Before & After: My Entryway

Entryways are a little underrated, because they're pretty much like hostesses; they're the first thing you see when you walk into a space, and the last thing you see before you leave. Because of this, they're pretty important when it comes to first (and last) impressions.

Overall, my entryway is limited in terms of size, but I still wanted to create a functional space that set the tone for the rest of the apartment. I needed some hooks for Dash's leash, my purse, and the jacket or hat I happened to be wearing that day... so the search for entryway inspo began.

Major renovations weren't needed quite yet, but I still wanted to give my entryway a little face lift. Here's the transformation from move-in day to now:

The Before

As you can see in the before photo, the walls were builders' beige, bane of my existence! The very first thing I did (even before moving in) was paint the entire apartment white. I painted the whole place with my mom - just the two of us. I was originally thinking of hiring someone to paint my place because of the extremely high ceilings, but at the end of the day, it just wasn't worth it. Plus, we know a thing or two about handling a paint brush, and we love painting!

The Inspiration

Once I established the design style of my other spaces, I moved onto the entryway. I started searching for entryway inspiration, and when Alaina Kaczmarski gave me just the inspiration I needed, I got pretty darn close to what I was looking for. All I needed were some wall hooks, prints, a light fixture, and some frames. 

The After

To begin the transformation, the light fixture just had to go. The fixtures that came with my apartment were pretty hideous (as you can see above) so I went on the hunt for a something that paired well with my other fixtures, and suited the rest of the space.

Next up, the frames and prints. I wanted to keep it pretty simple because I already have a gallery wall in the living room, so I stuck to two prints of similar subjects.

When you're looking for prints and photos, my best advice is to look for free high-res images (aside from your own), on Unsplash. They have so many to choose from, and 9 times out of 10, everything will match if you make it gray scale!

For the hooks, I decided to opt for wood because I needed to add some warmth to the space. Once those were up, I accessorized with an umbrella stand and a doormat, and the transformation was complete!

Gold Pendant (splurge) | Gold Pendant (save) | Frame & Print | Wooden Wall Hooks | Umbrella Stand | Doormat

The transformation just goes to show what can be done with a little bit of paint and wall art! I'm working on giving a few other spaces some love, but in the meantime, what else would you like to see? Let me know in the comments below.

xo

Linnea