Anatomy of an Entryway {Foyer Update}

Hey all,

I recently posted this picture of our entryway and new rug.

Wouldn’t you like to come over?

I figured, though, that I would give you a heads up into what it takes to MAKE an entryway. This is the first place people typically see in your home. You want to convey your personality, style, and give a little dose of excitement and whimsy too. But, it’s typically forgotten or overlooked. Just put a catch all piece there and move along because it’s not a room you stay in. I would argue, however, that it’s important to finish it off and make a welcoming entrance to your home! And so, I give you my anatomy of an entryway.

 

The mirror tutorial can be found here. I’ve collected those medallions over time, adding another mirror in a different color here and there.  The rummage sale, where I bought the green stool, can be found in this post. The desk was passed down to me after my uncle passed away. It is a sweet reminder of him every time we come into the house. The flooring, though it took forever, was well worth it. You can see what it started as here and the process it took to get it to what it is now. The owl umbrella stand was an under $20 purchase from our local Habitat for Humanity store. He was hidden away in their small section of housewares and I grabbed him as fast as I could. Most of owl umbrella stands I’ve found can price for $50+, so he was definitely a good find. The small coat rack is perfect for guests to hang their coats and not have to get into the hall closet, which can sometimes look like a hoarder’s dream. And the little antique chest, spray painted to match the room, is perfect for those strewn about shoes that never find a proper home.

But the capstone to this room is the new rug. I found the brand, Fab Rugs, at our local tag sale. Though I LOVED the rugs they had, neither was perfect for the room and I couldn’t pull the trigger. I came home that day and found the brand online. With a 20% off coupon, I was able to get this rug for $39. Plus, it’s made of plastic! It’s made out of recycled plastic, which makes my green little heart happy. Plus, since it’s plastic and we have a huge furry dog who tends to track in dirt, I can just hose it down outside if it ever gets dirty. It’s also reversible! If I decide that the blue is too much, I can turn it to the white side and have just a touch of blue. All in all, a great purchase.

So now, think about your foyer and what you can do to it to make it a welcoming, whimsical, fun spot to come into rather than the ignored space in your place!

 
XOXO,

Ashley

***Not pictured: On the wall opposite the mirrors is a framed print my mother did in college. It has all the colors picked up in the other objects. Also not pictured are my two brass ducks, sprayed to match the room.

 

Well Draped {New Curtains for Rooms}

Well, I did it. I did what I drooled over for many months.

If you follow my Pinterest boards, you will have seen some beautifully colorful curtains (Jeanette) from IKEA on my wish list board. I didn’t end up getting the curtains per-say, but I did get a very generous gift card from my parents. The original intent was to use the card to buy a couple new cabinet doors for the kitchen. But in true Ashley-form, I bought two doors, spent the gift card, got home AND the doors didn’t fit. I measured horribly wrong. The doors were about an inch too short. So, they needed to go back, my hopes dashed.

And then I realized. This meant I could get my curtains! My fun, happy, colorful curtains! But wait, would they match our newer comforter? It had green and blue hues as well, but they were in a different family. Windfall (or inadvertent windfall) number two! Truman got the comforter dirty one day, and though we put it in the dryer once, it just WOULDN’T dry completely. So, without thinking, we just ran it through again. Big. Mistake. So we’ve been dealing with a cute, but shrunken comforter. So with the gift card, and a renewed want to update and perk up the bland bedroom colors, I bought a new comforter AND curtains.

 

Ta-da! New comforter, old comforter as a throw, and MORE IMPORTANTLY the curtains. It’s one, big, colorful family.

 

So it looks great, in my mind. I’m so happy with how the sun comes through those curtains in the morning. I love the coordination of the colors on the bed, in the pillows, and in the curtains. Plus, we still have our bright green side tables that just adds to the happiness quotient.

But where, might you ask, did our white curtains end up? Well, my friends, S and I have always been playing around with the idea of hanging curtains in the living room. Not only for privacy, but because there was an awkward amount of negative space above our windows. So I purchased a few IKEA curtain rods and went to town hanging the old-but-new-to-the-room curtains. I measured out the correct distance on each side, as well as halfway between the window and the moulding. Only, I’m really excitable with a drill and own no stud finder. So it was a bit more difficult than expected and it resulted in several more holes in the wall than necessary.

They add a sense of grandeur, don’t you think?

If you look really closely, you can see the tiny holes I left in the wall, yet to be filled. I also made the mistake of tricking myself into believing we already had enough to put two panels on each window. That would be six panels for three windows. I have four panels. Needless to say, I will be remedying this situation in the next few days as I am two panels short. Here’s hoping they still sell this style!

But eitherway, what do you think? I love the curtains and how they just slightly puddle on the floor. It makes the ceilings seem higher and the rooms, oddly enough, seem brighter. I am currently choosing a coordinating fabric for the bedroom to make a better sized piece of wall art for above our huge bed. We’ll see if I ever settle on anything!

 

XOXO,

Ashley

Weekday Treasure Hunting {Leesburg}

Hey all!

My job is pretty awesome. Not only do I get to work with the greatest kids, learning from them as they learn from me, I also get a very interesting schedule. My body has gotten very used to this schedule of breaks and holidays. It now knows right about the time I’m due for a holiday, so it completely shuts down. This requires several days of recovery, while off from school, before I can get to the fun things I plan for my breaks. And since last week, I’ve been out of school for a holiday. I’ll return to school next week, so I still have plenty to get done before then!

But because I was off, why not go treasure hunting during the week? I know that swaps, fleas, and barn sales are most popular on weekends, but some of the very cool stores are still open! Let’s get down to some of the awesome finds that were to be had in Leesburg, VA.

First, I stopped at the Leesburg outlets for some happy shopping. And by happy shopping, I mean updating my tired wardrobe. I think I wear the same five outfits. My friends have gotten used to the few dresses that I just throw on before going somewhere. It’s no joke. Other people think a dress means that you’re trying to get yourself together, but to me it’s a simple throw-it-on and you’re out the door option. And, in pure Ashley form, I ended up with another new dress. It’s jersey, simple, and I can just pull it on and go. Wahoo! Plus, I got two cute old navy cardigans. S thought it was true-to-form that I ended up with a dress and cardigans. Nothing really NEW, just a freshened up version of what I originally had. Oh well.

But a bonus for the Leesburg outlets? They have a Restoration Hardware furniture outlet. Now, RH is a BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL store. It, however, was never even a budget possibility for our house. Not to mention that sometimes the store comes off as those rooms that you never sit in because they’re too nice and just meant to be adored. They do, though, have some SUPER AWESOME things.

I’m a sucker for worldly styled objects…and mirrors. This guy was super expensive and about 10 feet tall. Who can fit this in their house?

 

I’ve drooled over these in the RH magazine for months. I have not, however, drooled over their price. This guy was about $300 on sale and probably a good 8 feet tall. Needless to say, he did not come home with me.

 

Other than $5 lamp shades, this was probably the best deal in RH’s outlet store. I’ve adored these types of chairs for YEARS. I’ve pinned them, searched for them on treasure hunting outings, but never been willing to spend the moolah on them. He was over $200 originally, marked to $96. Definitely tempting, but I couldn’t do that to my bank account.

 

So RH had some beautiful pieces, but not for our house. After finishing the happy shopping at the outlets, Stein Mart was the next stop. I’ve never gone to Stein Mart, so I didn’t really know what I was in for there, but it was worth the stop. Strangely, I only have one picture to show for the Stein Mart stop, but it’s definitely necessary.

 

Love the chevron shade and the color blue. Did not love that I had nowhere in the house to place this guy!

 

And on our way back, there were some great finds in a pink polka dotted silo.

There’s something to be said for a pink and black polka dotted silo in the middle of the country. And I think that thing to be said is “aaaaahhhh-dorable.”

 

Obligatory owl find! When I saw him, I had a feeling he had a different life before this store’s shelf. A quick study revealed he was an awful bronze that they sprayed!

 

This table almost came home for my grandmother. She’s been searching for the perfect eat in kitchen table and this really seemed like a winner. But the shape wasn’t what she was looking for and she was very iffy about it, so it stayed in the polka dot barn.

 

As exciting as the polka dot silo was, I left empty handed and headed on to the last stop. It was like a crazy pickers dream outside and a refined, staging decor store inside.

Outside barn/garage.

 

Another outside barn filled with goodies.

 

Be still my mid-century modern heart. I love you chair! But I couldn’t afford you.

 

Ah! Another one! But again, you were too rich for my blood.

 

These were VERY expensive, but very pretty. I could put them in several places in our house…if I bought them.

 

And another owl sighting. These were cute, dried gourds from Peru!

 

So other than the clothes, I really didn’t end up with anything for the house. BUT, it was a day well spent and thoroughly enjoyed. If you’re interested in checking out these places, click on the links below!

 

XOXO,

Ashley

 

Pink Polka Dot Silo= On A Whim

Cool Garages and Barns and indoor design ideas= The Old Lucketts Store