Small Foyer Update for under $100

Decorating small entry ways can be challenging but should never be overlooked since it is the first impression visitors will get upon entering your home. Even if it's just a doorstep visit your visitor will get a glimpse into your personality  by way of the entry. Remember too that your entry area looks different from the outside view than the inside view, so it's a good idea to step out your front door and take a look from the visitors perspective. As you open the door what do you see, what does it say about you, and what do you want it to say? A small entry is the perfect place to show your personal style & interest.

If you don't have an entry at all, you can still create an area to use as a first impression wall, welcome space, key area etc.  Also,  don't be afraid to go bold with your decor, sometimes by adding bold wall colors, large mirrors and accessories this can give the room some much needed drama,  but remember even the smallest touches can add a lot to the space.

My entry way is  only 4 1/2 ft. x 5ft  with the entry door on one wall the hall way door on the opposite wall and the opening to the living room on the other wall. That leaves me with one wall to work with. Let me show you how I made the most of it.

First I added a large mirror (a thrift find-$25) mirrors always make the room look larger.

Then I went on craigslist to find a table. However it had to be narrow to avoid having the front door hit it when the door opens. And I found one for only $25.00.

And then for the accessories:

Some vintage wooded birds  that I fell in love with at an antique store. ($40 for the set) and a plant that I already had.

That was it! for basically under a hundred dollars I was able to have my entry say a little something about me.

Here are some great finds that would look great in an entry way.

Gold Wall Mirror

Small Wood Accent Table

Half Moon Table

Door Stop

 

French Country Wall Shelves

Mirror and Shelf Combo

xo,

eLAINe

 

Tot to Tween for your Princess

We all want things to endure the test of time.  Your children growing happens so amazingly fast.  You start with the nursery, then go to the princess room, and next thing you know they are teenagers.  There definitely is a way to decorate that will withstand all those phases.

Now I know some of you don't mind decorating, and redecorating, and redecorating again.  In fact, I'm probably the last person to be talking since I'll probably decorate my little girls room 15 more times until she turns 18.  But for those of you who want their girls room to go from Tot to Tween and then to a guest room here are some ideas.

#1- Start with a color that is not pink or purple.  The best way to not age the room is with a coat of paint.  Go with neutrals like sagey greens, light blues, greys, and browns.

#2- Skip the toddler bed.  Of course you will need a crib and some may opt for a crib to toddler bed conversion, but to save money skip the toddler bed and buy some rails for a big girl bed.

#3- If you must use pink or purple use it in the accessories.  Comforters, lamps, pictures are all easy to replace.

#4- Get a teenagers opinion.  I know, kind of funny.  The last opinion you want is a teenagers, but this way you know if your little girl will like the room when she is a teenager.

#5-Use multipurpose/ functional furniture. For example a vanity can easily become a desk and an ottoman can be used as a step stool.

When I decorated Daniella's room she was 18 months old.  The twins had shared a room in California, but now that we were in a larger house we had the room so split them up, plus I thought it would be fun to decorate a boys room and a girls room.  So I started searching the internet for inspiration.  This is what I came up with:

Designed by Lisa Epley for her daughter.

I started with some pale blue paint and a upolstered headboard from Target and went from there.  I did some Craigslist shopping and got the dresser, nightstand, and vanity for $60 bucks.

The Eiffel Tower is a wall decal from Amazon.

This is one of the dressers I got from Craigslist.  Although it was already cream color, it was kind of dingy and needed a fresh coat of paint and I decided to paint the hardware metallic silver.  The Paris painting was painted by my mom and the two little ballerinas were a thrift store find for $1.50.

Here is her little dressing area.  Vanity was part of the Craigslist furniture.  The stool I purchased on clearance at Value City for $20 bucks.  The mirror is from Lowes -$14.99.  The lamp and pictures are from Home Goods (each $29.99).  The little end table I stole from my Family Room.

This nightstand is also part of the Craigslist furniture, but I opted to paint it metallic silver just for the fun of it.  It actually didn't match the other 2 pieces anyway, but the guy I bought it from threw it in.

The ottoman I got on clearance at Value City for $40 bucks.  It's great for storing blankets or toys and helps Daniella climb into bed.

Here is another angle.  The curtains are panels from Wal-Mart for $14.99 each.  There is a white outdoor roll-up shade underneath them for under $10 dollars at Lowes.  The Chandelier is from Ikea for $39.99.

If this room is not your style here are some other rooms that will grow with you from tot to tween.

I love the wallpaper in this room.  Now these are toddler beds from Ikea which I probably would skip, but a nice iron headboard would do the trick as well.  There is a great post about wallpaper at Making it Lovely.

Here is a fun and graphic route.  I love the bright colors that are used.  See more at Turquose L.A.

Finally for a more luxurious look, opt for this textured room.  Mustard would be the last color a lot of you would use for a little girls room, but it really adds depth and texture to this room.  I love the rug and the faux fur used on the bed.  There is a great post about luxury girls rooms at DigsDigs.

Last but not least, have fun.  Your princess will love it!

xo,

Monica

 

To Serve or Not to Serve?

In the spirit of staging our home for sale, I starting moving around furniture yesterday.  In order to "set the stage", I put a serving table in our formal living room.  Now, I had a credenza in there previously and had toyed with the idea of putting a television in there, but it is such a taboo for me in a formal living room.  If we were staying here, I had envisioned it as a girl cave.  You know,  reading a magazine having a martini and relaxing.

Our living room is more of a lounge and we use it for entertaining.  So I moved the sofa table out of the office to make the office look less cramped, and put it in the living room and took the credenza out of the living room.  I decided on the sofa table verses a credenza because the room is so small and I liked the idea of flow and floor space.  Seriously though, why did I not have one in there before?What a great space to put cocktails and appetizers in the event of a party.  I'd much rather people gather in my living room than around my small kitchen island.

I think everyone should have some serving space in their living room.  I mean I'm all for gathering in the kitchen, but when you have a small kitchen like I do, sometimes it's not the best option. Here are some other sideboards that I think are awesome.

For the luxury look, try this one from Molimo Design.

For the environmentally friendly look, check out this awesome repurposed wine storage/server from daffadowndillys.

For a splash of red, how about a repurposed dresser?   Here's a great one from two carolina nesters.



Think outside the box and get your party on.

xo,

Monica