Sprucing up the Entry

So... our entryway / frontdoor has gotten a bit of a facelift.  

Actually, if we want to be more accurate in comparing hallway updates to plastic surgery, it's more like our entryway got some botox.  Nothing radical.  Nothing over the top.  No nips and tucks... just a bit of an enhancement.  

Wait... would this update be more of a boob job then?  Ugh, whatever.  It's looking better.  Let's just say that.  

Here's how the hallway looks now as you walk through the front door. 

Pretty wreath.  Some nice color in the runner.  My pretty bar cart.

And here is the hallway, staring back at the front door from the other end.  New mirror, new plant, and yes... a freshly painted door.

<< heavens singing >>

I mean LOOK at that thing!  A work of art, pretty much.

I am so thrilled with how it came out - the grey is perfect, and it brings some much needed contrast to the entry.  It's looking pretty good in here... not that it looked bad before.  It was just sort of blah beforehand... kind of empty and unfinished.  

Now that you've seen it's current (aka gorgeous) state, let's look at how it started.  Per usual, I took one before picture, and called it a day.  When will I learn?!

Here's how the hallway / entrance looked beforehand:

It wasn't BAD... it just was very white, and very empty.  The mirror had actually just been hung - literally MOMENTS before I took this picture.  It actually looked MUCH emptier in there beforehand, so this "before" is actually an improvement on the real "before".  That wall to the left of the door has been completely empty since we moved in back in January.  

Really, this space started as just a blank slate - white walls, white door.  Plain, and calling out for some color.

Via Pinterest, I'd seen a few interior doors painted dark colors, and so decided to tackle our plain hollow core door.  The hardware on it is pretty ugly, with the exception of the peep hole.  The pretty brass peephole probably cost more than the entire door, knob, hinges, and lock, so I wanted to feature it prominently.  What color looks good with brass?  Grey.  And black... but grey is where it's at.  I didn't want to go too dark on the inside of this door, and honestly black looks better with a glossy finish, which on a lumpy, bumpy door equals bad paint job.

I wanted a quick and easy project, and feeling too lazy to head to the hardware store for a fresh can of grey paint, I improvised.  What I really did was mix a bunch of leftover paint together to make a color that suited my needs, but let's just say I created a "custom paint for the door".  

**Note: do not try to mix custom colors if you need a lot of paint otherwise you'll run out, and never be able to match the color you started with**

I keep all the extra paint that is leftover from projects in a cabinet in the kitchen for easy access. I knew I wanted to paint the door a dark color since the rest of the hallway was all white.  I also knew that I didn't want a glossy paint since it would show every. single. imperfection (which our front door has plenty of).  I also knew I didn't want it to be completely black.  I was looking for a dark grey with blue undertones, so I brought out the remainders of my can of eggshell finish "Grey Owl" (a very light grey) from our dining room in our last apartment, along with some satin finish black paint that I used on our dresser and nightstands, and a can of blue outdoor paint I'd used on the deck chairs.  

Yes, all the paints had different finishes, and all of them are meant for different kinds of projects, but I knew that mixed together they'd be ok.  The outdoor paint is very matte and kind of rough, so the texture this added to the mixture meant no priming needed!  Score for me!  

It's possible that the door would end up being hideous... streaky... peeling... or just a wierd splotchy color, but IT'S JUST PAINT.  This is the mantra I repeat to Kris whenever he think's I'm having a bad idea... and it's true!  It really is just paint.  If you mess up, you can re-do it. It's not a huge commitment (coming from the girl who had to paint the living room twice), so when you want to tackle a project but feel like it's a big change, or you're worried you might mess it up... trust me when I say, paint is so easy to change, so don't over-analyze it.  It works out 99% of the time.

Anyway, back to my "custom paint mixture"... I didn't have a fancy bucket for mixing, but I did have an empty jar of tomato sauce from dinner the night before.  I cleaned it out REALLY well and made sure it was thoroughly dried before pouring paint in.

It turned out to be the perfect vessel for mixing paints, because you could screw the lid on and just shake it up.  Could not have been easier.  I mixed, and tested a few swatches on the door until I found a color I liked, and then I got to work.  I used a short handle brush for cutting in around the door knob, deadbolt, and peephole, and I rolled the rest with a flat foam roller.

 It took about 3 coats to really get an even color on the door, and while you can see the brush strokes of previous paint jobs, it doesn't bother me.  This is the exact reason I wanted a more matte paint... glossy paint magnifies every single imperfection x1000, so can you imagine how prominent the imperfections would look with a glossy paint?

Isn't that peephole just amazing?  I love it! It was hard to cut in on those little details, but what paint got on the brass, I just wiped off with a wet paper towel immediately and all was good.

See those little holes below the peep hole??  What ARE those?

The paint was still wet when I snapped these close-up pictures, so you can really see the brushstrokes of paint-jobs past.  Also... notice the hinges?  They now match the peephole thanks to a quick once over with my gold leaf pen.

Another really minor change that I appreciate every day when I head out the door??

The speaker.

See how old, and gross the old speaker was?  This is for the intercom system so that we don't accidentally buzz and ax-murderer into the building, and it's "harvest gold" as my mom calls it.  A super popular household appliance color of the 70's and 80's.  Why?????

 

I'm not sure this is harvest gold as much as it is "faded baby poop" - either way, it was ugly.

But not anymore!!  It got a coat of white paint to match the walls, and all is right with the world again...

Look how it blends in and just dissapears!  Such a small change, but I swear it makes a WORLD of difference.

This wreath on the door came from Smith and Hawkins for Target, and is made of live moss.  I'm not entirely sure how to care for it, but I've spritzed it a few times with water, and it seems happy so far.  I realize now that I need to fix the hanging mechanism, since you can see the hook very clearly in these pictures, but that's an easy change.

Our bar cart got a few additions to glam it up... striped straws, a new, BEAUTIFUL live orchid with the largest, thickest petals you've ever seen, and a new (to me) ice bucket.

The ice bucket is actually of the Mad Men era, and belonged to Kris' grandmother who passed away earlier this year.  She made it to 100 years old my friends!

I never did get to meet her, but love that we have something that was hers.  There are little nicks and scratches here and there, but when we use it, and see those imperfections, I'll think of all the parties (and cocktails) they probably had over the years.

Come to think of it, with all the nicks, it seems they used it a lot... I think her and I would have had quite a bit in common :-)

On the wall opposite the bar cart hangs one of my FAVORITE flea market finds from a few weeks back.  I am SO in love with this mirror.  Last week I posted about the mirror at the flea market that got away... it just seemed silly to get both this one and the octagonal mirror in the same day, but I am so glad that I came away with at least one of them. It's one of my favorite things that I own.

There was no hesitation in purchasing this one, and thank god, because it is PERFECT for this space.  It's the perfect size for this wall (narrow, but not too narrow), and it's just so nice to have a spot to check your hair before running out the door.

The mirror is nice and light - physically, and visually... it doesn't weigh that much, and the light wood is so pretty!  I just LOVE the carved details, and the little feet on the bottom kill me!  Mini pineapples!!

The final addition to this space was some fresh greenery - my newest fiddle leaf fig that I haven't killed (yet).  It doesn't stick out or block traffic flow between rooms (which I was worried about when I first moved it here), and it is just so fresh and lovely.

The rug was the first thing that went down in this hallway, and about 5 months later, we're still in love (me and the rug).  The blue packs a punch... it's navy, but still very vibrant, and it's holding up SO WELL.  Very little shedding, which I've been happy about, although it is a magnet for lint like you wouldn't believe.

So that's it - a little paint, and some well placed accessories and we're in business!  Very very happy that the hallway isn't all bare, and empty and sad anymore.  One more side by side before and after??
Oh okkkkkk, since you asked!

Don't you just love quick and easy fixes?  I think a coat of paint, and some well placed accessories really brought this space from plain, to pretty.

Happy Monday!!

Sneak Peek: DIY Roman Shades

Ready for a little teaser post??

Well I was a very productive little lady on Sunday, and made some real progress on my roman shade for the hallway... I do not know how to sew, so I'm not done yet, but here is a sneak peek on the progress....

Happy Monday!!

The Little Hallway that Could

Ok - no judging allowed, but just wanted to share some updates on our hallway.  I swear I've been doing work on it, and not just having fun - this means coming home at 10pm, and working until bedtime.  It's getting old my friends... real old.

That said, I've made some serious progress!  You all remember these sad "before" pictures right...

Brown on brown on brown... GROSS.  I mean, it was just depressing!

There is still work to be done, but here is some preliminary "afters":

Actually, let's call this a "during" since we are still working on it...

The updates??  Most obviously removing all that was hideous and brown - repainting the console, and bringing in my new rug.  Love looveeee that rug.

It's a little hard to see clearly in some of these (sorry, iPhone pics in early morning light before work = grainy snapshots), but after painting the console, I roughed up the edges with some trusty sandpaper.  Focusing on the areas that would get the most natural wear, it made some of the details pop back out, and gave it a nice antique feeling.  You'll also notice that I decided to paint the top (instead of keeping the super shiny faux inlay), but before painting, I took a hammer to it, and really banged it up (aka took some aggression out on it).  Aside from being extremely fun and therapeutic, I think I succeeded in making it look genuinely old antique.  Kris said so himself, so it must be true :-)

I'm still going back and forth on spray painting the hardware a brushed bronze... the silver looks much better than I thought it would, so I think I'm going to hold off making any decisions on that for a few weeks - see if I change my mind.  Besides, my can of Rustoleum isn't going anywhere...

In addition to my freshly painted console (the least labor intensive part of this whole deal), the door, the built in linen closet, and the crown molding got a little makeover with some "Decorators White" from Benjamin Moore.  Trust me when I say, adding white paint to the dingy hallway, and defining the trim have made the largest impact of anything I could possibly do in here.  It creates some much needed architectural interest, and a point of reference for the ceiling - it feels taller!

The linen closet still has zero character, so painting it fresh white is probably the best I can do with it.  Some battles I'm willing to let go of... we are renters after all.

Let's do a side by side comparison for fun... shall we?

The light in this "before" photo isn't great, but you can see what I'm getting at - you couldn't even see the trim before! It totally blended in with the walls.  Woof.  Now the clean white is bright, and it just makes me happy...

The window is waiting on a new fancy treatment... another DIY on it's way with my new pretty fabric  (hopefully not an epic failure)!

Also, you can see that I'm now trying to decide where to hang things on the wall (thus, the lonely square of painters tape).  Last night when I was measuring out the tape, I felt that the 20"x16" filled out the space, and anything more would be too much, but now, looking at this from a distance in this photo, I'm wondering if it would benefit from a few more smaller frames on the side.

Also, I think this sunburst mirror is too small for the wall, and we need something larger to fill the space - especially next to the built in that goes up to the ceiling.  There is just a lot of wall, with a cluster of "stuff" down near the table, and in the small space, I want to draw the eye up as much as possible.

*Side note: this photo is really washed out from the direct light... 

the walls and linen closet are distinctly different colors

Right??  Lots of wall... that mirror will find a home elsewhere - not to worry :-)  Also... just realized that the rug needs to come closer to the entryway... easy changes...

Epiphany: Fabric as Art!

So yesterday, while browsing fabrics, I kept seeing so many that I loved.  Unfortunately for me, so many of them would have been visual overload in our small apartment, but I kept coming back to this one again and again (isn't he cute??)

Finally it came to me - while this bird was never meant to be on the curtains I was making, he was still meant to be in my house.  As what, you ask?  As a pretty piece of art, singing on the wall!

I did a little investigation, and discovered that others also had this brilliant idea already, turning textiles into art.  I am apparently late to this party...  I love this example from Elle Decor, where this Ikat print breathed life into what could have been a rather ho hum office.

Here, another office, posted on Apartment Therapy, where they used the same fabric in four different colors, with a matte behind the desk.  I love that these give the feel of screened windows, and tone down the very green walls.

This room has different patterns and different colors simply matted in black frames - easy, inexpensive, and impactful.  I love it.

Finally, framed fabric featured in a hallway.  Pretty pretty - I don't think I'll be framing anything this large in our small space, but I'm encouraged seeing how awesome it can look in other spaces.

I've revamped my original design board, to include a few changes - including my mocked up birdie.

While the original inspiration board (featured here) was fine, it lacked energy and interest (I'm the first to admit it).  The white roman shades were blah, and the room was boring.  It was was all blue, white, and brown - so one dimensional.  I think the citron printed fabric (the Secret Gate pattern is the winner for me) will make a lively addition as a roman shade in this space, and my dear little mockingbird (or is it a nightingale?) will tie everything together in a big bird-like bow.

I am starting to think that my mockingbird/nightingale might need a partner in crime up there on the wall, so I've started looking at other fabrics that he might pair well.  With the trellis rug and the citron patterned shades, I think we've got enough graphic patterns going on, so I'm thinking something more "picture-like."  Here are the options I'm debating...

OPTION I: Bird with the Working girls

That description came out all wrong...   These girls are working... not as hookers!  Get your minds out of the gutter!  I'm even thinking that with a grey print, a light wash of color from some watercolor paints might be neat.  Am I being optimistic with my artistic capabilities?? Perhaps... I may just go ahead and try it...

OPTION II: Bird with the Turbaned Turks

I swear I can't make this stuff up!  This fabric is actually called Turkish Toile!  I love it, but is this too much yellow?  Is the yellow here too different from the citron color in the shades?  I do like that the guys in ths print are sitting around drinking and probably gossiping about their mistresses.  I'm going to keep this one in the running...

OPTION III: Bird with the Garden Toile
I think this print is really pretty, but my biggest concern here is the border.  I love the blue border because it ties in really well with my sweet bird, but what if the toile print is so big that the border is cut off by the frame!  There is nothing that gets my goat more than something non-symmetrical, so if it can't be perfectly centered, I don't want it at all.  I think this one, as sweet as it is, has to go.  It's not worth the $20 per yard to test it out.

OPTION IV: Bird with the Turbaned Turks (part II)
I just keep coming back to these Turkish dudes, right??  This one is different though I swear!  Difference #1: This print is black and white - no yellow anywhere to be found.  Difference #2: These Turks are at the same little hut, but in a different climate.  Take a close look - they've got palm trees here, so they must be somewhere tropical.  In the other print, it's pine trees encircling them... so they are likely in the mountains somewhere.  Gosh, the more I think about it, the more I like these Turks.  I'm feeling like we are already becoming closer friends than I am with the mockingbird.



Ok, enough crazy talk... must make some decisions!!

The Hallway is Getting some Love (FINALLY)

There are a few changes taking place in our home right now, and most of them involve a bit of paint.  In this month's issue of House Beautiful, one designer was quoted saying that paint is the cheapest and easiest way to update a room.  I couldn't agree more!!

The first face-lift on the list is our small hallway that leads from the front of our apartment (living room, dining room and kitchen) to the back (bedroom and bathroom).  The hallway isn't long - it's maybe 15 feet, and it's main feature is the large linen closet that takes up most of it.  As you can see from the photo's below - it's less than attractive.

As it stands, the hallway is monochromatic - the walls, ceiling, trim, and linen closet are all currently painted the same color of blah off-white, and with the wood floors and wood console table, it feels dark, drab, and utterly boring.  To make matters worse, the runner we've got in there right now is also brown. The hallway is brown on brown on brown.  It really can't get worse, so my plan is to transform the space with a few cans of paint.

*View from the Dining Room                                                             *View from Bedroom

Brown on Brown on Brown.... so ugly!!

Anyway, the main changes will be to our existing console table that is in serious need of some TLC.  I found it on Craigslist a few years ago for around $20, so since it's not a priceless antique, I am very excited to slap some paint on it.  The table has great lines, but the overly shiny finish makes it look cheap.  It's not good.  

I did a little research into removing lacquer and it sounds like A LOT of work, so instead of bending over backwards to refinish and re-stain this cheap wood console table, I'm going to paint it.  Easy.

*The faux inlay isn't bad... but the shine!!  Oye!                                 *It's like a mirror!!  Woof!

Luckily, the console table has really great lines - it has a pretty carved apron and cabriole legs that give it a French Provincial look, and I think it's going to make a really great makeover.  

The top of the table has a faux herringbone inlay which I had originally planned on painting, but I haven't FULLY committed to covering it up yet.  Perhaps the inlay will look much better once the varnish is gone?  Who knows, but if it still looks god awful, my plan is to distress the wood - aka really ding it up with a hammer and some extra gritty sandpaper.  Once it's distressed I have a dark taupe paint called "Squirrel" that my sister will get a kick out of (side note: she is deathly scared of squirrels, so as soon as I saw that the paint was named "Squirrel" I had to have it)  The plan is to paint the legs and apron first and tackle the top afterwards.

*Look at these great lines! I love the turned legs, the scalloped apron, and detail on the drawers!

This is the console table set up in the garage, ready for it's makeover...

Aside from some paint on the console table, I'll be painting the walls, trim, and linen closet to brighten up the space.  The walls will get a warm creamy color and the trim, doors, and linen closet will be painted a glossy bright white.  I think the color is actually called "Decorators White" so I can pretend I'm some sort of professional.  Ha!

Here is the inspiration board I built around what I hope to achieve:

Finally, that awful brown runner is getting the heave-ho, and my newest purchase from Ballard - the Saybrook Indoor/Outdoor runner - is going in it's place.  I actually got this runner several months ago, but it's been waiting for the rest of the hallway to catch up in terms of aesthetics.  I love the calming colors, and since our dining room (that is adjacent to this hallway) has a lot of the same colors, it will make for a pretty seamless transition from room to room.

I once read that in small spaces, it's good to repeat similar color palates from room to room, as it makes the space feel larger.  We will see if that is true....

Stay tuned for updates!!