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Entry & Front Door Makeover {More Progress}

by | May 28, 2013 | Decorating Inspiration, Entry, my house

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Entry & Front Door Makeover {More Progress}

Entry Makeover

The entry should be a great first impression as you walk through the front door or invite guests in. Since our entry is an open two story space in the middle of the house, it requires extra consideration. It is not only where guests and family enter our home, it also connects so many spaces together.

We bought our house three and a half years ago. Little by little, we’ve been plugging away at our entry makeover. The goal in our new home is to add a little more charm and personality and make it an entry that really welcomes family and guests to our home. We’ve had a few twists and turns, but I feel like we are finally rounding a corner and things are coming together!

Entry & Front Door Makeover {More Progress}

So far you’ve seen:

the striped wall makeover
the stairway makeover
the new personalized chandelier to replace the flying goblet light
the progress when we got the new wood floors
the plank walls
and the big trim and entry wall painting project.
And the front door makeover on the outside!

Entry & Front Door Makeover {More Progress}

Let’s reflect back on how the front of the entry used to look, in case you’ve forgotten, shall we?

A fine room with some nice features, yes, but it sure has come along way! It is feeling more and more like home every day.

Take note, there is NO MORE SWINE in the entry so for that alone we rejoice. Amen?

Entry & Front Door Makeover {More Progress}

You might remember me saying our home has only one closet on the entire main floor.

We decided that it would be really beneficial to us to get better use out of the front entry.

Entry & Front Door Makeover {More Progress}

We added hooks to the wainscoting, basically turning our entry into more of a functional mudroom type space.

I’m LOVING the hooks! It’s amazing how a few simple hooks (ours are from Rejuvenation, source links at the bottom of the post) can transform how your home functions.

The cute little stool came from World Market and is the perfect spot for tying shoes.

Entry & Front Door Makeover {More Progress}

And to finish off the wall space, I found the mirrors at Target. Don’t you just LOVE the new Threshold line?

Entry & Front Door Makeover {More Progress}It’s so exciting to look back at how this room and the front door looked in the early days of living here, and how it looks now.

So, there you go!

Progress and more progress in the entry! It’s nice to be crossing things off my list. Want to see the latest in the entry? Here is a new post! Thrift Store Entry Vignette

**Update: We have now painted our door a dark gray! Come see the update here.

What rooms are you working on in your house?

Stool: World Market
Hooks: Rejuvenation Hardware
Mirrors: Target, Threshold line
Wall sconce: Lowe’s
Hardwood Floors: Mohawk
Paint Colors:
Gray walls, Behr All in One Studio Taupe
White Trim, Benjamin Moore White Dove
Black Door, Martha Stewart

56 Comments

  1. Kelly - Talk of the House

    That turned out beautiful! You did great!! I DO love the threshhold line from Target…very cute things. And I have been shopping for lights so much lately my eyes are crossing! I had eyeballed your sconce myself at Lowes.
    Yes, cross that baby off your list as not only done, but “done well.” :)

    Reply
  2. Sondra

    I’m new to your blog and enjoying the inspiration and creativity. Where can I purchase the rug?

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Oh yes, I guess I left that off my list. I’ll add it! It is an indoor outdoor rug from Ballard Designs online!

      Reply
  3. Laura

    I have just developed a serious crush on your black door! And your entryway? I could set up a tiny tent there and be very happy. Until Jack came along and thought I was a doggy potty. Thanks for the early morning inspiration!

    Reply
  4. Diane | An Extraordinary Day

    The black door is dramatic! Love it! But…I love how you planked below the door’s side windows and brought that whole area together with the white wainscoting. Of course the little details like the cool sconce and the mirrors are fab too. It really has that coastal feel now. And it’s great how you can easily welcome guests and make it easy to hang coats. I used to attend small group at a beautifully decorated house….and those hooks inside the door…in her fancy style would have been terrific. We just threw our coats on the the newel post and over chairs. There is no doubt Melissa…you have thoughtfully put this space together….and it’s way better than *anything* I’ve seen when it comes to function. Okay…now don’t go getting a big head now. ;)

    Reply
      • Diane | An Extraordinary Day

        ;) You have such a lovely humble spirit. It was fun to make that ‘suggestion.’ I must say I am so happy for you to be in this place of enjoying your home. God is good.

        Reply
  5. Amanda

    Some great inspiration here! I love the boarding of the side section, really practical, and looks fab!

    Reply
  6. Tracy B

    I love your entry! My entry goes right into my living room, but I would love to have hooks for purses and coats. I have always felt that it wouldn’t look right, but I may rethink the whole thing. I think I may take a cue from your inspiration!

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      My entry is actually open to the living room too, I just decided we might as well use the space we had and make it cute but functional!

      Reply
  7. Lynn from For Love or Funny

    Every time I think you can’t make your house look any better, you do! Love the white boarding and hooks…

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Aw, thanks Lynn! It is fun to just keep adding new layers to it and watch how it evolves over time!

      Reply
  8. Alison

    Looks great Melissa!

    Reply
  9. Shelia

    It looks marvelous! I love it.
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

    Reply
  10. Louise

    Hi Melissa — it’s so welcoming, soft, and easy yet so elegantly expressed, it’s a wonderful entryway. ~ You have made use in your home of board and batten, beadboard (not certain you’ve used that, actually), and now plain boards with a horizontal header. To learn the specific nature of it I’ve just done a search of board and batten and found the boys’ bathroom where you have it, which I clearly recall, but no description of b & b. How did you even know of these wall treatments as options? I wonder if you could explain exactly what board and batten is and, in your entryway, how you made the choice to go with plain board. And are there other woodwork options out there, too? Or does one simply think in terms of wainscoting and vary it large or small to one’s taste? But what materials? You see, I have questions —

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Hi Louise! I’ve lived in so many old houses and they all had different types of wood walls and ceilings. Even within the same house you might have several different types, so that is the eclectic look I love.

      You’ll notice that some of the wood in my house goes horizontally, some vertically and then as you mentioned, the board and batten. Board and batten is actually a lot like it sounds, it is a back solid board on the wall with “battens” (wood strips) that cover the seams.

      I just decide in each space what treatment would look the best or is the easiest to install on the type of wall we have. We originally thought about board and batten in the entry but the labor involved to get the measurements right on those particular walls was challenging, so we adjusted our plans. I want to add character, but not go crazy with the cost or labor involved so sometimes it just comes down to what is easiest for us or a contractor.

      I also consider the kind of house I have and the existing molding or wood trim. Our house had very simple craftsman style molding around the doors and windows, so you’ll also notice that my added wood walls are also very simple in design. No fancy details or carvings, just flat boards. That is how our woodwork is throughout, very simple, so it would feel strange to suddenly have something fancy in one room! I like consistency and flow through the house!

      We used real wood and made it nice and thick so the texture and “chunk” is evident. I don’t want wimpy moldings or faux feeling wood walls, especially in my craftsman house because it just wouldn’t feel right. I judge a lot of my house decisions by how things feel :-)!

      Hope that helps a little? Thanks again Louise!!

      Reply
      • Louise

        yes, that helps very much, Melissa. OBoy, now something else wonderful & do-able to rattle around in my head until I burst out with a full-blown idea. I created a stunned silence yesterday morning when I announced that the best place for character-adding beadboard in the kitchen that we’ve been talking about doing is not so much on the end of an island or cabinet, but ON THE WALL up from the peninsula between the two doorways, AND to build the molding up to the ceiling on top of each door frame on either side of the beadboard. I had quite a chuckle (in my head) at the reaction of my people! Thanks much much!

        Reply
  11. Lisa

    I love it! I don’t know that I would have been brave enough to paint a door black, but it looks so great! I’m loving the bead board, too.

    Reply
  12. Kerry

    This all looks so lovely! I love your emphasis on function too. Entryways are so often neglected but yours makes total sense now, and looks pretty too! I updated our awkwardly narrow entryway over the past year, and it works and looks much better as well. Thanks for all of your inspiration :)

    Reply
  13. twelveoeightblog

    Melissa,

    Your entry is lovely! This get me thinking about painting my door as our home is a two story entry to an open floor plan. Love to see your updates, have a great week!

    xo, Tanya

    Reply
  14. jamie

    I adore the entire area! The light is my favorite :)

    Reply
  15. Sara Fonacier

    I have been wanting to paint my front door, and I never would have thought of such a dark color, but it looks great! Your home is beautiful. I recently redid my hallway… I think the entry way may be next!

    Reply
  16. Tanya

    I really love the color you have on the walls. I still need to do my entry way. Can’t wait to see what I will do.

    Reply
  17. Chrissy

    Haha…what you describe as “swine” I call “bandaid”. My house was all a pinky-brown bandaid color from top to bottom when I bought it. Every wall, cabinet, surface and carpet. Luckily, you can rip a bandaid off quite easily!

    Reply
  18. Elizabeth

    so great! where did you get the rug? thanks! looking for colors like those

    Reply
  19. Beth

    Love this post. I am all about making the entryway functional and yet still beautiful. I’ve been wanting to put hooks near our front door, because despite having a mud room off of the garage, we still use the front door at least half of the time. But my husband thinks hooks would make it look too busy. I thought about getting a coat rack, but have been wavering. Any advice on using hooks without wainscoting? Placement, whether or not to get hooks on a board, and then there’s the issue of weight of what you are hanging and whether you need studs to screw the hooks into. Appreciate any thoughts!

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      Hooks in drywall is almost always a bad idea unless you are only hanging a scarf or something :-) so yes, you’d need the studs if you don’t have wood walls. It is great to put or buy hooks on a board so at least there is some added support! I love having the thick wood wainscoting because I don’t worry about heavier stuff hanging there, it is very solid. But using studs for the hooks should help a lot if you are just using drywall! :-)

      Reply
  20. Deanna

    Very, very nice!

    So functional yet stylish!

    Reply
  21. teresa

    Perfect…my favorite parts are the hooks and umbrella basket.
    Thanks for sharing

    Reply
  22. Working Mom

    Absolutely love what you have done! We just recently purchased a dark charcol grey entry door. Love the way it contrasts from the walls!

    Reply
  23. karen

    melissa the trim around your widows is it a wide piece of wood without ang crown but with a strip of trim

    Reply
  24. Space By Design

    I love seeing the before and after photos, it looked good before but now it is absolutely fantastic!

    Reply
  25. Diana W.

    Just a note to let you know I think you did a fabulous job! Love the entry way and am drooling over your front door. I live in a 100 year old cottage that has not been renovated. We are in the process of doing one job at a time, taking way longer than we would like. The front door is low on our priority list, but one that I am really looking forward to completing! I wish you the best and appreciate all the hard work you do to share your home & projects with us.

    Reply
  26. Rebecca@MidCenturyModernRemodel

    Hi! I like the whole look but my favorite part is the two square mirrors. It says Target … I will have to check that out. They look a little brutalist which I love! Just goes to show traditional and modern can blend nicely together.

    Reply
  27. Sarah - Art of Decor Blog

    This is so amazing. Congratulations on such a great job. I love your choice of color; black looks wonderful. I’ve always been a fan of a space that has been made use of in more of a practical manner, despite of the floor plan or the space available.

    Reply
  28. Cynthia

    The entryway looks very nice and warm. Love the black door and the mirrors and hooks.

    Cynthia

    Reply
  29. Christina

    Your entry looks beautiful, Melissa! I love the black door and how yoir blanked walls have really connected the space. That industrial wall sconce is so cool, too! We are almost finished building our house. I’m panting doors right now and I’m really tempted to do our front door black after seeing yours. I have black in other spots of the house, so it would tie in. :)

    Reply
    • Christina

      Oh, autocorrect! That should have read “your planked walls”.

      Reply
      • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

        Thank you Christina! ;-) I really love the black door. We have a black handrail too on the staircase so it is nice and cohesive!

        Reply
  30. Sara Silver

    I love what you did with the entryway! The black door and white trim look very polished and like you, I LOVE the new Threshhold line at Target. I was there this past weekend and it took all of my self control not to fill the buggy with lamps and picture frames. Great job!

    Reply
  31. Katy J

    Beautiful!! But… know what I noticed? That I believe you have a Westie :) Grew up with them and love them :)

    Reply
  32. Jennifer@ Blissfully Ever After

    Melissa, your entry looks so beautiful! I really love the pop of “color” from your black door against the newly white wood planked walls. We too have about the same color of walls mixed with white wainscoting and this past year I painted the interior of our front door black…what a difference that made. This is great inspiration for many. Hope you have a wonderful weekend, cheers!
    xo, Jennifer @Blissfully Ever After

    Reply
  33. Krista @thehappyhousie

    We just did board and batten in our entry hall as well. Added hooks this weekend and just finished rearranging the furniture and painting a sign on salvaged wood to hang above the b&b and hooks… love fresh it looks now! Can’t wait to post about it soon. Also bought a mirror recently at Target that found the perfect home at the end of our newly panelled hallway. Your refreshed entry looks amazing – love the light fixture as well!
    Krista

    Reply
  34. Debbie Roberts

    Melissa ~ Your entry looks fantastic!! I love everything about it — Form and Function!!

    I am looking for a umbrella holder and really like the basket you have. Where did you find it?

    Reply
  35. Screendoorgirl 3

    I love! I have your door pinned on my Window & Door board. I finally got up the energy(nerve?) to paint mine black. The door and sidelights were all cream , so it was weird at first, I didn’t love it. I painted the door only, and now I’m glad I left it, because now I think it’s the hardware that’s throwing me off. It’s dark bronze, so I plan to get metal paint and paint the hardware antique brass. I used Behr’s Black Suede-recommended by Sarah @ Thriftydecorchick. I think I’m starting to love it…Thanks for sharing your lovely home!

    Reply
  36. Renae

    I’ve been planning to paint my front door (on the inside) black but have been too lazy to get it done. Now I think I have the push I need to get it done. Can you tell me the color and finish you used? Also, tell me what you think about the fact that I have ORB hardware on my door. It looks great with the outside Peacock color but what about on the inside? Thanks!!

    Reply
  37. Amber

    I just discovered your blog (via Pinterest) and absolutely love your home and decorating style. I’m soaking up every post and project you have on your site. Is that a Westie I see in one of your photos? I have a Westie also and he is so much fun…full of character and spunk! Can’t wait to see what’s ahead for you in 2014!

    Reply
    • Melissa @ The Inspired Room

      I’m so glad you are here Amber!! Yes, we had our sweet Westie named Winston for 18 years! He passed away last spring and we miss him a ton. Such great dogs!!!!

      But now we have two puppies, one is a 2.5 year old Goldendoodle named Jack (you can find his blog at theinspireddogblog.com) and our sweet new pup Lily (an Australian Labradoodle) who both appear from time to time on the blog. Welcome :-)!!!

      Reply

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