Check out my entryway – Boring!
The wood work is beautiful, the door is lovely, but the space needed inspiration!
It needed –
A Mirror – nothing is nicer than to take a quick peek in a mirror before heading out the door – even if what you find scares you!
Hooks – a spot for your guests to hang a jacket where they can easily find it again and it keeps them out of the front closet dumping ground!
Bench – a place to have a seat and slip on your boots on cold and snowy, winter days in Wisconsin!
Inspiration for me arrived in the form of a mirror.
One day while strolling thru T.J. Maxx I spotted the most lovely mirror! I strode past it…circled around the store and strode past it again….debating with myself…should I…no, you don’t need it…it’s so cute…no, really, you don’t’ need it. I left the store without the mirror.
Upon returning home – I took one look at my foyer, grabbed my keys and pointed the car in the direction of T.J. Maxx.
Luckily, the mirror was still there. If you are a T.J. Maxx shopper you know – if you think you want it – grab it or it will be gone by the time you get back!
The stars were aligned for me that day – the mirror was mine! As I was walking to the checkout with my prize – not one, but two ladies commented on the mirror and how they too had been thinking about purchasing it – sorry ladies – too late!
The mirror is by Sheffield Home. I tried to find a similar one online, but I was unsuccessful. You may have better luck!
To finish my foyer I needed to hang my mirror and a super cool set of Three Dot Coat Hooks that I ordered from CB2…love that store! In an earlier post this week – Applying Varnish to Beautify and Protect Wood, I talk about CB2 and how to varnish the coat hooks since they come unfinished.
I gathered my tools – ok – my husband gathered the tools. I couldn’t find the level or the stud finder. Maybe I didn’t look hard enough! The other tools I needed were a hammer, measuring tape, phillips head screw driver, a couple of nails and a wonderful invention called the EZ Anchor! When I discovered these, I never waited for my husband again to hang up a picture – so easy to use!
The last tool I utilized was a drill, since I was lucky enough to find a stud in the right spot for my mirror!
The first thing to go up was the mirror!
Did you see it – it’s so pretty! You can tell I love it – can’t ya!
I started with the mirror because I really wanted to find at least one stud to hang it on. Then, depending on the location of the mirror, the coat hook locations could be adjusted.
Using my trusty stud finder, I located the spot and hammered in a nail. I always start with a nail because the stud finder only gives you a general area. Usually it’s very close, but sometimes your stud may be just to the right or left and you don’t want to drill a bunch of holes in your wall. My wish is to use the drill once!
After locating the stud, I pulled the nail, drilled the hole and secured a screw for my mirror to hang on. This mirror came with two hooks. To make sure the second screw was level with the first – I used the level! I located the spot, and this time I used an EZ anchor. I secured it then screwed my screw into the anchor and hung my mirror!
Voila – it was perfectly level!
Am I good or what?
Now on to hanging those fabulous Dot Coat Hooks!
To help me decide on the placement of the hooks, I cut out three brown paper circles and taped them to the wall in the area I wanted the hooks to be hung. The paper circles were much easier to move than the real thing.
After that it was easy! I marked my spot, made a hole with my nail, then secured an EZ anchor. The dots came with their own anchors, but I like these so much I used them instead. Finally, the coat hooks arrive with screws attached to the back so a simple twist of the coat hook into the anchor was all that was required!I
My final addition to the entryway was a beautiful black walnut bench crafted by my father. Check out the post about the bench!
Finally – somewhere to sit!
The lack of seating was a common complaint from my 83 year old father. The bench not only remedied that problem, but does it with style!
Here is my beautiful Foyer where I am excited to greet my guests.
I have combined traditional, modern and distressed styles to create a beautiful space. You can too! The key is – Don’t be afraid! Just try it! (And get some EZ anchors!)
