Welcome! Come on in.
All of my neighbors and family members know that they are always welcome at our house. There are usually warm cookies just coming out of the oven, delicious smells, and a house full of kids waiting for more playmates. Our door is always open. (Not literally, but you know what I mean.)
Now that my daughter is in Kindergarten, we’re excited to meet new friends. On Friday we invited another little girl and her mom over for the afternoon. It got me thinking… What do you see when you are coming to my house for the first time? So, I did a little experiment today. I walked in my house, through the front door (we usually come in through the garage) and tried to see this area with a new set of eyes.
Here it is.
The first thing you see when you come in is the living room, craft room, coat hooks, a basket for kid shoes, and my Craigslist-makeover shoe bench. I’ve always thought of my house as warm, cozy, and inviting. But after this little experiment, I can see that the entrance is lacking something. It feels almost stark once you get past the front door. I never really noticed this before. Over the next few days I’m planning to pour through my Fall Pottery Barn Catalogs and see what I can do to warm things up a bit. I don’t want it to look cluttered, but it’s definitely missing some warmth.
What do you think? What does it need? I’m thinking a warmer color on the walls, valances on craft room and hallway windows,and maybe a rug. Since I won’t be purchasing anything for this little makeover, I’ll have to be creative and use what I have. I’d love to get your feedback!
The Comments
gina3
Actually, I was impressed by it. I liked how tidy and neat it was because stuff is always out in our house. Perhaps a slightly warmer shade on the walls or even just those columns and half wall behind the bench. Maybe even just painting the ceiling in the entry only and adding a different light fixture. It may be the angle of the picture but the entry ceiling is the first thing I noticed. Window treatments might help too but I would keep them simple. If I walked into your house and smelled cookies (and saw that cute dog), I would feel welcomed just by that.
Karen
Hi Becca!
You have a beautiful home. I think adding pops of color in a few places such as the valances would do a lot too! Maybe you could switch out the pillows on the bench and hang something colorful from the hooks. But… I think it looks great the way it is 🙂
Marcia
Hi Becca…I'm your newest follower and think your home is LOVELY. I'm not vey creative when it comes to decorating so I love looking at blogs and getting new ideas. I'm sure you will come up with just the right thing to add a pop of color to your entryway.
Tracy
Becca,
I think your home is beautiful and your entryway is so much more warm and inviting then mine! If you are really looking for a little more warmth, I would maybe go with a warmer color on the walls….not too dark, but a creamier color, maybe a light brown toned color. I also think window treatments will warm it right up.
Good luck and post pics of what you do…we all need some inspiration.
Kathy
I think everything looks lovely –I would first notice how tidy everything looks-it looks very clean and orderly -if you want to change anything I would change the color of the walls and just add a rug with color . But believe me your home really does not need anything 🙂
Bonnie@Creative Decorating
I agree that your home is very nice and orderly!! I sometimes feel mine is a little cluttered! I think it looks great but if you are wanting a warm spark I would just suggest a few things. Add a rug with warmer colors in the entry and maybe pillow with a pop of color on the bench. A warmer shade of paint would help to make the rooms stand out and the pictures to pop more on the wall. Honestly, these are only additional ideas to the great job you have already done!!
Becca
Oh, you are all so nice! Don't be too impressed with how tidy things look. I just pushed the kid clutter out of the way for the picture. 🙂 When I was taking pictures my son said, "So, you made us clean up our toys just so you could take pictures?" Yep. But, now my entry is clean enough for company!
Thanks for all of your suggestions. I'm thinking a taupe-ish/khaki for the walls.
Thanks for the feedback!
Becca