When I walk into another persons home, I immediately start scanning the area.
The decor, the furniture, the frames, the pictures in the frames – I soak it all in. Then I start to picture myself living in the space, what I would do differently, what design techniques I can take back to use in my own home.
I have tried to make my home a welcoming place. Keeping the picture frames updated, rotating out any seasonal pieces, ensuring that everything in its designated space, etc.
Hoping that others will look at it and think, “that is a really great idea, I am going to do that in my house”.
If you read the intro last week, you know that this series is a way to see inside the home of someone whose home you may never actually step foot inside.
This week we are going to start with the two spaces you see when you walk inside, in the most literal sense. The foyer and the formal living room.
Walking into our home, you are immediately greeted by a two story foyer (an aesthetically unpleasing baby gate) with three doors to your left – an office, a coat closet, and a half bath. Straight back you will find double glass doors that lead in to the kitchen.
The foyer space below the stairs on your way through to the kitchen has been switched out so many times, I cannot even count. I have had benches, foyer tables, multiple different types of wall art, gallery walls, a few different area rugs, etc. It was very difficult for me to finally settle on what I wanted in this space. Once I decided how I wanted it to look, I found the pieces I needed to complete it, and I have not looked back.
The chair and table (dresser turned table) were both purchased on Facebook Marketplace for under $100. The throw pillow and blanket were found at Ikea for under $10. That little lantern was a clearance purchase at Pier 1 (the glass panel on the back was broken out of it, but I wasn’t worried about it). Our area rug was purchased just a few months ago from Wayfair. Aside from the “I am loved” sign that I got from my friends at Ebenezer Market, the rest is a mish mash of things I have purchased over the years that all collected up in this space. Many of the frames were on clearance at Kirklands, some from Michaels. The frame with multiple hearts is a diy project I did with maps I printed of different cities my husband and I have visited. I used a heart punch out to grab the important city then glued onto the frame backing and WAAAAH LAAAAAH.
If you turn back around, you will see the front door which also holds a sign from Ebenezer Market. This “farmhouse” sign is one that I hold near and dear to my heart because it is beautiful, plus the quality really feels like that of an old farmhouse. I also found this cubby shelf on Facebook Marketplace which I had to have. I had seen them on a few of my Instagram friends feeds, but had never been able to find one in stores.
To the left of the door (the right when you are coming in from outside) is our formal living room. This space was a struggle for me at first because in twenty-six years of life, I have NEVER lived in a house with a formal living room. Ever. I had seen these rooms in movies (that sounds a little pathetic when I write it out) and they were always decorated but you could not use them, beautiful but you did not touch them. They were for important guests and for dads to sit down with their daughters prom dates/boyfriends to talk about their intentions. Or at least that is what twenty-six years of romanic comedies told me. After a lot of Pinterest searching, I figured out what I wanted to look like.
We purchased the couch, chair, and ottoman set (before we ever even moved in) at a furniture store, Gardiner Wolf. It was in the clearance room and snagged for under $1,000. All of the tables were custom made by a local shop, Maisey’s Market. I custom picked the sizes, the stain, and the paint color. They are easily one of my favorite things in this house. I had purchased what I thought was the perfect area rug from HomeGoods last year but after a new puppy ruined it, the room spent months without one, feeling cold and incomplete. Just before Thanksgiving this year I checked out HomeGoods hoping to replace it (wanting to complete the room again before we hosted Friendsgiving) and I did! I found this beauty and it is actually a better fit than the previous one. It all worked in the end.
Typically a console table is an entertainment stand, but since this room does not have a TV or any of that, it is just a cute open shelving unit for a few key items. The baskets were a Pottery Barn Outlet pick up, the bicycle clock and milk can + flowers are from Kirklands, the picture frames and wood stand are HomeGoods finds.
The multi picture frame was a Pier 1 pick up, I loved it because of the worn off wood look that it has. To the left of the couch, the coat rack is from HomeGoods and has become a space for hanging some special items. The “joy” sign is something I won in a giveaway from Ebenezer Market, the “B” is from Jo Anns Fabrics, and the garden labels were actually part of Walmarts spring decor last year. On the opposite side of the couch I have a sign with a quote I personally love. “We were together, I forget the rest” and it was made by Smallwood Home. All of the little items on the end tables are from Michaels and Kirklands.
The throw blanket and curtains are from Pottery Barn, some of the pillows were picked up from either Pottery Barn Outlet or HomeGoods, while some came with the couch.
This bookshelf is another piece from Maisey’s Market. They actually did not make a bookshelf in their collection, I inquired about having one made and sent over some ideas. Next thing I know – they made this beauty and now even carry it in their collection. They had a sale going on at the time to add a note or name to your piece, so I had this adorable decal added to our shelf to make it even more special.
This is the view from the opposite side – the formal dining room looking in. I wanted the space to be bright, but neutral in colors. Everyday that I walk through this room, my heart feels happy. It is what I pictured it would be when we moved into this house two years ago today.
If there are any items that I did not touch on that you are interested in knowing more about, please comment/email me and I will be sure to give you any details I can.
Hope you enjoyed taking a look into our front door.
xoxo K
I love it all! Thanks for sharing!