An entryway is the first glance that a person gets of your home and should make a great first impression. I think of it as your appearance – it’s the first thing people notice about you when meeting for the first time. Just like a well put together outfit, you should want your entryway to be an indication of who you are and more importantly to be clean and approachable. After months of painting, creating and decorating, my entryway is finally to the point where I feel it’s welcoming. There will always be additions and small changes, there might even be a revamp down the line, but I think there is a good foundation and I’ve found some pieces I really like that are versatile. Before I get into the details, I need to make sure I give a special thanks to my friends (they know who they are!) that came through for me with the painting, which was a beast!! It was the biggest part of the project, and I would likely still be working on my entryway makeover right now if they didn’t swoop in to help. Below are the before and after pics and the breakdown of all the changes/key pieces I want to point out.

So, this is what the entryway looked like when we bought the place. I’m not opposed to dark colors but this was just overwhelming. Not to mention the dark brown trim! And let me tell you, these people were dedicated to that dark trim color. It was everywhere, including all the window ledges and doors throughout the entire house. It took several coats of primer and paint to lighten the color. But it was so worth it! In addition to painting, I also recolored the grout in all the tiled areas (post on that here).

Here are the after pics:

The majority of the decor items were purchased from target, hobby lobby, At Home (formerly Garden Ridge), and home goods. Here’s the breakdown of some of my favorite decor items:

– The rug was hand painted by yours truly, details and tutorial here. The paint used is the same color on the accent wall and in the master bath (a gallon goes a long way!)

– I also made the abstract art, post on this here.

– The lamp, I actually got from GoodWill for $4. I had to buy the lampshade separately for $10 and the finial for $4, but for a cute lamp that size, $18 is a good deal in my eyes!

– I also found the two metal deer in GoodWill, post and pics here.

– The stools were purchased from michaels at $30 a piece!! They had 70% off home decor items a few weeks back and I’d been wanting a pair for the longest.

So what do you think of the makeover? What does your entryway say about your personal style? Does it set the tone for the rest of your home? Leave a comment below, I would love some feedback!