Foyer

Our foyer/entry is also pretty much finished. It isn't even worth showing you the before picture, because it was just a big blank wall when you first walked in the door. It definitely was not the selling point of the home when we first toured it. It actually was kind of jarring. So, while we couldn't remove this wall (pretty much the only one we didn't remove), I decided to make it a feature wall. ("If you can't beat 'em, join 'em".) 

Luke and I added picture moulding to add dimension and painted the entire wall a dark charcoal gray to add a little drama and help the wall recede somewhat. My giant mirror that I've had since our first house and that every time we move I expect to find cracked in the box, survived and makes this space feel a bit larger.

Because this space is narrow, I decided instead of a console table, I would do a narrow shelf under the mirror. I made this using a common pine board from Home Depot that I put a "faux live edge" on the front and distressed and stained it.

 I found this vintage coat hanger and fell in love. It is unexpected and perfectly functional. I have noticed in the past that whenever we have a coat closet in the entry, no one uses it. The coats and shoes just get piled by the door anyway. So, with the coat hanger and bench in plain sight, I hope it will be an invitation for our guests to use it.

Luke has jokingly named them "Elmer and Gluestick". 

Another thing that helped this tight space feel a little bit more inviting was the lighting. We added 4 extra lights: 2 sconces and 2 pendant lights. It has made ALL the difference. 

This room was a challenge at first, but now it is one of my favorite little spots.

Living Room and Kitchen progress photos coming soon!