This is my big scary wall.  It’s just outside of my dining room.

It is one of the first areas you see when you enter my house. 

It’s a dark space with nothing exciting to look at.  My first thought was to put an entry table there.

 Problem:  My kids play in the hall all the time.  They do puzzles, rollerblade (that was before we refinished the hardwoods), practice cartwheels, and drive remote control cars.  A table or buffet would take up too much floor space.  My hubby also loves the openness of our hallways and doesn’t really have a desire to fill the floor space with furniture. 

My second thought was to do a built-in piece, recessed into the wall.  I was thinking about a beautiful hutch piece, which would also be a great serving piece for parties.  Problem: $$$$$  It’s pretty scary to think about how much built-ins, recessed walls, and beautiful crown moulding would cost.

Oooh, then there was the 3 piece set from Ballard Designs.  They’re kind of pricey, but not as much as built-ins.  Problem:  Still too much $$$$$ and it would take up too much floor space.

So, here’s my new plan.  I’m so excited about it that I lost sleep planning how it would look and how I would decorate it.

Isn’t this the coolest shelf you’ve ever seen?  It’s made from old, rustic, barnwood.  I think I may need to make a bathroom door while I’m at it.

Now, if only I knew a farmer who might be able to track down some barnwood for me…

Happy Decorating!

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I love everything about it. I love the paisley curtains, the striped rug, the chippy old furniture, comfy pillows, wicker basket, and THE DOOR! I LOVE THE RED DOOR. I BIG, FAT, HEART THAT RED DOOR! I strive to make my entry as warm and inviting as Sarah Richardson’s.

 

The changes to my entry have been coming slowly over the past few weeks. Over the weekend, I decided to add my chippy red bench from the backyard. I would have loved to paint the doors in my house, but I don’t think my hubby would approve of that idea. So, instead, I added the red in the form of this chipped paint bench that has served me well for about 10 years now. I also added a fall basket with some of those wonderful smelling pine cones.

 

If you look carefully, you can see that Sarah adds hats and coats to the entry. We all know she doesn’t actually wear those straw and woven hats out in the garden. It’s all for show and to add a little texture. My attempt at adding texture is my woven bag and a jacket. That way my guests know that the hooks really are strong enough to hold their jackets. The bench will serve as a nice place to put a handbag too.

 

 

 

 

The kids’ coat rack and freshly painted basket offer one more place to hang your things.

The warm pillows and blanket add a touch that I think is Sarah-worthy.

You can’t go wrong with fresh flowers from the yard.

Now all I need is a striped rug and those paisley curtains.

 

If you are not familiar with The Inspired Room blog. You should really go check it out. She recently posted about Sarah’s farmhouse entry. I think she must be my soul mate in decorating. Everything she has posted about this month describes my vision perfectly. Oh, and she lives somewhere in the Seattle area too. We are practically neighbors and BFF’s.

Happy decorating!

Here are a few linky parties I like to participate in.

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Flowers from my garden are lining the half wall.

 

Warmer pillows, stolen from the living room, and a throw bring in that cozy fall feel.

 

I decided to darken the colors, in the corner by the door. I had an unstained cedar coat rack, which I gave a coat of dark brown stain and some varathane. Then I ORB’ed my shoe basket. (For those of you who don’t live in the blogging world too often, ORB is Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint. It’s a blogger’s best friend.) I’m loving the darker color. The back of my door will soon be a nice deep brown stain too… more on that HUGE project later.

 

 

My entry is feeling a little cozier now and ready for fall. I’d still like to get a rich red rug, instead of the small tan rug that is by the door now. I’ll put that on the wish list.

Here are some linky parties I like to participate in.

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Today, let me share my first punch of color. I asked for your help and my bloggy friends commented that punches of color might be nice. Is there a better way to add a punch of color than with flowers?

 

The flowers in my yard are finally in full bloom. The dahlia’s are just my colors. (Thanks, again, Carpooler Michelle!)

 

I planted a different variety of sunflowers this year and the squirrels have left them alone.

 

I just love the way they look with the light coming through the window next to them. I didn’t have three matching vases, but I had lots of canning jars. I love the simplistic look. I put the three vases on the candle tray I had sitting on the ledge. I know this punch of color won’t last more than a week, but for now I’m really loving it!

 

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Today I’m ready to show you my first change, in an effort to warm things up a bit in my entry.

 

I swapped out the pale blue pillows for some pillows I had in the living room. Every couch, chair, and ottoman in the living room had several pillows. I figured I’ll never miss three pillows. The living room connects to the entry way, so having the same patterns and prints on the shoe bench helps to tie the two spaces together. I also added a cream throw from the living room, just to soften up the space a bit.

 

Entry project #1 is complete. Project #2 is in the works and project #3 is drying in the garage.

 

Enjoy the week! Happy Monday!

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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!

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