Entryway Makeover

I have a giant notebook where I list potential home projects. They rise and fall in priority. Some get finished while others are deemed non-important. My favorite projects are those that solve a problem.

The problem here was that we were a “shoes free” house. Yet there was no place for guests to sit while the removing the offending shoes. It might not seem like a huge problem until you watch your guests untying laces while standing precariously near a set of stairs.

Instead, our split level home had two generous entry closets. The space was even too tight for a bench or stool. We hardly used one of the closets, which inspired my idea.

I decided to take the closet out (after all, we had one on the other side). Initially, I thought we’d have a little entry nook, after removing the walls, we learned the space was finished all the way to the ceiling. There was some juggling of electrical, and I had to get new flooring (I found the perfect match). Then there was painting… and finally, picking out the pretty things.

I knew I wanted a giant entry mirror. And I found the perfect piece at one of my favorite local spots, Antiques Legacy, (it was a steal at $350). (The rug is also vintage. Found on Etsy)

Because family usually enters through the garage, I didn’t need to have shoe storage here, which freed me up on choosing the bench. I wanted something to soften the mirror so I chose this upholstered one from West Elm.

(Note: I write about both the history of mirrors and of Persian-style rugs in my new book, Elements of A Home)