Informal Entryway Checklist

Since Fall is here and the cold weather's on its way, we really need to get our entryway working for us or the mess that comes with hats, scarves, wet shoes, bags, etc. will take over our house. Our coat closet is actually up the stairs and down the hall from our entryway so although it has nice storage, it's not a good "catch zone" for our house. Here's a pic of our linoleum-clad, sickly-lit entryway before we moved in:

We did some damage control and here is is now:

There's fresh white paint on the walls, wall to wall seagrass (we had leftover from our family room and figured it was better than linoleum but turns out it's SO PRACTICAL in the entry!!) a little bench for shoe/ accessory storage and for sitting on (great for putting shoes in my little guy--- needs new fabric) a newly painted over cheapo mirror, a small plate ledge we had hanging around the house for keys, sunglasses and some pretty things, and hanging over the entry is this caged lantern from Bellacor:

But, we're still not finished and it doesn't quite work for us yet because we're missing some key elements. Obviously, I want it to feel pretty & happy & stylish (and I'm not there yet!) but it's the functional I'm focused on right now.

Here's a CHECKLIST of what I think makes for a great entry:

1. Mirror: Obviously, mirrors are functional in entryways so we can check ourselves on the way out the door, but they're also a great opportunity to add some style & personality to a small entryway. (WE went for budget & used a cheapie mirror we already had but one day I'll find the perfect one! Love this one in Betsy Brown's entry below)

2. A spot for keys & sunglasses, and little things that make their way in. We don't have enough space for a table so I'm listing some space-saving ideas. I thought I was being very original when I thought of using a vintage soap dish on the wall:
And then I found this image from Martha who did it first!! ;) ah vell!

3. A spot for something pretty: It can be the smallest surfaces ever. In our house I hung a little ledge that we've had around for years. I actually like how small it is because we don't junk it up the way we would a whole table.. Here is is now (below) sans- soapdish. (The red mirror in the reflection has been moved too.) But it's a great spot for a small vase of flowers:

4. Hooks for coats & bags:

I'm going for something like this:

We don't plan on keeping the hooks full of coats, hats & bags all the time, but want to use the hooks more as a stop-gap to keep from tossing everything on the poor little bench or the floor. Hanging for a while before they make it to the coat closet is much better!

5. A Spot for wet boots:

We don't have a little tray yet either but I've even seen people use baking dishes that work & look adorable! I plan on keeping it hidden in the storage bench unless needed.

6. A place for scarves, hats & mittens: Again, for us, this'll be "the bench" but there are lots of great options out there like hooks or baskets or pretty boxes:

7. And finally, I think it's important to have some type of hidden storage. This can be tough to get in small spaces. But this hidden storage is a great space for quick clean-up and those odd items that accumulate in entryways like a bag for returns or things you need to bring out to your car. We use "the bench" for this but if you absolutely have no space for a storage bench or small dresser or any piece of furniture, then you could use pretty boxes piled up:

Anyway, I'd like to finish up on the entryway pretty quickly so I'll be posting pics as soon as I'm finished! Also, I have that huge wall that goes up to the ceiling & am considering lots of options to add something pretty & personal & to set the tone for the house. Maybe fill it to the brim with old prints (but I don't have enough yet) or maybe even have it painted with something??? Any ideas?? (check the top pic to see the space again!) Would love your help!!! (Wallpaper unfortunately won't work unless it's only on 1 wall because the entry walls continue right into the living room upstairs. If you think it would work on just the one wal, let me know! I'm not really big on accent walls but who knows?)

xoxo,

lauren

ps- my email is down right now because I've made a new website & during the crossover time before it launches, I have no email -arrgggg-- so if you sent me something & I didn't get back to you, email me back this weekend (it should be up by then)... Sorry & thanks!!!

Switching Life over for Fall

As most of you probably know by now, I love to switch around my house, especially seasonally. It's for this reason that I need a fairly neutral "base" for my house so that I can change colors & moods on a whim. To some, rearranging seasonally may sound like something only crazy people with "too much time on their hands" do, but to others (and I know a lot of you are as design-obsessed as me) it's just what you do and it makes you happy. It's an awesome creative outlet that doesn't cost a lot of money and keeps your home feeling fresh. (images above & below from martha stewart.com)

Anyway, right now I'm in the mood for Fall!! And there are lot of different type of "Fall," but this year I'm in the mood for a darker, moodier, super-cozy Fall. (I think it's supposed to be cold this year!!)

1. Switch out accent pillows: Think warmer colors: golds, oranges, browns, warm beiges but even plums & mossy greens work well right now. Use whatever feels "Fall" to you. You might even want to use more pillows than usualy to get that "cozy" & layered feel.

I'm loving these leather pillows from Restoration Hardware:

2. Get a throw blanket on every surface you're likely to "nest." In my own house, I love to curl up. I pretty much always wrap a blanket around myself & have my feet up somehow: elevanted or tucked under me but rarely on the ground. (I'm one of those odd people that often sits Indian- style in the passenger seat of the car.) But, in the Fall, I bring out even more throws. One for the sofa... and one for a chair... the bedroom... a couple in the family room. I just want everyone to be able to get cozy quickly. I keep a basket in the living room for fluffy faux fur blankets. (image via doseofdesign.blogspot.com)

3. Get your fireplace ready. If you had anything in it for the off-season like stacks of wood or a fern, pull in out & have it waiting. Call a chimney sweep if need be so you don't get that smokey smell.

4. Reaccessorize around your mantle, tabletops and surfaces. Think aged brass, wamer woods, and things with a sense of age: vintage finds, antiques, cracked finishes, etc. (imgae from Monique Keegan's House in CL)

5. In bookshelves, showcase richer-feeling books & accessories. (image from Country Home)

6. If you have any "loose artwork" (like something just propped on the mantle versus nailed in) switch it out with artwork that makes you think of Fall. Rich colors & subjects that warm up the space. ( my mom's mantle below)

7. Put more candles around & have some at the ready. (I really love Yankee Candle's huge jar "pumkin pie" candle but it's really not pretty so I store it under a cabinet & pull it out only when in use.) But, If you've got some pretty hurricanes or pillar candles, put them around where you'll be likely to use them. And think smell too. Pumkin & vanilla & hazlenut in the Fall are just amazing and how wonderful is it to walk into a home with those smells?!

8. Bring in some pumpkins & gourds!! I think they're beautiful anywhere you can get them. Piled on a table, mantle or even next to the fireplace. (Oh and don't forget in an urn!! image below from Country Living)

9. Add or switch out rugs. Replace cotton ones with wool rugs, add a rug where the floor was bare.. just warm it up a bit. (image below from Monique Keegan's - a FAVOROTE!!- in CL)

10. Go for walks & pick up what's around you and enjoy the brisk weather. Christian loves collecting acorns & pinecones. A little dish of acorns or a bowl of pimecones is just so pretty. Greenery is also always perfect for bringing in. I've been bringing in lots of weeds from outside lately & am loving how long they live!! (image from flicker)

11. Spruce up your outdoor entry. Mums & pumkins, gourds & ornamental cabbages really make guests feel welcome. (And will make you so happy when you come home!)

11. Have some treats ready. I LOVE having a bowl of walnuts on the table in the Fall. The nut cracker should be waiting in it so people can dig in at any time.

Bowls of apples or pears are beautiful & healthy too!

12. We love doing a weekly soup. Most Sundays or Mondays I end up making a soup and we can eat it for lunches or dinners throughout the week. It's just so comforting & delicious to have around!! (My in-laws visited this weekend & my mother-in-law left us homemade split-pea soup- yum!!!) image below from peandhamsouprecipe.com.... I'm TOTALLY making grilled cheese & microwaving up some soup for lunch today!!

13. Get your coat closet & entry ready. Get out your scarves & gloves & heavier coats. Use baskets or boxes for organzing. Have a spot near the front door for wet boots & shoes and maybe a basket for loose scarves. Hooks are great too if you've got a spot.

14. Have good music at the ready. Cooking & hanging out & relaxing at home can be more fun with good music. I'm definitely in the mood for different music in the fall than in the summer... My favorite right now is Mr.Pitiful by Matt Costa: http://www.mattcosta.com/music (If you haven't heard it, you'll LOVE it... I promise... kind of a modern Beatles vibe)

15. Have good a book & some magazines at the ready. (These days that might entail having your computer with you- how awesome is Lonny?!!)

I'll be doing some more specific posts in "Fall decorating" as the season continues. Would love to hear what you do to cozy up for Fall so I can include it!!!

xoxo,

lauren

Brass is Back!

(For some, it never really went away, but for others of us, it was GONE.) Metal finishes are like anything else: they go in and they go out. This is why I think it's important when choosing finishes for your home that you choose ones that work with your artchitecture & the feeling of your home versus what's hot or not. This way it always feels "classic."




I know of many people going through their entire homes and replacing all of the brass builder's grade hardware with brushed nickel or oil rubbed bronze or some other finish. It certainly improved the look of many homes. But I have to admit, I do have a thing for burnished brass right now. (Chandelier above in "antique brass" I recently had installed in a client's dining room and pendant below to go in her hallway.)

Sometimes brass just works in a home and it would feel funny to have anything else. The warm metal is needed and nothing else will do. This was definitely the case with this client's home and it really did open me up to brass. Here's another beauty:

As with all things, it seems that when you sort of ease in with one exception, (for example, antiqued brass) you start to open up your mind to other possibilities, like perfeclty polished brass:

Which I now think is just beautiful. I love this chandelier below:

Although I have to be honest, and I'm still not really into the typical 80- 90s brass dining room chandeliers unless they really work with a room's decor. -below- There are still alot of rooms out there with "inappropriate brass." hahahah (I'm not above painting brass that doesn't work... I know it could be a sin to some, but I'm not reverential about it... yet ;)

(Some friends of mine have actually managed to make theirs look beautiful with the addition of other brass in the room... I wish I had a pic for you!!) I COVET this lamp below:

And how gorgeous is this pendant?!:

{All chandliers above from Arteriors Home.) I thought I'd share a bunch of House Beautiful homes that have gorgeous brass accents... proving that for some of those design geniuses, brass was never really out. (because I'm sure you'll recognize some of these from a while ago.)

See how this room just needs brass (below) to give it the beautiful warm glow?

This modern brass mirror works perfectly with the sconces:

It works perfectly with guilded pieces too -like the chair s& sofa:

I've always loved this room below. The bed reminds me of the one we found on the side of the road this summer for our bedroom.

We all went crazy for Pheobe Howard's apartment & she uses lots of brass in it:

And, in case you're thinking it only works in more traditional spaces:

It's really unexpected in the room below:

I love how the brass on the light fixture & coffee table plays off of the silk curtains in this room:

And... in kitchens it can be just gorgeous! Check out this one below(found via Urban Grace from Southern Living.) I love the shiny warmth of it in here:

And I just LOVE LOVE LOVE Anne Turner Carroll's kitchen featured in Cottage Living. (images via Urban Grace) I remember seeing that brass hardware & just loving it.

It's beautiful on this chandy:

Just so perfect!!! (below) It mizes so nicely with the pewter:

So, are you sold yet? I'm after this task lamp from Restoration Hardware for our bedroom but will be looking for some cheaper altenatives (anyone??):

xoxo,

lauren

ps- thanks for all the really sweet comments this week!!! you guys are the best & really make my day(s)!!! :) have a beautiful weekend!!

A GREAT bloggy DAY!!!

Thanks so much to the design gurus at The Skirted Roundtable for mentioning me in their discussion of high-low decorating! I think a lot of young designers & DIYers would love this podcast because it's all about getting the "look" for less. They mentioned the huge blow-up of the Durer print I did in my DR as an example:

Also, thanks so much to Terri Sapienza of the Washington Post for including me in this week's Blogwatch!!