An Entryway Makeover
Hey, friends! I have recently checked another project off of my to-do list (phew!), and I am excited to share it with you today. If you saw this post from back in March, you may remember that redoing our stairs/entryway was on my list of projects to get done before baby arrives. Well, after starting the project in mid-May, I can finally say that the entryway makeover is done.
While it’s not the most dramatic makeover ever, it is a nice change, and I am happy with the way it turned out. I found this space particularly hard to decorate, and I imagine there will be a few tweaks in the future.
But, without further ado, let me show you what it used to look like.
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“Before” Photos
It wasn’t too bad to begin with, but I was ready for a fresh new look. Plus, I have been desperate to get rid of the carpet ever since we moved into the house 5.5 years ago…
So, here it is now.
The “After”
We ended up only painting below the chair rail in the entryway, because the color above it runs all the way up the stairs and throughout the entire upstairs hallway. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the time to tackle all of that right now, although I would have loved to.
So, here’s a run down of some of the changes we made.
We installed a new light fixture, and added a rug back in. (I didn’t capture the old light fixture in the before photos, so you’ll just have to trust me when I say it was pretty outdated.) Initially, I was a bit worried that the new fixture would be too big for the space, but I actually think it works pretty well. I also love the pattern it casts on the walls.
And I’m loving the new rug. We lost our dog a year ago, due to old age and failing health. In the last few months and his declining condition, he ended up ruining the rug. So, we tossed it out, and just never replaced it. I love having a soft rug back in this space though, and I think the color really warms it up. (It is also very much cat-approved.)
The biggest part of this makeover, though, was the stairs. Here’s the before and after back to back.
I love the new look! It’s clean and simple and that awful carpet is gone. Woohoo! Click here for the full tutorial about how we transformed the staircase on a low budget.
I found this corner very awkward to try and decorate. Obviously, I never did come up with anything to put here. I originally had a plant stand there, but I’m just not sure what to do with it now. It’s not quite big enough for a piece of furniture, such as a bench, and I hesitated to put something tall, like a hall tree, in front of all of the trim work. Any suggestions as to what to do here are welcome!
I do, however, love the little succulent hangings that I came up with for the wall. I made them myself, and I’ll also be posting a how-to for those in the next few weeks.
The last thing I want to point out is the doorknob hangar on the opposite side of the entryway.
My dad actually made this a number of years ago, and it has been hanging in the house that he grew up in for most of that time. My grandparents passed away quite a few years ago, so my parents purchased the house. They fixed the house up, and both my brother and I spent a number of years living there.
My grandpa lived through the depression, and like many from that era, was quite a collector. After my parents purchased the house, my dad found a big bucket of old, ornate doorknobs tucked away. So, he made this, and hung it up as a coat hanger at the back door. They recently took it down and asked if I wanted it, and of course, I said yes!
I have also had a hard time coming up with just the right things to hang here though. I would prefer for it to be decorative, instead of functional, so that it stays visible when people enter the house and doesn’t become cluttered. Again, if you have any suggestions as to what to hang on it, I’m all ears.
So, that concludes my little tour for today. Thanks for taking a look! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.
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It looks great! Smart move to get rid of the two-tone paint and just go with white. Can’t wait to learn more about the succulent wall hangings!
Thanks, Laura! I am definitely liking the cleaner look of the white. And I seriously love the way the succulent hangings turned out. I’m hoping to get that tutorial up at the top of August. 🙂
It’s looks beautiful Amy. I love all the little touches, like the framed succulents and the doorknob hanger. Perhaps you can hand some sepia photos of you guys on them? You’re going have so many new lovely photos when your little one arrives 😉 And those stairs OMW, what a difference. I’m not sure what to do in that “awkward corner” though. Perhaps something shorter that draws the eye up without hiding the trim on the stairs.?
Thank you! Hanging pictures from the doorknob hanger is a great idea! I will start mulling over how I could do that, because you’re right, there will be LOTS of pictures in the near future! Thanks for the idea. 🙂
I love the new makeover, and the new rug. If it’s cat approved that’s all that matters. Lol. I’m glad you removed the rug from the stairs, they are gorgeous. Love the new light fixture. Great job, it’s all turned our beautiful.
Thanks so much! I’m so glad to get rid of the carpet, as well. It really makes such a difference. And yes, it’s all about the cats, right?! 😉
Your entryway looks very attractive. The white and neutral wall colors look crisp and calm, creating a nice effect at the entrance to your home. Love the new rug, too!
Carol (“Mimi”) at Home with Mimi
Thank you! We are enjoying it!
what a fabulous space you created. well done! Found this on #HappyNow link up
Thank you so much! And thanks for stopping by!
Beautiful! it’s so much more bright and fresh now. And the hard woods on the stairs are gorgeous.
Thank you! We are loving the stairs. 🙂
Love the changes and can’t wait to see the tutorial on the stair treads. We had new carpet installed on our stairs, but it’s just not holding up and I would love to refinish them to coordinate with our hardwood upstairs. Thanks so much for sharing at the #happynowlinkup!
Thanks, Leslie! I’m looking forward to doing the hallway at some point, so that the entire upstairs is hardwood. Do you have hardwood underneath your carpet? If so, it’s really a pretty easy project! Thanks again!
Amy it’s a MILLION times better! The lower wall paint makes a huge difference and the wooden stairs are just gorgeous. Well done – you must be so pleased with the result! xx
Thank you! Yes, I am loving the white on the bottom. I would have loved to have lightened the top half, as well, but as I said in the post, that would have been a MAJOR paint project. Someday… In the meantime, though, it is definitely a big improvement, and we are enjoying the change. 🙂
What a lovely update to the entryway Amy. The rug is so pretty and full of life. But that’s not all. I think its the little details that make it come alive, the knob hanger and the pretty heart, along with those cool succulent art frames. I need to see that tutorial.
Thank you so much, Mary! I, too, am loving the all the details, and the succulent tutorial will be up on the blog next week. 🙂 They’re maybe my favorite part of this makeover!