Map out an Organized Entryway

Homes typically have more than one entryway.  

Often times the home is entered from an attached garage, a mud room.  

A drop zone for anything and everything. 

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Find a map to organization that works for you.

I have said it before and I'll say it again, every room should look nice.  Arriving home after a long day of work, who likes to walk into a messy room and trip over shoes?

I have put together a design with Olioboard that groups items, it's functional and appealing to the eye. 

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It can be done!  A piece of furniture or two and some containers.  

It doesn't have to be hard.  One stop shop...

Ballard Designs

Crate&Barrel

Westelm

Make all of your purchases at one store, a fresh coat of paint and your map will lead you to your destination.

Enter at your own risk!

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Feeling Coastal

As we head into the August heat, I cannot stop thinking about the beach.  

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Spending a few days on the coast reading a book with the ocean at my feat, only to get up for lunch and bringing right back to the best spot in the world.

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I have to admit, I recently became hooked on the television show Revenge.

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The series is based in the Hamptons and I have been inspired since watching the first episode.

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Living at the foot of Pikes Peak is certainly a much different feel than being near the ocean.  I find myself making up for it by bringing out my favorite glass fish plates and seahorse shakers to display and use during the summer months.

I just began working on entryway spaces, different looks and ideas for creating a good first impression.

(NJdesign Decorating, Staging and Redesign) 

Before entering a home, the front door is the real first impression.  I love this photo posted on NJdesign Decorating facebook page. 

Maria Killam shares a great blog post about painting front doors in accent colors. Click here to read her article.

So with my inspiration of breathing in the ocean air, I share my first entryway design...

An entryway should be just as beautiful as the rest of the home.  Seating is essential for putting on and taking of shoes, sandals and galoshes.

When designing and picking out key pieces of furniture for just inside the front door, I make sure there is a spot to drop keys and any other items that need a temporary holding place.  

Baskets are great containers to catch all loose items. Additional lighting is always a good thing, lamps and pendant lighting combined.  Mirrors open up a wall and serve the purpose for putting on lipstick before slipping out the door. 

No matter where you live, an entryway should set the tone for the rest of your space.  Make it a functional and inviting place to enter. 

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