The Alchemist's Kitchen and Home

Introduction

Our home is painted in Sherwin Williams Taupe of the Morning. Like the name suggests, it is a light beige that contrasts well with the white ceilings. The flooring throughout the house is a light oak lament with swirls of gray and lines of varying browns. They too match the walls well, seamlessly tie in our gray cabinets in the kitchen, repels the water that is brought in by the sticky New England winter snow, and does a great job at hiding all traces of dirt.

The house is perfect! My husband and I did not dare touch the walls to hang pictures or mirrors for over 6 months. We were afraid we would “ruin the perfect walls.” Morning after morning and night after night we looked at the same walls. We squinted when we flipped the light switches on. The light beige and bright white ceilings reflecting too much of the light. Then one morning while we were having a lazy Saturday morning- sipping our coffee, looking at the scenery from our window, listening to Maine’s Total Coverage play in the background- trying to decide what we were going to do for the day realized our house felt and looked like an Vrbo rental rather than our home. Since then we have planned, replanned, argued about colors, and daydreamed about what could be. But, none of that resulted in any change.

Now, 10 months later, we have started putting screws in walls, staining wood, and buying small things for the “bigger picture.” So far we have hung two pictures, installed a mantle, and placed storage shelves in our linen closet. The little things are making a bigger impact than we expected. However, this post is meant to talk about the upgrades we have made to our entryway.

The Entryway

We have a 5’x3′ space beside our front door that we refer to as our entryway. It is different from the rest of the house because it has bright white walls rather than having the same taupe the rest have. This makes it extra bright which is a bonus since there is no light fixture, but it also means it becomes noticeably messier and dirtier.

The Changes

The first change we made to the area was adding a short wooden bench. This bench was a part of a dining set from a previous house that conveniently was the same color as the stain we had used on our other wooden additions. Nick modified the bench by adding a second board along the bottom so our shoes could be left underneath. I added a super cheap neutral colored rug underneath to prevent water from pooling on the floor.

Next, we added a two tier shelf from Target. The name of the brand is Brightroom. I have been pleasantly surprised by how well the shelf has held up. The side boards are thick making the organizer very sturdy. It is also super easy to put together. I have two additional four tier cubicle shelves in my linen closet that make the space so much more functional. In the entryway, we have a bowl on top of the organizer where we can drop change, keys, wallets, and other small items. The first shelf in the organizer is used for dropping mail, cups from our cars, and other things that need to be sorted or cleaned. The bottom shelf hold our chargers, laptops, extra sunglasses, noise canceling headphones, and portable speaker. This has been spot used on daily! We can put things away as we leave and pick things up on our way out the door. No more going from room to room to collect items!

The most recent addition to the area is a stained 1″x3″ board with a package of gold hooks from Amazon. These are beautiful hooks that compliment our interior and exterior door handles, and add a pop of color to the walls that contrast well with the stained wood and white walls. Nick loves the versatility of the hooks so much so that he wants another set for the wall that runs parallel.

Here is a picture of what the space looks like now with the small simple changes we have made.

The Next Steps

The next upgrade to the area we will be another set of hooks on the right wall. These hooks will be used for gloves, hats, and small purses or bags. They will be attached a 1″x 3″ piece of wood stained like the one on the left wall.

A bigger project we will tackle in the area will be painting the walls from the base boards between 48″ and 54″ inches a deep green called Cascades by Sherwin Williams. Where this deep, jewel tone green meets the white of the remaining wall there will be a ornate flat strip of chair railing. This will hide where the two colors meet, and offer visible separation. If you watch any interior design videos, then you will learn that professionals place things at varying heights along open spaces and near corners. This is a trick to draw the eye up instantly making a room feel bigger. So, vertical decor is a must in a small space!

I have a second small upgrade for the area that also draws the eye upwards. This will be a plant tension rod for above the right side. The rod expands to the perfect size for the small space! There are white, orange, and black hanging pots I have saved on my Amazon that I think will be the perfect size and weight. The colors will also compliment the space. I plan on placing a Golden Pathos and Hoya there to provide greenery and a natural air freshener.

Links to Materials

Here are the links to a few of the materials above. The most important thing to remember is this: At the end of the day, the space you enter into after a long day of work needs to be welcoming and a reflection of yourself!

Sherwin Williams: Cascades

Amazon: Gold Hooks, Plant Tension Rod, Hanging Planter

Target: Brightroom 2 Cube Organizer

Lowes: Chair Rail Moulding

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