One Room Challenge 2021: Week 1- Project Intro + Plans!
For this year’s One Room Challenge I will be making over….. MY ENTRYWAY! I ultimately decided on this space because it has so much potential and I had a lot of fun projects in mind for it that I thought would be perfect to showcase in this challenge. It’s not a space we use much right now or that I have enjoyed looking at lately, BUT I’m excited to make it brighter, cozier, and hopefully more open (more on that below)!
This space has always kind of been an after thought and catch all for random furniture, but I’m excited to finally make it a beautiful and welcoming focal point of our house. Like last year’s playroom project, I just want to walk in here and feel HAPPY and feel like it truly reflects my style and the things I love! I’m so excited to kick off the challenge today and take you along with me every step of the way. You can check out all my plans and projects I have in mind for the space below with lots of inspiration photos, as well as some before photos of the entire space! I would love to hear your feedback, ideas, and thoughts in the comments below!
xoxo
Emily
Be sure to follow along here to see all the One Room Challenge posts in one place! You can also follow the hashtag #oneroomchallenge on Instagram to discover all the projects and progress !
The biggest part of this transformation will be the stair area. I am wanting to open up the entire stair wall (right side), into the living room so that the stairs are just floating with a banister on each side. The doorway into the living room from the entry will be completely eliminated and open if we are able to do this. I am meeting with some contractors this week to see what the possibilities are with this, as I’m not sure what’s structurally feasible. The top photos below give an idea of what the stairs will kind of look like opened up. This won’t increase the square footage in our living room but will definitely make it feel SO much larger and less closed in.
Either way, I think we will try to open up the wall or at least the doorway as much as possible. The other project with the stairs, is opening up the little closet below them to create a fun little reading nook or bench area underneath. This is truly wasted space right now and so awkward to get into that we never use it. I think opening up the space below the stairs will really help make the entry way feel larger and in combination with the stair wall opening (fingers crossed), it could be a total game changer for the overall feel of the space! Below are a few of the ideas I like for the space below the stairs. I am leaning towards an L-shaped bench that wraps along the back wall as well. I definitely think repeating the wall treatment, trim, or wallpaper in this little nook as well as adding some sconces/lighting will help it feel purposeful and tied in with the rest of the space.
I still love my dark trim in here but if we end up getting to open up the wall to the living room, I’ll need to do something a little different to flow with the living space. I really love the look of pale slate blue trim anyways and was already considering it to update the space. I think this would be the perfect option to flow through both spaces. One of the trickiest parts of this challenge, if we are able to open up the stairway wall, will be deciding where to start/end the trim painting and how to continue it into the living space. Below are some color inspirations that I really like for the space!
Wall treatments are going to make a huge impact in this space. Our walls are currently in horrible shape in this area especially- old plaster and very rough! I think adding some wall treatments like trim-work and wallpaper will really help this and also create a warmth this space needs. I am currently very drawn to this white trellis wall by Claire Brody. I think this could be a perfect accent for the space and really help cover those rough walls.
I am also loving all the wallpapers- florals in particular and more traditional/vintage style prints. I’m not sure if I’ll incorporate both or just one, but I would like to do both if I can make it work without being too overwhelming.
I also love picture molding and think if I don’t do the trellis detail, this would be my next choice for wall trim accent. My thought is to do one type of accent on the left hand wall of the entry and then another on the back walls (landing and lower back wall). I also considered doing the ceiling too so that is still an option.
I currently have an equestrian themed gallery wall which leans a little rustic for my current taste so I’m excited to update it! I do still love a gallery wall for this landing area and want to keep something similar there but just with a refreshed feel! I have a special idea for the contents of the gallery wall but that is going to be a surprise! I am leaning toward the picture ledge style look because I could easily update and switch things out. I also like the idea of adding some sconces here and possibly also doing decorative trim or wallpaper on this wall behind the gallery, pending the wall finishes I decide to do throughout.
I first pinned this idea years ago and haven’t stopped thinking about it since. I think my entry was made for this pop of vintage print and color and it kind of combines all my favorite things. I have yet to decide if I’m going to attempt to DIY this or call in a professional carpet person for help. I’m going to do a little more research and see how difficult it looks. I mostly worry about my ability to keep it straight all the way down! I can’t wait to finally do this in our entryway and a stair runner is much needed as our hardwoods are very worn in this area.
We also have a decent sized little landing at the top of the stairs which has doors into the guest room and John Woodford’s room. We’ve never utilized this space at all and I think it would be so fun and cozy to add a little desk station and/or reading nook up here. There’s so many fun ideas and this space gets such great light, that I am excited to put it to use and make it inviting!
One of the things I’ve always wanted is a dutch door. Ideally I would like allll the dutch doors (on our back entry and front entry!), but I think the main entry is a great place to start as we need more light in here. Ideally I would like a door with at least the top half glass to allow more light in. Dutch doors (and all front doors) are super expensive, so I’m hoping to DIY this with a salvaged old door, adding new hardware, and painting it a pretty color to either match or compliment the trim.
