before & after: barely there entryway…

i just love entryways. of course they seem to be the place to toss keys, mail, shoes & what-not but they’re the real “welcome” to your humble abode. it’s also a visitors very first impression of the place you call home & they deserve to be well dressed & functional. i found these photos via pinterest & they were just the inspiration i was looking for… clean, bright, white, & mirrored with just the right amount of un-polished charm.

here’s our before. & proof of just how small we’re living! it’s a TINY, barely-there {if you blink you might miss it} spot right behind the front door, but i refuse to let any space in our home go without a purpose. every corner deserves to be used to its highest potential right?! that’s what living small is all about…

& the after!

ahhh shoe storage!

we’re SO thrilled with how it turned out. i’d been looking for a more traditional console table for months when we saw this shoe storage cabinet in the new ikea catalog… it was much more our style than most ikea furniture, the measurements were PERFECT for our teeny space & who can pass up a place to store 14+ pairs of shoes?! i actually love scattering my things here each day when i get home & it’s such a great storage solution, it almost never looks messy. i toss my headphones, lipstick & everything else into the cute striped drawer, smell the fresh flowers, & glance a smile at my grandma. oh & i’m planning to carry the black & white stripes to other parts of our downstairs so you’ll see more of those.

if you’re working on your own entryway don’t worry. these sometimes awkward spaces can be a little hard to design. i suggest really thinking through what you’d like to get out of the space. do you need a place to sit, baskets to hide things, or lots of hanging space? do you need to store umbrellas, children’s backpacks, or pet leashes? do what works for you & your family. it can be as simple as coat rack or as detailed as entire foyer… it’s your home & yours only. enjoy it, & be curious.

*shoe cabiet: ikea.

*french mirror: the depot at gibson mill.

*pink depression glass & brass turtle: vintage from my grandma.

*black & white stripe hooks: anthropologie.

*picture frame: target {i love this polaroid of my late gran gran & my dad in his teens.}

*flowers: from the ONLY place i like to buy flowers: the kings drive farmers market, charlotte nc.