A Warm Welcome

A home's entryway is like a warm 'hello' and can make a great first impression...or it can make a stinky one.

We have been working on improving our entryway over the years, and really tackled it through our whole house remodel. I have blogged about the tiny area in little bits over the past couple of years, but seeing the progress in one short post is a little crazy to me. Wow. Our 'welcome' space got a whole lot warmer!





Before:
On the left you can see the hallway that used to be next to the stairs, and on the right you can see the color of the old flooring and treads as well as the wall that came to the end of the steps.

During:
First we opened up the wall that had blocked off part of the stairs...it made the house feel SO much bigger and more open!

Then a new wall was built to close off the hallway (it became our master bedroom closet from the other side).

The treads were very squeaky, so they all were taken up, planed down, and reset to be more sturdy and quiet. We also made the bottom 4 steps wider.

Finally, the steps were stained to match the rest of the hardwood floors in the house (that we redid) and we made the decision to put a runner on them. (here's the tutorial on installing the runner)

After:
Even though we still have a few things to finish up in the entryway, it feels much more light, bright, and welcoming! (and WAY more functional)

Welcome Remodelaholic readers. What do you think?

Still on the to-do list for this area: There is currently a big hole in the wall next to the front door that we left open so a doorbell wire could be pulled through. We also need to more firmly attach the handrail and repaint it. Then the blue wall color needs to be touched up because of some 'loved' spots. But overall, we love it!

Wall Color: custom blend...it took me weeks to get a color I like and I'm not sure I can replicate it exactly. :(
Trim paint: Sherwin Williams Super Paint (un-tinted)
Initial Knobs: Hobby Lobby (more details on the built in hooks here)
Stair Runner: Dash & Albert Blue Awning Stripe
Collage wall art: details here
Bench: Hancock Fabrics