So here we are: Week 2 of the ORC!
This week I began ordering some items for the entryway, but until they all arrive, I figured this would be a good time to walk through the entryway and how it flows with the rest of the room — a lay of the land, if you will! I’ll walk you through a couple of the design constraints I’m working around, and I’ll also show you a side DIY project that I finally finished…it’s not exactly part of the entryway, but it’s sort of related…read on to see what I mean!
How the entryway flows with the rest of the room
I think the trickiest part of designing the entryway has been making sure it flows with the rest of the open-concept space. I explained in better detail how we decorated our overall Great Room here.
While I don’t remember the specifics of it, I guess in the original building design, there was an extra pony wall or two in the blueprints, meant to help break the room into defined spaces. But we asked for them to be taken out in favor of a clear line of site when you walk in the front door. We’ve been into other homes by the same builder that have a distinct entryway, and while those are lovely, they weren’t exactly what we wanted.
But…when I started really looking at photos like this ^ I realized just how VERY empty that one wall is…see what I mean? That, coupled with the lack of space to keep winter coats (as I explained in the week 1 post) is what made this a space I figured I’d get to eventually.
And that’s where this ORC has been so wonderful — it’s given me the motivation to go ahead and fill that space, while complimenting the rest of our Great Room. It’s been a great exercise in restraint, as I want this space to be usable, yet not take away from our minimalist vibe in the whole room.
Design constraints
While making the entryway area complement the rest of the Great Room has been one mini constraint, one of the larger things that I’ve had to design around has been the heater vent…it is right when you walk in the door and will be very important in a few months when the weather turns cold! I had to be very intentional in deciding what sort of entry bench or console table and rug to choose here, so we can keep the heat pumping out!
Orders are coming in!
I’ve spent the past week or so ordering items from my mood board and shopping around other areas of my home to help fill the empty entryway. A few things are still on their way, so I look forward to sharing my finds, and what has (and hasn’t!) worked in this space in the coming week!
A related/unrelated DIY is done!
Since I’m not very patient, I’ve had to find ways to fill my time while waiting on the packages to arrive. There is a DIY that has dragged on for me, and I’m so happy to report that while waiting for the items to arrive to complete my ORC vision, this little DIY is finally done!
Here’s the backstory: this summer I came across the sweetest little dresser on Facebook Marketplace that I couldn’t resist. Here she is in all her chipped green- and pink-painted glory:
Dresser: before
That little applique gave me all the heart eyes…it’s like she’s smiling, right?! And I couldn’t imagine our home without her.
After hours of stripping the old paint off, sanding, bleaching, then staining the wood, finding new hardware, and applying the finishing coat, she is finally done, and exactly what I had in mind! I was going for a raw wood look, and am so pleased with the result.
Dresser: after
The dresser is now sitting in the hallway at the top of our stairs. So, technically, it’s still sort of part of the same room as the entryway, as there are no doors separating the two spaces…hence, how I figured this reveal tied into the ORC.
And of course, in typical If You Give A Mouse A Cookie fashion, my mind is now reeling with ideas for how I can decorate the hallway at the top of the stairs…so stay tuned!