to $82. (It’s now priced at $77.) It’s the exact size I was looking for and the organic vibe is my jam.
*UPDATE: I checked to see if Target would do a price change on the bench. They said they couldn’t since I bought it more than two weeks ago. I asked if I could return it and then turn right back around and buy it for the $77 clearance price. They said yes so that’s what I did just today. Aw yeah. Who used to work in retail? This girl.*
I want to DIY a simple wall hanging reminiscent of a dreamcatcher to hang near the front door. I love the gold and string fiber art featured on The Merrythought last month. It will be my inspiration.
A thin-framed mirror will go on the wall perpendicular to the door. I had a hard time finding a mirror I liked that was shallow enough for the narrow space between the wall and door when opened but I finally hunted one down. FYI: It’s already hung and the way it reflects light from the trio of windows on the front door it nothing short of amazing.
Of course, there will be a few surprise (!) last-minute accessories to liven things up even more. I’ll be working with Wayfair (like I did for my workspace reveal) to bring this project to fruition. It should go live late April / early May and I’ll be sharing all the nitty gritty details along with before-and-afters right here. Stay tuned…
Click here to find out who won the NatureBox giveaway.
images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking, linked within
budget decor, DIY, interior design, mood board