Making an Entryway More Inviting

Looking back through the past few years as I've moved from apartment to apartment, I realized I've never bothered to decorate the entryways. I was always too busy focusing on the other rooms to notice how empty and neglected the entryways were. Since the entryway is the first thing a guest sees when they step inside, it adds a nice touch when you make it just as welcoming and inviting as the rest of your home.

Living in an apartment has its challenges. I would have loved to paint this entryway a fun color or tear out the linoleum floor for real hardwood and baseboards. If it were up to me I'd even add a new door in an old world style with paned glass windows. However, having restrictions isn't always a bad thing, it inspires one to be creative with what they have.

Above is our entryway. As you can see in the before photo, it was really bare. The lighting was what we referred to as "murder light," as in murder on your eyes. You know - the super bright, washes out your skin type that leaves you blinking when you walk in and looking like a pasty ghost with deep shadows under your eyes. Then there's the circuit box, not horrible (especially since it was painted to match the wall) but not wonderful either. The two neutral colored rugs were actually hiding a blue internet cable to keep us from tripping on it. Fancy huh?


Our lucky break came when I was visiting my parents one weekend. I was out in their woodshed (an old barn) when I discovered a rusty piece of steel buried under a bunch of old garden tools. Dad figured it was something used to hold batteries or other electrical components in a workshop. I figured it was the perfect table base. He had no use for it and fished it out for me (thanks again dad!)

Together, we looked around for some wood and came across some weathered pieces of cedar that seemed destined for this table. After a few cuts, they fit perfectly. I cleaned it up and brought it home and what do you know - another perfect fit!

Next up was the big blank wall. I wanted to cover up the circuit breaker but still have it be accessible should we need it. Enter: an old broken mirror.

 

After removing the mirror part, I made the graphic art using vine charcoal and drew right onto the cardboard backing. I'm actually not sure about keeping it so this might change sometime in the future. I "hid" the internet cable by painting it a taupe color and hot gluing it to the metal carpet tack strip (making sure to test it first so that it could easily be pulled off should we move).

To solve the light issue, I went to several places and bought lampshades to see which one would look the best. The one we all liked turned out to be too small and since they didn't have any in a larger size I returned them all and decided to make my own using the famous embroidery hoop and burlap DIY idea that's been floating around the blogosphere (I'll post a tutorial soon).

 Here's a look at the entryway now when you walk in the front door:

 

The mirror is great for checking hair and makeup before leaving, and the basket under the table will probably be used to hold mail as we come inside. I'm looking forward to switching out the accessories as the seasons change too.

I'm participating in Metamorphosis Monday over at Between Naps on the Porch!

Project Link Party!

Hello everyone!

The time has finally come for the project link party! Here's what I've been up to over the last two weeks. I'll be sure to go into more details for certain projects later on.

{Click on the images to make them bigger}

Entryway

Door to headboard

Office makeover

Chair redo

Updated urns

Painted laminate cabinet

Now let's cut to the good stuff, show me what you've got! This link party will be up through next Thursday, Sept 23rd at 6pm so if you're just joining in, find a project you've been meaning to do and add your link!

Rules:

• Create a blog post about a DIY/Home decorating project that you've been meaning to get to (recent projects are ok!)
  
• Be sure to add a link to your blog post including your project and not just your blog
• Grab the Project Link Party button or link to this post and have your readers join in!
  

Inspiration: Speed Decorating

Good afternoon! It's overcast and chilly here in the northwest, a perfect day for finishing up a few small things for the projects I posted about almost two weeks ago, and I'm happy to say things are wrapping up nicely. How are your projects going? I'll be posting the link party tomorrow at 6pm PST and I'd love for you to join in the fun!

Two weeks ago I also mentioned a book I read called "Speed Decorating" and I thought I would share some of my favorite photos from the book. When I'm stuck on something (decorators block?), I look at inspirational photos to jump start my mind. Sometimes the photos can lead to even more projects, which is fine with me!

Below: I love how dramatic this black fireplace mantle is! The teapot on the tree stump turned side table is adorable too.

The fresh flowers are such a pretty focal point here:

I'm tempted to use these red shelves as inspiration for a smaller project of mine, every house could use a bold splash of color!

I love wood counter tops for the element of warmth they add to a kitchen.

What a cozy place to sit down and write! I once found a metal desk lamp like the one below at a thrift store (in an oil rubbed bronze finish) and I was kicking myself for not buying it, until I found a way to add lighting to my office area for $0! I'll be showing you tomorrow, can't wait!

Room Redo: Attic Playroom

I'm back with another photoshop room redo. Remember the attic my parents and I cleaned out a while back? We were surprised by how much space there was. Once we finish cleaning it, the majority of the things that will remain in the room will be kids toys. The ceiling is low at about 7 feet and the door into the room is very small as well. That's when we had a light bulb moment, what if we turned this attic space into a playroom?

I got to work designing a room that would be fun for kids and full of storage. Because the attic actually extends beyond this room, my parents wouldn't be losing much storage space for other attic-worthy items and since a corner of this room has been dedicated to toys anyway, it would be the perfect space to make use of them. The room is also out of the way so my darling new niece and any future grand kids can make as much mess as they want.

My inspiration actually came from these tea towels, on sale right now at Target for $8-9. I loved the warm colors and wanted to incorporate them into the room.

Here's the attic before:

And the after:

Starting at the back, I've always been fond of window seats, especially when there is something interesting to look at outside. Built in bookshelves flank each side of the seat, which has a cozy plaid cushion, soft curtains and pillows, making it the perfect place to curl up and read a book under the lamplight on a rainy day. A diamond grille on the window and a dentil cut valance in raspberry adds extra charm.

Did you notice the blue table in the back right corner of the before photo? We would cut it down to be a more appropriate size for the room and paint it white. Storage boxes underneath would corral toys. Upper kitchen cabinets added as built ins into the knee walls provide tons of storage space as well.

See the raspberry stripe? The stripe above it would be painted a few shades lighter than the ceiling paint to act as "crown molding" - a trick to make the short attic ceiling appear taller.

Before (the other side):

After:

A sectional couch full of colorful pillows is the perfect place for kids to plunk down and watch a movie or play a video game. A white Moroccan pouf could be moved anywhere in the room for extra seating. The wood floors would be sanded and stained a deep espresso color and a Flokati rug adds an extra touch of coziness and texture. Recessed lighting would work well with the low ceilings, and a few lamps (Velcro'd down of course since this is a playroom) would cast a warm glow. A tone on tone pattern on the wall (I love the pattern used by The Vintage Laundress) adds a bold punch of color.

As a side note, the accessories used in the bookshelves would probably be toys rather than vases or other breakable things.

Here is a top-down floor plan of the space for better visualization:



Since the room would need insulation and drywall (not to mention a ton of decorations) this idea is really a pipe dream right now while the rest of the house is under construction, but it sure has been fun to think about!

Thrifty Finds

I went out thrift shopping with my mom and our good friend Krissy yesterday. Krissy showed us some great new places and if you're ever in the Redmond/Bellevue area of Washington you should check out the Children's Hospital Thrift Store. It's incredibly clean, the prices are low for what I normally see in thrift stores AND the profits from the store benefit children. Win-win-win!

Here are some of the thrifty things I picked up for a grand total of $6.10:

A wooden bowl. I think it would be perfect on our coffee table or to add a rustic touch on a bookshelf.

A carved wooden candle holder. I'll show you where this little guy ends up when I finish up my projects in a little over a week.


A silver plated mint julep cup! This was only $1.60 (still needs a bit of polishing) but it'll make the perfect vase for flowers.

What are your favorite thrift stores?

Urns - Which do you prefer?

You may have seen the urns I posted yesterday for the project link party. I've been trying to decide what to put in them and there seem to be so many options! What do you have in yours? A fun pop of color or a sleek and classy evergreen? Maybe even something a little more festive?

{via Room U}

{via NicNac Maniac}

{via Trusty's Landscaping}

{via Pawleys Island Posh}

{via Emily Ash}

{via BGhandtools}

{via Good Housekeeping}

Finish that Project Link Party!

I recently read a book called "Speed Decorating" by Jill Vegas (checked out from my local library), which provides tips on how to find your style and create the atmosphere you want in your home quickly. I'm still having a bit of trouble wrapping my head around re-designing an entire house in 1 week or less (unless you have a truckload of money!) but I know doing a few rooms is definitely something the average Joe can accomplish, especially if you re-purpose and re-use things you already have. If you're selling your house any time soon, this can be a pretty handy book!


One of the tips that really stuck with me though, was: "All you need to do is dive in." She really emphasizes that the point to speed decorating is to stop procrastinating, one of my hugest road-blocks when I'm trying to decorate one of my own rooms, or simply finish a project.

So with that in mind, I'm giving myself a deadline of two weeks to finish up a few things that I started over a year ago, as well as some new projects! We all have things we've been meaning to finish, so I thought it would be fun to host a link-up party (my very first!) and include all of you as well! If you lurk, comment or even if you are a first time visitor here, I'd love to see your handiwork!


The rules are pretty simple, I'll post the link party on Thursday, September 16th, giving you plenty of time (I hope!) to finish up a fabulous project. It can be an entire room, a piece of furniture, or even an accessory - something you've been meaning to get around to. Then, link up your post and share your work with everyone!

Here's a sneak peak of the things I'll be including:

Entryway update:

Re-purposing an old door:

My office:

A chair redo:

Updating urns:

Painting a laminate cabinet:

Be sure to tell your friends and join in the fun! I can't wait to see what everyone has to share!