Our Entryway Makeover: The Before & After

Our entryway was the first thing we saw when we first looked at our house 2 years ago. Most people wouldn't have been too jazzed about the sight I saw, but I saw something special. Sure, the foyer was filled with terrible orange-toned wood, had parquet floors, and carpeted stairs, but it also had sweeping 30 feet high ceilings, cool light fixtures, and a whole lot of potential.
 I saw what could be, not was was.

This it what the foyer looked like when we first moved in to the house.

Well, actually that's what the foyer looked like after hours of sanding down all the wood and prepping it for paint. Still though, that's pretty much what I lived with at the time. 
My own personal wooden nightmare.

I've probably gone through 10 cans of white paint since we bought this house, and have painted nearly everything I own white. I've had several people ask me what my aversion to wood is. Let me clear a few things up. I like wood. But it has to be the right type of wood. Not the horrid outdated 1980's orange wood this house was filled with. Plus, for someone like me who is constantly treasure hunting, white paint is a great way to unify a house full of mismatched thrift store furniture! 
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Shortly after we moved in, I spent several days painting all of the trim and woodwork. It completely transformed the space. Here is the foyer today.

The neutral paint and white trim really updates the space so much.

Also, check out the little nook I created.

There just wasn't any room for a console table area in this foyer, so I removed the closet doors and created a nook by painting it with some leftover paint from the bathroom. I really love the way it turned out. It's unexpected and fun, yet totally functional. 
Here's a closeup.

I used an old dresser and some accessories I found while thrift store shopping to style the nook. Here is the before/after of that dresser. I painted it white the same way I did our bedroom dresser. I also changed out the hardware. 

Let's look at some other views of the entryway.

I  envision this entire space with really dark ebony hardwood floors. I plan to start the hardwood in the foyer and have it come up the stairs and into the entire upstairs area.

Here are some side by side comparisons:

It's come a long way, and I'm really pleased with the progress.

I think once the carpet and parquet are replaced with dark hardwood, this space will really shine.
 This is what you see when you head up the stairs.

And this is the view you see when you come in the door. The house is a split level and you come in on a landing and then the stairs go up to the living room, dining room, and kitchen. Then there is a long hallway that leads to the master bedroom, guest bath, guest bed, and office. Going down the other set of stairs leads to the basement living room, another guest bedroom (currently our home gym) and another bathroom. I've not yet worked on the downstairs area, so it's still pretty outdated.

The entryway is one of my favorite parts of the house. It's still a work in progress, and has a long way to go, but I think it's already come a long way! I love walking into the house because it feels so open and spacious. It's one of the parts of the house that really sold me in the very beginning.

And it still hasn't lost it's charm!

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