entry foyer story

As you know I'm slowly but surely working to update the house tour on the ol' blog. Since so many of you are new around here (welcome!), as I'm updating the photos I'm sharing the makeover stories. Most of the spaces in our home have evolved over time......Rome wasn't built in a day and all that......so I thought it would be fun to take a walk down project memory lane. I started this house tour update by sharing our kitchen makeover story as that really is the heart of home.

Today I'm taking the tour back to the front door and inviting you all into our entry foyer.

This is the first house we've called home that has an actual entry foyer. It was a little intimidating at first trying to decided what to do decor wise in this space. I decided to go bold with color (Porter Apple Red), keep the furniture classic and bring in some whimsy and personality. One the biggest changes made was having dark bamboo hardwood floors laid. The sleek look of the almost black floors with all the traditional picture frame moulding makes for a great combination of traditional and modern.

One of the first projects I did in this space was to use magnetic primer and chalkboard paint to create a message board. Most of the year it says, "Be Nice or Leave." But I have fun changing it up with the seasons and holidays. (Christmas) (Thanksgiving)

I also spray painted a thrifted chair gold using my favorite gold spray paint.

Shortly after creating the message board, I had the stair treads and banisters painted glossy black. (The oil based paint has not failed to withstand wear and tear over the years.) What a huge difference the black made! The power of paint never fails to surprise me! It really made the staircase look much more grand while keeping the look clean and classic. I also framed black and white photos of all the houses we've called home and hung them on the staircase wall. It's a fun way to display a little bit of our history on the walls.

The table we use in our entry foyer is actually an old stereo cabinet that belonged to my hub's grandparents. I just cleaned it up and changed the hardware. We're so grateful to have some special heirloom pieces.

The mirror hung above is from Ballard Designs and the mirrored tray was a Target find. I love a good mix of old meets new.

To update the shiny brass sconces that flank the mirror, I used rub n' buff in gold leaf to tone down the shiny-ness of the brass which gave them more of an antique vibe. I added a single initial monogram to the shades using black chalkboard vinyl and a chalkboard pen. I also wrapped the candle sticks with greek key ribbon.

Because we don't have a coat closet nearby I created an entry foyer drop spot for our guests.

There's a coat rack and umbrella stand on the opposite side of the door.

Having the door painted black was one of the best decisions ever made. The black hides all the smudge and fingerprints plus looks classic and timeless.

Last but not least one of the biggest changes made in this space was to replace the large shiny colonial style brass chandy with this antique looking iron and crystal bead chandy I bought during a lighting sale at Ballard Designs years ago.

It's on a dimmer and is just so pretty from the outside at night.

It's hard to capture in person but when the sun sets light shines so beautifully through this big picture window and the little crystal beads are so so pretty.

So that's the entry foyer story in a nutshell. Thanks for coming along on the tour!

I'll be back with another room story very soon!