Welcome all who enter here….
The entryway was a mess. The floors were cracking, the walls were battered, and the front door jamb was broken from thieves who entered uninvited. Let’s just say, the impression when viewing for the first time wasn’t very good. (And don’t get me started again on those wretched mirrors and chandelier!)
We tried to order a front door early in the process because we knew it would take a long time. I say “tried” because the completion date kept getting pushed back months at a time to the point that we had our contractor (Richard) look at it to see if the jam could be fixed.
Richard and Jeff consulted, and Richard had it fixed in no time at all. The front door is warped but we can get a slab door in much sooner than they were projecting the entire opening to get finished, plus the door now closes (with a bit of umph added). We can live with this for now.
I couldn’t stand the decorative glass on the windows next to the front door. It simply didn’t match the house. This type of design looks best on Craftsman style homes, not French Country. They’re lovely on their own, they just didn’t fit with the style of the house. After we carefully cut them out, I was really pleased. It not only matches the rest of the windows, but it also lets in more natural light. That’s a win-win….
We removed the mirrors and replaced the chandelier (see earlier posts) and painted the walls. We also had the stairs refinished (by Jason at Sandmasters Hardwood Flooring) and the rails painted. I decided to keep the acrylic spindles. I think they look nice now that the other hideous features are gone.
We had two niches to fill, and my friend Ann let me know about vases at Sam’s club. I snatched those babies up, and she helped me pick out flowers and designed the arrangements. They look great!
On the other side of the staircase, I decided to purchase a chair and table. When I had brought home a chair that didn’t have a landing spot, we put it in that corner. It gave Jeff a nice spot to wait for me as I faffed about before we needed to leave the house. Since it was so useful, I decided to replace the chair that I am using elsewhere with one that looks better in the entry. Thank goodness for places like Wayfair, where you can see what is available to ship quickly. The table I choose to get in acrylic to match the spindles on the stairs. It gives some continuity.
The design feature that I am really pleased with is the chair rail that Richard created on the wall. We discussed what my vision for the space was, and he made it happen. I think it looks fantastic! I wonder now if the people who put all of those mirrors everywhere would agree….
Probably not, but they should….
