Welcome to our entryway! The first design project I could convince Greg to help me with, while we still have little bits of the house under construction.  Before this was completed, I had rolled out a huge clothing rack and just set it by the front door to house coats and bags during get together’s so this project has been quite the transformation, practically and aesthetically.  For context, before the renovation and addition, the front door walked into our only living space.  Now this space is where Eliza has school in the mornings and where the girls play in their kitchen while I cook since it is open to the actual kitchen.  All of this to say that this actually isn’t an entry way.  It is more of a living space that still functionally needed to have some entryway features, if for no other reason than to get rid of the large clothing rack that I hit my ankles on more times that I can count.

The simple design started with the idea for a bench.  I had this idea for a long, waterfall, wood bench.  Something modern and substantial enough to take up space on this one wall.  I enlisted Greg to make it, of course.  And he came up with the genius plan to use the salvaged beams we have been holding onto from the part of the original house that was torn down.  I absolutely love how it turned out and the fact that the materials are recycled and original to the space.  It is such an awesome piece that he did such a wonderful job on.  After searching on pinterest for hours, looking at different entryway hook ideas, I came across a design by Jenny Komenda and I absolutely loved the way that the hooks were placed on a wood backing making them into more of a rack or solid piece, than if they were directly on the wall.  We ran with it and made the hook rack by painting a pine board, and screwing on these brass and Lucite hooks I got from Anthropologie.  The mirror is one that I have had for ages.  It was an antique store find years ago and is a very heavy steel beauty.  I love the round lines and vintage details of the mirror paired with the more modern lines of the hooks and the bench.  Last, I added a sweet hanging basket, a large basket underneath for odds and ends and things we need to return to people,  and a plant baby.  Eventually, we may add a runner or carpet of some sort but since I am still sorting out the functionality of this room as a whole, I think we will wait and decide on that later.  For now I am just glad that we have a wall that is beautiful and functional to welcome guests into our home.  We both love to have friends and family over and it is such fun to see this space filed to the brim with coats and bags that are left at the door while their owners are enjoying themselves, or most likely watching an impromptu dance recital by Eliza.  Hope you like it and find some inspiration!  MEB

light fixture //  brass and Lucite hooks  // also love these //  and these

blue hanging basket //  orange hanging basket //  mirror is vintage but I love this one //  this one //  and this one