Come on in!

 I think the entryway of the home is SO important. Often, it's the only part of the home that someone will see. Think of the last time a friend popped over to just drop something off. You probably found yourself leaning against the door frame and chatting, allowing plenty of time for their eyes to roam over your space and assess your style.

Our last apartment was garden style, and while the brick buildings and big, shady trees on the exterior painted a pretty picture, the medicinal green tile and khaki-colored walls in the stairwell weren't the most welcoming. It was cold, clinical, and not at all inviting. Once you stepped into our apartment, things warmed up a bit, but I always hated that the first impression people had was walking up that stairwell that always smelled of other people's food.

Now, our entrance is much more welcoming. There's greenery and trees, and my little herb garden to say "hello!"

The little black oval on the door is actually our doorbell! It was painted some sort of weird yellow (I think the original idea was that it was "gold" to match the lock and doorknob but it definitely missed the mark); I went over it in black to make it stand out more. This was a key functional change, as the front door is down the stairs from the rest of the apartment, and we keep the door at the top of the stairs closed for much needed temperature control. A knock simply is not loud enough for us to hear!

Right inside the door, I like to have a mirror. It just lets you take one last look before you head out into the world. And this dresser is the same IKEA one that was completely busted in our old apartment. Layne removed the drawers and gave me shelves instead. It was white in its past life, but I painted over it in Tricorn Black paint from Sherwin Williams, sealed it with high gloss polycrylic, and gave the hardware an update with my favorite gold spray paint, Rust-oleum Metallic Gold. I used Live Love DIY's tutorial for painting laminate furniture to make sure this high traffic piece would hold up.

The rug was a TJMaxx steal - $15 and it's just about the perfect size for this awkward space. I have the white side up now, but it's reversible. I think in winter I'll flip it so we drip snow on the side that will hide it better.

The plate was a present from my mom. I think it may have worked better in my head than it does now that I see it in the space, but I'm holding off on any changes for now (plus, I love it and want to hang it somewhere)... The key rack is also a new purchase, from Amazon. We have the key plate on top of the dresser, but Layne didn't like that he couldn't see whether or not his keys were there from the top of the stairs.

 So many of my design decisions start with issues of functionality like this. In fact, this whole space right now has been all focused on making it work better for us and being able to use it. I have a few missing pieces to add that will make it even more functional, and a few design additions I would like to add, but all in all I think it's suitably welcoming for now!

Make sure to pop back tomorrow to see some of my future plans and later I'll show off some DIYs through this space!