Front Foyer – Before & After

They say first impressions are everything.

I used to think the entryway of a home served one purpose—a place to toss your shoes and coats. After living in and renovating a few homes myself, I soon began to realize it’s a little more than just that.

A front entrance of a home should first and foremost, be practical for everyday living. Making sure it works for your lifestyle is key to any successful space! However, we tend to overlook this nook when it comes to style. No matter how small the space (just see my previous home) infusing a little personality into it goes a very long way!  After all, it is a visitor’s first step into your home.

Today, I’m excited to finally share the first Before + After post from The Mod House Project! 

(. . .the first of many more to come!) 

This tiny front foyer was the perfect blank canvas to have some fun. I took a modern yet youthful approach to this design which all began with the flooring.

When we purchased the home, we had an abundant of white square tiles everywhere. Although it does not look that bad in the below images, they were actually stained and really dingy looking in person.  The tile floor really showed it’s age. Since this tile carried throughout most of the main floor, we removed all of it during our demolition days and replaced it with hardwood floors for a warmer look.

We left only the front entrance for tile placement.  Living with Canadian winters, tile is more durable and easier to clean when you stomp in the house with wet winter boots. Also I stayed away from using white grout here. Keeping the grout on the darker side allows for easier maintenance in this high traffic area.

I opted for a bold geometric pattern that utilizes three different colours: black, white and grey.  This colour combo is still neutral enough for an elegant look but also provides a striking pattern for the floor. In this case, the tile work is my focal point so I wanted to keep everything else simple.

Gold Hardware

The walls, trim, front door and closet doors all got some new paint. It really is the easiest way to breath in new life and refresh a space.  You can view my closet door makeover to see how I transformed standard white builder doors with awesome new brass pulls from House of Antique Hardware.

Inside the closet, I wanted to do something bold and unexpected.  My inspiration came from our last trip to Las Vegas. I was so impressed with this small design detail in our hotel closet that it got me rethinking my closet space at home.

Adding a pop of bright yellow is just another way to add colour to a rather neutral palette.  I also added some interest by using these wall art decal stickers.  Which by the way, is a first look at one of my many designs that I will be selling in my upcoming shop this Spring!

In the past, we used to throw all our things on the upper shelves which resulted in a messy and unorganized look.  Using large baskets is the perfect way to conceal that unwanted mess.

Since space is very minimal, I had no room for a bench or console.  Instead I found a wooden stool that I can easily tuck into a corner.  It was important to find a stool small enough so that the front door can easily open without banging into it. It allows me to sit down and put on those boots and also doubles as a place to throw the keys, mail or sunglasses when we get home.

A large mirror is always a must for me at the front entrance.  I also used small hooks to display our hat collection which can act like wall art.

For the light, it wasn’t in the budget to buy a new fancy fixture.  I tried to create a DIY project using the existing fixture on the ceiling and after a failed attempt, I gave up and moved on to Plan B.  What do you think?

This light was very simple and inexpensive to do. I literally bought one of the cheapest light fixtures from Home Depot and spray painted it gold. I’m really digging this look for $15.  It’s modern and simple!

There we have it. . .one space completely done and crossed off my check list! Let’s move on shall we.  I’m thinking the powder room is next on the list.

Closet:

Brass Hardware – Large Classical Revival Drawer Pull, House of Antique Hardware
Closet Door Colour –  Black Onxy (P5246-83), PARA Paints (satin finish)
Paint Colours Inside Closet – Whitewash White (P2089-00) and Plantain Chips (PF52), PARA Paints
Honeycomb Wall Art Stickers – Pink Little Notebook (temporary) Pre-Sale

Paint Colours:

Walls: F-Stop (P5243-44), PARA Paints (eggshell finish)
Trim/Front Door: Whitewash White (P2089-00), PARA Paints (satin finish)

Floor:

Tile – Hexatile, Urban Zebra
Grout colour – pewter

Accessories:

Wooden Stool – HomeSense
Mirror – HomeSense
Light – Home Depot (spray painted gold)