ORC™ Week One: Fall 2018 My Suburban Entryway Update

Fall 2018 One Room Challenge - Updating my boring suburban entryway/foyer

DIY HOME RENOVATION PROJECT

Well folks, I’m at it again. I just can’t stay away. In fact, you may recall that I took all Summer off from major home improvement projects. My reasoning? I was tired and I knew that if I continued at a lightening pace, I would never be able to participate in this new round of the One Room Challenge™!

Remember last season’s dining room redo? Here’s how it looks today:

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palm beach prep modern coastal eclectic dining room - completed for the Spring 2018 One Room Challenge

That revamp took a lot out of us. We’re getting older, after all. So while I’m not totally in love with that wallpaper anymore and know we need to replace the lighting before we sell next year, I have barely touched the space. I’ve just been too tired.

Thinking about this, it occurred to me how much of this room I would change if I had a magic wand. The process was fun, for sure, but did I make bad decisions because I had a looming deadline? Or do I just need to align this space with our new priority of selling the house?

blue and white foyer

A month ago, our foyer didn’t look so bad. It was simple, and maybe a little boring, but it didn’t feel unfinished or incomplete. Then I made the decision to remove this cabinet, in favor of getting our living room up to par. Now the foyer is a blank space with some pretty large holes in the walls where this cabinet was once installed. But the living room looks great! And it’s more indicative of the look I’m after, now that we know we’re selling.

traditional living room mantel display - transitional style

Speaking of selling, does this mean I’m selling out? I don’t think so. Because now I’m just designing this home for someone else. I’m imagining the person who will live here, raise a family here, and make this her forever home. I want her to walk in the door and feel automatically connected to this space. I want her to know that this is a home she can move into – on Day One – and feel at ease. Is it my personal style? Not exactly. It’s more transitional. But it’s right for the space and that’s what matters.

So what’s the plan?
Our entryway features a vaulted ceiling, which makes this a two story project. The stairs feature the same brown carpeting that the upstairs has throughout and I’d like to, at the very least, update the hallway upstairs and the stairway to reflect the same style present on the first floor. So out with the carpet! In with hardwoods! I do still have a three-year-old daughter, so I’m going to install a semi-permanent runner over the stairs to soften the look and make navigation of those steep stairs easier for her (and us). I love the look of a runner on stairs, similar to these projects:

Kate Marker Interiors
Kate Marker Interiors
Bria Hammel Interiors
Bria Hammel Interiors

I also really love this crisp white against a wood finish look. It’s close to what we’re already rocking, so I’m going to paint the risers white and stick to a stained wood on the treads.

As for the remainder of the space, I’d like to jazz it up slightly and break up that giant two-story space with a little trim detail. Perhaps I’ll even use two slightly different paint colors to add interest. Since we have one big boring wall, I definitely want to paint the front door a contrasting color.

Emily Henderson Design
Emily Henderson Design

But adding visual interest doesn’t have to stop at the walls. I’ve been eyeing this parson’s table from Serena & Lily for a long time now and I’d love to incorporate it into the space. It’s even 20% off right now with code HOMELOVE.

Serena & Lily
Serena & Lily

Unfortunately, it’s just slightly too wide for the wall where the cabinet was once installed. I have an old Parson’s table that I took out of the living room and I’m going to try my hand at cutting it down and customizing it to reflect a similar style. Stay tuned for that!

In general, I just want this space, and the accompanying upstairs hallway, to feel warm and inviting. I want it to provide a glimpse into the lives of the people who live here. Casual but refined. Traditional but not stuffy. Plus I need to add some good organizational hacks for the front coat closet.

And I have six weeks to make that happen. Can I do it? I don’t know! Let’s see! Here are some more Before Pictures so you can hold me accountable.

suburban entryway - two story foyer
upstairs hallway before
two story foyer - looking down from the top of the stairs

Want to see what the other participants have up their sleeves? You can check out the whole crew by visiting the One Room Challenge™ site. In case you have no idea what this event is, you can even read up on the history and see a ton of previous seasons’ designs!

Until next week –
xoxo
Teri

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2 Comments

  1. Teri, this is going to be fantastic! I was super inspired by that Emily Henderson entry too! And I can’t wait to see how your parson’s table redo turns out! Excited to follow along!

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