Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Life

Tag: home renovation

  • Easy DIY Entryway Ideas

    One of the most overlooked spaces in homes and apartments is the entryway. People often find themselves stumped for low-cost, high-impact ideas to make this area sing. Whether your entry is long and narrow, open and undefined, or just plain small, there are terrific design options that will allow you to make a real change and can (often) be done over a long weekend. So, what are some of our favorite DIY entryway ideas?

    towel hangingDazzle with Entryway Color Blocks

    There are few spaces that won’t benefit from a fresh coat of paint. This is especially true of your entryway, which sees a lot of traffic. Whether your door opens into your main room or a long hall, it might benefit from a dash (or more) of color. Adding a brilliant yellow, soothing blue, or moody green color to your door will transform your entryway instantly. It’s an easy DIY project that has big results for renters or owners. Yes, renters will have to return the door to its original state before moving out, but that is an easy fix, and the joy you feel whenever you look at your new door will be worth it.

    Geometric design is taking over interiors, and painted shapes are being used to create visually appealing zones even in homes with open-concept living. Picture a colorful oval that extends above your doorway and onto the walls around it or a gentle arch that incorporates the door. Both techniques will draw the eye upward, making your ceilings look higher. 

    Is your entryway particularly small or short? Dramatic colors can transform the space into an experience. Dark, moody colors can feel like an embrace when coming from outside. Is your entry a tricky shape? Consider adding a freehand (or stenciled) mural as one of your renovation ideas. Depending on your design inspiration, this DIY project could require very little paint, keeping the cost of your renovation low. 

    Introduce a Drop Zone

    Are you frustrated that you don’t have an easy place to drop your purse, keys, wallet, masks, mail, or other paraphernalia when you walk in the door? One of the most popular DIY entryway ideas in the last two years has been the introduction of a front door drop zone. Do you have an older console table, bench, or bar cart that isn’t getting as much use as it once did? A coat of paint, a new stain, or a good polish can make your older furniture like new again. The upcycled piece placed near the door can help keep your stuff organized and easily located when you add bins, baskets, or trays to collect small, easily misplaced items and mail. 

    If you are particularly handy, consider bringing some extra style to some unfinished wood cabinets and turning something uninspiring into the perfect entryway console table. The experts at Martha Stewart Living took two unfinished IKEA “Ivar” Cabinets and made them into a functional and fabulous console unit. You can make this idea your own by painting the units your favorite shade using low VOC or vegan paint, adding wood legs to raise the units to a more comfortable drop zone height, and installing hooks inside the doors to add even more storage. If you are short on space in your entryway, you could choose to stack the cabinets or even mount them to the wall. 

    Install Wall Hooks

    Wall hooks or pegs are a terrific option for improving organization in an open-concept or small space. They offer a place to hang your coats, umbrellas, masks, and keys that is easily accessible and neatly contained. Real Simple loves small-space organizers like the Parker Mirror and Hook Rack because “it has a mirror, comes with hooks for holding keys and scarves, and includes a shelf for that hand sanitizer you need to slather on when you get home.” You can also install design-forward hooks directly into the drywall or get crafty by screwing hooks into a rustic piece of wood that you can stain or paint to complement your décor. 

    Upcycle Seating

    According to Real Simple, “one element every functional entryway should have: a spot to sit down and take off your shoes (and coat, and scarf).” We agree! Is your entryway tiny? Look for a small bench or footstool at your local flea market that can be restored. If you are handy with a staple gun, you can grab some of your favorite leftover fabric and foam to create a cushion that will make your entry seating look beautifully customized without spending a lot of money.

    Of course, if you have a long entryway, your renovations could include a refurbished Deacon’s Bench or a narrow settee. Like Martha Stewart Living’s editor Lorna Aragon, your next great DIY idea might start with a vintage church pew you find at auction. Aragon thought “the curved arms reminded her of Swedish antiques” and painted it Scandi blue. But rather than stopping there, she added a “ticking-striped cushion made with two-inch-thick foam.” The piece’s final look included a slightly weathered-looking finish that also protected it from snowy hats and spring rain-dampened coats. 

    entryway with mirrorIncorporate Useful Storage

    Once you’ve added your upcycled seating and space-saving wall hooks, ponder the best places to incorporate helpful storage. For small entryways already boasting wall hooks, Real Simple loves the idea of placing “a sturdy … hamper, or cubby shelf to corral shoes.” 

    Is there space below your door-side bench? You can add organic cloth or sustainable bamboo baskets under the bench to house hats, gloves, shoes, and more. Even if your entryway is tiny, you could incorporate something like the Container Store’s eco-friendly Lotus Bamboo Storage Bench. It’s only 20 inches wide, but it opens at the front to reveal hidden shoe storage that will instantly organize and tidy the shoes you use each day. While the cushion it comes with is lovely, you can easily detach the top and recover it in your favorite leftover fabric (or latest find) for a DIY renovation project that will take only a couple of hours. 

    Welcome the Weather

    Do you live in a region that sees abundant rainfall? While you can always hang umbrellas from the pegs or hooks, you will need to place a tray or mat below that space to capture falling water droplets or mud. Martha Stewart Living is a big fan of the shiny copper boot tray from Williams Sonoma. The Magazine explains: “It’s long enough to hold the entire family’s footwear, and so great-looking, you’ll want to keep it out ….”  

    As for your umbrellas, a simple DIY idea also comes from Martha Stewart Living. They detail a DIY project that transforms “an inexpensive flower bucket into a nice-looking umbrella stand by painting the bottom of the bucket with glossy oil-based enamel paint.” It does take 24 hours to dry, but the basics can be accomplished with only a few supplies (including sample size paint) and at a minimum of expense. 

    Create a Welcoming Landing

    Whether you have a split-level home with a landing, an extended foyer, or a tiny apartment, a quality, high-traffic rug can bring warmth and welcome to your entryway. Southern Living recommends decorating the space with a sustainable, flat-woven rug or cowhide. Why? The Magazine reveals: “Both rugs are incredibly easy to maintain and are available in a variety of sizes and colors.” If you are searching for eco-friendly ideas, consider organic jute options. You can also search for reversible rugs, like the Hebe cotton area rug that Southern Living favors. Not only is this black/off-white geometric gem beautiful, washable, and made from recycled cotton, but it can be flipped for more use between cleanings. 

    entryway at homeDress the Space

    You will be amazed at how quickly the addition of a mirror or engaging artwork can dress your space. Much like the idea of an entire wall mural, a dramatic, soothing, or whimsical art piece will set the tone for guests as they enter your home. Whether you place a large, vertical photograph on a wall opposite the door or at the end of a long foyer, or a horizontal masterpiece that seems visually to flow towards the inner rooms of your home, you can make an impressive statement. You can even upgrade the frame with a little bit of paint, gold leaf, or polish. 

    Mirrors are also a terrific option near the door. Not only are they great for “last looks” as you leave the house, but they bounce light in ways that can make even tiny entryways feel inviting. Real Simple agrees. The Magazine reveals that “designer Robin Henry brought plenty of character into the home’s primary point of access with two large pieces of art—a gorgeous four-foot-wide mirror.”  

    Martha Stewart Living is also a fan of brightening your entryway by “[creating] a ‘window’ using basic bevel-edged mirrors” over a floating shelf. In fact, it’s one of their favorite DIY entryway ideas. Once the floating shelf is installed and painted to match your walls (visually hiding the piece), they recommend: “[Adding] a grid of mirrors above, leaving about an inch around each to mimic windowpanes. For a flush, bracket-free look, attach the mirrors to the wall with construction adhesive made for mirrors.” And voila! You’ve created a focal point that will wow in just hours.

  • Workarounds for Wood Paneling

    It doesn’t seem to matter how old or new your home is, inherited wood paneling is just sometimes a fact of life. Love it or hate it (and there is some wood paneling no one could love, especially the mid 20th Century rec room look), removing wood paneling or drywalling over it is a major renovation. It may require more time, money, and skill than you have or create mess you’re not prepared to tolerate. Even a gorgeous Douglas Fir vaulted ceiling Victorian home can make you feel dreary if it’s stained a dark color and you don’t have a constant source of natural light.

    Sometimes the best way to cope with wood panel design you wouldn’t have chosen yourself is to just accept the inevitable and embrace it.

    Here are a few things you can do that might help you learn to love the wood panel design you wish you didn’t have in your home.

    Accept the inevitable

    If you’ve decided you can’t or won’t remove the wood paneling in your home, accepting the inevitable and adding more wood might be the solution. By varying the width of wood used in a room but sticking to the same materials and color palette, you may be able to reconcile yourself to living with it.

    Part of the problem with uniform width wooden paneling and flooring is that it inevitably conjures images of a sauna. Which is great if it is a sauna, but not so great if it’s not. If you have narrow wood panels on your walls, using wide floor planking in the same wood and stain creates an elegant variation on a theme and supplies some visual interest.

    You can also frame panels to create separate wall areas and hang a series of prints or small paintings inside each panel. If your entire room is thinly paneled wood, adding a chair rail will break things up a bit.

    Add contrasting moldings

    Invest in some interesting moldings that will draw the eye upward. This is an easy way to draw the eye beyond the feature you don’t want to emphasize. It also creates a more formal feel and some architectural interest. Don’t try to match the existing panel color or even the ceiling. Use this space to inject a shot of startling or soothing color.

    Paint it

    If your main objection to your home’s wood paneling is its color and texture, the solution is paint. The possibilities are endless. You can whitewash the paneling to lighten it up with almost no prep work. You can paint it a dark color so the paneling recedes within the room. You can paint it a bold color, and, especially if the paneling extends to the ceiling, lacquer it afterwards. This kind of treatment may make you forget what’s under there and supply some interesting texture to your walls. Or you can paint it white to conjure thoughts of picket fences and long summer days.

    Cover it up

    There are two ways to do this, one literal and one figurative. The figurative treatment, especially if you have only one wood-paneled wall, is to paint the paneling and then install shelves the entire length of the room and fill them with books. The paneling will still be there, but the colorful books will make you forget it except when you have to dust.

    The literal cover-up for wood paneling that again works best for a single wall (although you can use it on an entire room) is to upholster the wall. You’ll need a tall ladder, a good staple gun, and enough polyester batting to cover the wall as well as far more fabric than you think you’ll need. Pattern matching is as important when upholstering a wall as it is when hanging wallpaper, so make sure you buy extra. You can seam each wall panel together and carefully press each seam open or use trim to cover the fabric panel edges.

    And then there’s wallpaper. For the truly egregious 1950s rec room paneling that probably isn’t really made of wood at all, this may be the quickest and most effective solution. If, however, you’ve got real wood paneling with grooves more than a quarter inch deep, you’ll have to fill the grooves with caulk, prime the paneling with a latex primer design that blocks stain, then begin the wallpaper hanging process. If you’re going to all that trouble anyway, you might want to use paintable wallpaper, available in various textures. You can paint it to match the rest of the room or use it as a feature wall. Even paintable wallpaper will need two coats, but with any luck, no one will be able to guess what lurks beneath. Unless, of course, you tell them.

    For more great design solutions, check out our Home Maintenance channel.