The Story of Our Front Foyer ~ from 2010 to 2016

Hi Y'all and welcome to our foyer. Wow I cannot believe how many years I have been blogging and just how much things have changed in our home, decor wise, since my first post. One area of our home which has really seen a lot in the way of metamorphosis is the front entry. I suppose I have spent time on this space because it is the place where our guests are first greeted. So let me take you on a little trip down memory lane...

Back in 2010 our entry was painted in a color called Deep Swimming Pool. Pretty bold for me but I really loved the cool color. Unfortunately it didn't go with very much of anything else in our home. I also had an undying wish from the time we moved in to add wainscoting underneath the chair rail, and Mr. Rosemary Lane longed for a yellow color on the walls somewhere in the house.

So in 2011 I we both finally got our wish with white wainscoting and a wall color called Philadelphia Cream by Benjamin Moore.

We swapped the large buffet with a smaller white cabinet we had in the kitchen. Along with a couple of roadside finds a pained mirror and lamp, the entry received a new look. 

In 2012 my little Antibes green chair joined the arrangement...

...and so there it remained in 2013...

...and in 2014. Then we moved the white cabinet to the dining room and I brought a cedar trunk  down from an upstairs bedroom to replace it. Also a large mirror was brought back and a shelf was added above the mirror.

Then in early 2015 I painted the white wainscoting over using Navajo White and the yellow was painted over with Wheeling Neutral, both paints from Ben Moore. I purchased a large arched mirror from the Christmas Tree Shop and decided to bring back the buffet from the kitchen. The two were paired together just under the wall shelf.

This autumn the only real change I made was to switch up the lamp and add a pretty fall pillow from Pier One to the little Antibes green chair.

However there is one more change pending and I think it is going to make a huge difference in the overall look of our foyer. Can you guess what it is??? I think you may already know!

Hope to be sharing it with you at some point next week. 

In the meantime wishing you all a fabulous fall weekend!!!

XO

Adding a Little Spring to the Foyer ~ Foyer Vignette

As you know I have been looking to change up things in our entry foyer, so in addition to the new paint colors I also switched out the furniture. This is what it looked like right after Christmas.

Not bad but I wanted a larger piece of furniture against the wall and I have been chomping at the bit for a lamp in the entry. So I brought the buffet I had in the kitchen out to the foyer to replace the cedar chest. 

Then yesterday I purchased a new mirror at the Christmas Tree Shop for only $50! I really like the contrast of the dark frame against the neutral wall and it seems to give the entire vignette a new energy! (Not forgetting to mention that one of my many weak spots is that I am a sucker for mirrors which parody windows.) Another reason why the black frame works for me is because it ties together the black of both the stairway carpeting and entry's runner. 

Now using your imagination, add a wrought iron and wood banister to the steps. Nice right? Just waiting on Mr. RL to get moving on that project! (Love you honey!)

 I also stopped by Michael's craft store the other day and picked up some new spring flowers to place in my giant pitcher. I like to switch out the bouquet for each season.

A collection of books along with a little thrift store picture replaced the plates on the small shelf above the mirror, helps to balance out the weight of the buffet and strong mirror frame.

A few baskets fill in the space under the buffet.

Yippee almost there!!! 

I have to admit that I am really thrilled with the foyer's new look and feel. I am thinking about adding a sconce to the wall at the stairway's landing, and possibly more family or vacation pics going up the stairs. But that may just have to wait until I get my new banister so I have a better idea of what to choose with regard to the style of the sconce and picture frames. 

Here's hoping spring is a lot closer to getting here than how it looks outside right now. 

And wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

XO

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Looking for Some Inspiration for Our Foyer

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As I have shared with you a couple weeks ago, I was and still am in the throws of painting our entry foyer. So of course with new paint in a space comes...

yes you know it and so do I...

A NEW FURNITURE ARRANGEMENT

...plus the purchase of a few other new items. So I have been perusing the Internet, Google Images being my favorite way to go, looking for some much needed inspiration. I had fun checking out the many beautiful foyer ideas, so I thought I'd share with you a few that really caught my eye.

Here we go in no particular order...

I just adore the cozy feel of this first pic from Southern Living. 
(I can imagine the palms outside that little window swaying away in a warm gentle southern breeze.)

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And I am really crushing on this wood and iron railing. Thinking that maybe just what is needed on our staircase. Isn't it pretty?

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This next entry is cozy as can be and wonderfully charming.

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Vanessa from the blog At the Picket Fence, shows off her elegant foyer. She strikes the perfect balance between wall art and furnishings.

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You know the saying...Go Big or Go Home! 

This is not the entry to the home, excuse me, mansion, it is actually on the second floor, however it very well could be a foyer. This is the Blairsden Mansion, one of the largest privately owned homes in the country, located in Peapack-Gladstone NJ. I went on a tour of this magnificent place last May. If you would like to see the entire mansion tour just click here.

And now for something really striking! (Or should I say "Striping"?)

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This next foyer is my hands down favorite. I love the architectural detail of the walls, ceiling and doorway casings, which seems to render this space absolutely timeless!

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And who doesn't adore StoneGable farmhouse? Yvonne has the most amazing style and her entry is simply stunning! Don't you love her new chair? I'd want to park myself in that chair for hours just to sit and admire her lovely farmhouse inspired home.

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Here's another entry idea from Pottery Barn. I've recently noticed that I am drawn to the idea and look of gallery walls. To me they tell a story.

And finally this last entry, which is way way way out of my reach, I had to share because I think it is just beautiful!

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So there you have it! Some wonderful inspiration for me to mull over in my mind. I do have a few ideas of what I'd like to do in our foyer, I just need to play around with them over the next few days. But in the meantime, I am wishing you all a very happy last week of February! 

Come on SPRING!

XO

Changes in the Foyer ~ New Wall Colors

If you have been wondering where I've been over the past few days, I haven't been very far away. Actually I've been in my foyer painting on new wall colors. The colors are from Benjamin Moore's Historical collection, Wheeling Neutral and Navajo White. 

What were my colors before you ask? They were much lighter, Ben Moore's Philadelphia Cream with a pure white underneath. 

And while I did like the color combination, it just became too impractical for such a busy area as our home's main entry. The kids were constantly running their hands up and down the walls and the poor white just took a beating from the dog, the kids, and all of their little friends running in and out of the house. So in an effort to maybe "hide" the dirt marks when they happen, I chose darker colors for both above and below the chair rail. 

I also wanted the wainscoting to be the same color as in the dining room. The Navajo White is a very creamy white and I think adds a little sophistication when paired with the Wheeling Neutral.

Our home is over 40 years old and the baseboards in the entry and up the stairs are missing quarter rounds since these areas were at one time were carpeted. The space between the wood baseboards and the walls are, well lets just say less than pretty. So I decided to add some caulking to freshen up the look.

Yes CAULK is one this gal's favorite friends!!!

And the painting is underway.

I am also hoping that we can add a stairway railing and possibly an electric sconce to the wall at the landing. Then it will be time to hang up a little wall art.

And despite all the snow and the days the kids have been off, they still have the extended President's Day weekend, so I am sure not much will get done over the next few days with regard to this project. 

But that's OK. 

I guess I'll just put on a pot of coffee and grab some of my favorite decorating magazines, and ride out the holiday weekend!

You all enjoy a wonderful weekend too!

XO 

PS...AND PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO STOP BY NEXT WEDNESDAY EVENING AT 7PM FOR THE FIRST SHARE YOUR STYLE LINK PARTY

Our 2014 Fall Entry

Each year our foyer takes on a new look in the way of furnishings. From a buffet to an old radio and turntable combo to this year's cedar chest, the front room's furniture seems to be on a constant merry-go-round. When I rearranged the furniture for my master bedroom makeover, (to see the makeover click here) this cedar chest no longer fit in the room's new configuration and had to be relocated to another spot in our home. To be honest I kind of like it here at least for now. The mirror above the chest helps to fill up the wall and the shelf adds some architectural interest to the space.

This year I decided to go with a grand and colorful floral arrangement for atop the chest. To soften the look of the wood, a quilt, which was handmade by my cousin Carol, was placed on top of the chest.

Some darling miniature pumpkins fill the little ceramic weave basket.

And that is our autumn inspired foyer!

 Hope you are ell enjoying some cooler fall weather with its stunning blue skies and white puffy clouds!

And have a great day!

XO

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