Foyer Fix Up - Part 1

Last winter we redid our foyer. So my plan is to show you over the next few weeks what we did, how we did it and finally, how it looks.  This is part one of our Foyer Fix Up.

One of the things we love about our house is the foyer. Well, we love that we have a foyer with a closet (in our last house we had to hang our coats in the stariwell to the basement) and space to put a chair so people can sit and take off their shoes.  So we love the space, not the execution as the previous owners had it.

When we moved in, the foyer looked like this.

This is not our stuff.  This is one of the listing photos.

Not particularly inspiring.  Bland cream walls. Cheap laminate flooring.  A chandelier hung so low that our tall guests would run smack into it when they came to visit.  And the curtain?  It hides the mirrored closet doors. (Just one of four sets we have in the house.  You have to love those original 70s details.)

Step 1:  Light Fixture Replacement

Since we didn't want anyone to get a concussion running into the foyer light, we decided to replace it with something that was a bit closer to the ceiling.  We chose this lovely fixture from Lowes.

Here is what it looked like right after it was installed.  No one is going to hit their head now.

Since there was already a fixture in the spot, installation was a breeze.  We just followed the directions that came with the light to make sure we wired it up correctly.I sold the old fixture on Craiglist for $60 since we didn't have any place to move it to. 

While the light is a major improvement, you can see why we quickly moved onto

Step 2:  Paint

We painted the ceiling white and the walls Sherwin Williams Bagel, the baseboard rad cover and door trim went semi-gloss white.

No photos since Bagel doesn't actually photograph that well.  Just know that it looks fabulous - warm, inviting, cozy. Just the feeling I want people to have when they come in the door.

The curtains rod came down and the curtains ended up in my "hmm, I bet I can use that" pile.  Unlike some of the curtains left by the previous owners, the fabric is our style and could be used somewhere else...
maybe.

Step 3:  A table, a chair, a few doo-dads and a piece of art

Here is how things look now.  Soooooo much better, I think.

The table is from Target about 6 years ago and we had it in the foyer of our old house.  It is the perfect size for extra light bulbs, the box with our stamps and mailing labels, our stash of cards and envelopes and one of our many extra flashlights. 

D found the framed "antique" map at an estate sale for $7.50.  While I wasn't sure totally sure if would work when we first saw it, I think it looks perfect for the space, and the mat on the map matches the wall color almost perfectly.  D says it was a sign that it was meant for this spot.

You may recognize the apothecary jar I made using an old vase and candlestick from a previous post. The vase holding the forsythia is from Crate & Barrel but is something like 10+ years old. The silver tray, where D keeps his keys and other small random stuff was purchased on One King's Lane about a year ago and was about $12 (I think). The vase with the Easter eggs will be highlighted in this Sunday's project post.

We got the chair from Costco two winters ago and I believe it was $20.  It is actually one of our spare dining room folding chairs that we use when we have extra people over for dinner.  It works for now but will eventually get switched out to something else.

Cost of the Foyer Fix Up - Part 1
$ 15.00 About 1/2 gallon of Bagel paint
     5.00 white ceiling paint (part of a 5 gal bucket)
   85.00 Light fixture
   20.00 chair
     7.50 artwork
   12.00 silver tray - One Kings Lane
     0.00 table - already owned
     0.00 vase - already owned
 -60.00 sold old light on Craigslist
$84.50 running total to date

I think we have a pretty good start on the Foyer Fix Up!

Coming up in Foyer Fix Up - Part 2, we tackle the floors...and the costs and time invested go up.