A Fresh Take on a Dark, Dated Entry
Between the textured, multicolored slate tiles, dark wood door and trim, and all the beige paint, the entryway in this house (er, actually, just about the whole house) looked like more of a whiskey and cigar smoke-filled hunting lodge than the cute suburban mid-century split level she deserves to be.
before (pictured right)
We knew it had to go. Obviously, the trim and paint was a simple fix, but the tile wasn’t so easy. With so many projects to do throughout the house—and the fact that the slate carries through the kitchen (which is also in need of a total gut job) we didn’t want to invest in new floors just yet. But that didn’t mean the rustic, dark earth tones emanating from floors would be allowed to stick around much longer.
Thankfully, we found a paint specifically made for floors. Rustoleum has a two-step system with a colored base coat and a clear protective coat that are meant to improve the look of dated floors like these. So after scrubbing the mess out of the floors with Krud Kutter cleaner, we tried it.
And while we were at it, we also painted the ceiling to really surround you in color when you came through the door. Plus, it also made a fun background for this fun Sagittarius constellation chandelier from Sezerac Stitches.
Changing out the hardware on the coat closet door to this fun jewel baguette handle and a new 4-gang light switch plate tied it together with the existing vintage front door hardware to give it a more cohesive look.
light blue-green paint color (top) / vibrant blue-green paint color (bottom)
Then we pulled this hall tree (similar) back into place, added a pop of color and texture with some peonies from Urban Stems, a little bit of art, and some faux foliage from Afloral. And, in case you’re curious, styled on the hooks of this entryway power piece are a Fjallraven backpack, Kate Spade camera bag (similar), a black-and-white checkerboard jacket, and a kid’s fedora.
Next, we brought in this fun black and white geometric runner rug—and finished off the walls with a wall hanging and some pictures.
Of course, after the transformation of the floors brightened up the entire space so much we couldn’t resist expanding the project a bit….so stay tuned to see the rest of it!
SHOP THE LOOK
