Every good home improvement project begins with a plan. I’ve been narrowing down ideas over the past few weeks and have finally developed a plan for my home’s front entry makeover! Here’s my before picture:
I’ve been looking at other people’s front entries and foyers for the past month or two. You can see some of the ideas I found inspiring on our Pinterest board. Be sure to follow us while you’re there!
It’s a small foyer with large door openings on both sides. Those openings have presented a challenge because the hallway narrows once you’re past the doors because of the staircase. We’ve had this table sitting at the bottom of the stairs for almost all the 13 years we’ve lived here. And I like having something in this space, but since installing the barn doors it’s starting to feel a little cramped.
If money were no issue, I would make some large scale changes: a new door and refinish the floors so they don’t have a glossy finish. But that money tree hasn’t started growing yet in the back yard. LOL! So the changes I’m planning are all simple DIY projects that shouldn’t cost more than some paint and stain.
Front Entry Makeover Projects:
Front Entry Makeover Plans:
First, I’m moving the long table out of the entry altogether. I found the cutest replacement that fits on the other side of the foyer, next to the steps, this weekend! It was a huge bargain from our local antique mall. I can’t wait to show it to you in my reveal!
Next, I’m installing a gallery wall display on that empty wall where the long table is now. I’ve been wanting to do one here ever since AnnMarie finished hers! I have black framed photos going up my staircase and black framed photos on the other wall, so I’ll be sticking with black frames on this wall too.
I haven’t decided whether I want to put a small, narrow bench where the table is now? On the one hand, it would be nice to have a place to sit and take off shoes. On the other, it would defeat the purpose of removing the table! LOL
I couldn’t figure out how to sketch in a table on the other side of the stairs, but here’s a little taste of where I’m headed.
Changes to the Foyer’s Doors
My handy husband built these barn doors 2 years ago. We moved our guest bedroom into this front room so our parents didn’t need to climb two flights of stairs to the attic.
I love the doors! But the style is a little more Craftsman than the rest of our home’s decor. I’d like to add picture molding trim around the insides of each square to coordinate better with the rest of our trim.
Next, the inside of the front door is getting painted a color to give some drama to this space. Anyone want to guess what color?!
I’m also planning to put something in front of the sidelights of the door. I would prefer leaving them with nothing, but one of my cats has started marking there because a stray cat keeps coming up on our porch. ? (which is why we no longer have a rug in that space… ?). So putting a barrier there has been deterring him. I had originally thought large lanterns, but AnnMarie suggested tall plants? What do you think?
Front Entry Lighting
I like the shape of the light fixture in the foyer, but I really don’t like the yellow, pearlized glass insert. And I’m determined to get rid of all the boob lights in my house, including the one at the base of the stairs.
I’ve found a few options that I like, and they’re all pretty reasonably priced from Wayfair. Now it’s just a matter of making a decision. I’m leaning towards the round one, though. I love the shape and how the curved lines help to break up how linear everything else is in the space.
The Staircase
Here’s our staircase now. It was cloudy when I took this picture so I had to turn the lights on. See how the yellow glass gives everything a yellowish tint? The carpet isn’t yellow at all. ?
The staircase is one of the focal points in this foyer area, so I’m including the changes as part of our front entry makeover. We’re making a lot of changes here! They may not all happen at once, though. First, I’m painting all the white spindles on the staircase black. With the white trim and moldings, I feel like the white spindles sort of blend in.
See how the black spindles will give the space more contrast?! Fortunately, I’m better with a paintbrush than I am with a mouse… ?
After 13 years, the carpeting on the stairs is really showing a lot of wear. It’s holding up fine in other parts of the house, but the stairs get so much traffic. When we built the house, I really wanted stained treads and white risers all the way up the stairs. But with little kids, it just didn’t seem safe to not have them carpeted. Fortunately, the treads under the carpet are all stainable wood! We are removing the carpet instead of replacing it. I’m SO EXCITED about this one!! Although it’s going to be a challenge to keep the kitties off the stairs while we complete this one. They may end up spending a day or two in the laundry room…
Eventually, I think we will add a sisal runner on the steps with black bands on the edges. But I want to see how the steps look bare before deciding this one for sure.
Stay tuned for project updates on our Instagram feed! If you’re not following us on Insta yet, make sure you do to get all the behind the scenes details. I’ll share a reveal here when the front entryway makeover is all done.
What do you think? I’d love to get your feedback or tips for any of the front entry makeover projects! You can leave them in the comments below.
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