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Wednesday, January 22, 2014

My Favorite House Tour - Entryway (and a cry for help)

While I only plan to be in this house a few months longer, I still want to make it as much of a home as possible.  I realized that the longer you stay in a place, the more it become "the norm" and I have a tendency to let the decorating desire go down simply because my house becomes a place to crash, and not a place to enjoy.  So, I took a tour.....of my own house!  I wanted to get a fresh look at everything as though I was walking through a friend's house who needed some decoration help/guidance.



Looking this week at the entryway, here's what I told myself:

Pros: I like the yellow greeting....


And the giant ruler for measuring the kids....


But the rest needs some zing - this is an entry way!

Ideas:


  •  A bright braided rug (picture from A Beautiful Mess)
  • Hanging plants in the windows that peep into the living room (Augh, can't re-find the website where I found this originally)
  • Some big piece of art in the blank space behind the door (picture from Pinterest, but no credit attached)

So, fresh eyes out there - what would YOU do to add a little spice to this space?  Take something away?  Add something?  How do I make it feel cozy with all that beige?  Should I find a little bench for under the coats, or would that make it too crowded??  I'd really love suggestions and pictures or something in the comments here.  Help a sister out!

8 comments:

Ben said...

1st, I'd have a small entryway table for my keys...

2nd, Get a 6 space bookshelf (seen here: http://www.biglots.com/p/system-build-6-cube-cubby-resort-cherry) put the fabric drawers on the top 3 cubbies. This is where the kids' gloves and things go. The lower cubbies become their shoe storage. - Above that, 2 low hanging command-hooks for their backpacks and coats with their names on/around the hook. (it'll be adorable) Use the top of the bookshelf-thing for some photos or whatnots.

Alison Beach said...

I definitely love the idea of something to put my keys on. But where to put a table like that? I thought about getting one of those telephone tables that has a chair/shelf combo.

I love that bookshelf! I'm definitely going to measure it out and see if it fits. It would go great under our hooks...

Great suggestions!

katie connors said...

a bookshelf/cubby is probably a cheaper way to do one of these (http://www.hayneedle.com/entryway/hall-trees_list_185360) halltree/locker combos. definitely the way to go.

i can't tell what you have directly to the right of your front door - it kind of looks like a golf bag to me - but one of these stupid little tables (http://www.target.com/p/half-moon-table-cherry/-/A-10414368) are tiny and actually quite nice. not much good for anything other than keys and mail, but if that's all you need, then a small table like that will fit. plus the shape makes it way more interesting and easier to fit!

i am against carpet over carpet simply because it is one more thing to vacuum and that much harder. but a long, narrow piece of artwork below that opening on the right would bring some color and draw the eye further. (unless your kids would bump into it, i'm not exactly certain how small children behave with things hanging low on walls!) alternative space for it - up high over the entryway. colorful fake flowers in a pretty vase would also bring some color into that window!

hooray, i feel like i'm using my interior design degree with a consultation!

Alison Beach said...

I know that carpet over carpet is more to clean, but since we put a rug in our living room, I'm a convert! The floor (when it's clean) is just SO BIG AND BEIGE that I feel like I need something.

Ooo...I like the idea of art hung low. As long as it's the right type, it wouldn't be bad with the kids.

On the right is a stroller that usually isn't there. Sometimes I throw my keys on the ledge of the peep-through-to-the-living-room window, but the baby pulls them down from the other side. It might be time to spring for that table....

Thanks!!

Andrea Messina said...

For a table that won't take up too much space...how 'bout a cool thrift shop table cut in half? 'Cause...y'know...thrift shops. http://scraphacker.com/cut-in-half-diy/

Alison Beach said...

Andrea, you had me at thrift stores. And DIY.

Vinnie said...

Hello,

I am going to leave my 2 cents here, first of all Kudos on the "hey there" and the ruler, i love them :)

I would def go with a hall table of some sort, but a narrow one, like a console table, perfect thing to look for at a thrift shop, or like Andrea said (love the idea) a thrift shop table cut in half, which you could, 1. if the legs were long enough, make it a good spot to drop your keys, and 2. if it had short legs like a coffee table, you could make it a little bench for the kids to sit and put on their shoes, or a combination of both!

Also, for that opening, perfect spot for a big piece of stained glass, you can get them reasonably priced, and it would hang so nicely in that opening and catch the light, and of course, all these things are things you can easily take with you if you move.

(or maybe a frame, that is painted, or looks good from both sides, and just hang it in the opening, kind of like an art piece, so a chunky heavy frame, maybe backed by another frame)

And I think a fun runner, or even a series of rag rugs, maybe in fun colors, get 5-6 inexpensive ones in different colors and line them down the hallway, if you do that though, I would probably stitch them together and make it kind of a long patchwork runner, because it will drive you NUTS trying to keep them all down the way you want them otherwise.

Sorry for the long post, I just had a lot of ideas :)

Alison Beach said...

Ok, so I'm definitely on board with some kind of table/cube thing for keys/mail/shoes.

I like your hanging frame idea better than my plants idea, Vinnie! Very cool!!

I'm really anxious to try out this braided rug DIY, but I also like the simplicity of the multicolor rugs sewn together.

These are awesome ideas - you all are the best!