An Entryway Makeover

I received compensation from BHG at Walmart for my participation in the BHG Live Better Network.  However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.  #BHGLiveBetter

We have a lot of people trek through our house every week.  We host a weekly church group, we have seven people living in our house, my parents come over regularly, and I host a number of gatherings, especially around the holidays.  And since the entryway is the first thing people see when they step inside, I decided it needed a bit of a makeover and a whole lot of organization!

My entryway has been really plain.  A dark inside door {that I’m really thinking about painting}, a bland rug, a bland basket for shoes, a bland blind on the window …

… and a coat closet that makes me cringe every time I open it.  The wire baskets are constantly falling down, dumping the contents to the ground, shoes are everywhere, four basketballs are piled in the corner, and the whole thing has been a disaster from top to bottom!  Not exactly guest-ready, right?

I traded in the old shoe basket for a dark wooden milk crate with elegant nailhead details.  I love the way the crate blends in with the door, making it stand out far less than the other basket.  It also sits nicely against the wall and I’m a girl who likes everything to have a spot.

I threw out the old rug and replaced it with a rectangular jute basketweave rug with a nice tailored look.  I actually wanted something with some color but when I couldn’t find the color scheme I needed, I decided to paint it myself.  It was a simple project and adds a nice pop of color against the neutral tiles.

I’m still pondering what to do with the long, thin window and I’ll share an update when I figure it out.  I did tackle the madness in the coat closet though and everyone in the family got a tutorial on how to keep it organized {wink}.

I moved basketballs to the garage, threw out old shoes, donated coats that aren’t being worn, and threw out those blasted wire baskets!  Everything on the shelf is now being stored in three galvanized bins.  I added chalkboard labels so the kids can easily find what they need.  I love that everything is stored neatly out of site and all you see are the industrial style locker bins.

I also solved the shoe problem.  The crate at the door can only hold one pair of shoes per person … it’s just an easy way of storing the shoes we wear the most often.  The rest of the shoes are often stored in the kids’ cubbies but they also get tossed into the closet.  I bought a large shoe organizer that can hold piles of shoes and takes up very little room.  A total win!

There’s now enough room that I can hang guests’ coats when they arrive and I’ll no longer be embarrassed about the state of the closet!

My entryway looks much tidier and I love the bit of color.  I’m looking forward to having our first guests arrive this week!

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