Garage Entry Revamp

Hi Dee Ho there Peeps!!!

It's late, I'm exhausted but I wanted you to see what I've been doing in the way of home decorating.  I think this makes it "officially" 3 rooms complete around here.   Woo hoo only 4, 789 more to go!!  Not really but some days it feels that daunting!!!

Other than the fact that it is a much more welcoming area to walk into from the garage I was able to do it all for less than $300! It seems like a lot for an entry area but we changed the look and feel of this area so much and considering what we did, even my frugal husband thought we did great on the budget.



First the Before photos:

Well sort of before, as you can see I started painting out that little audio cabinet door and then remembered that I didn't take any before photos.

Yeah, that's not a very welcoming site to enter from the garage now is it?

(the gate is to keep Sir Winston from sneaking into Abogg's room and feasting in the cat box-blek!)

This is looking from the den into the entry area.   That's a paint sample on the right that's been in the doorway for months.  I seriously mean months...I'm having a really hard time narrowing down paint colors.  

Like I said before, not very inviting.  Kind of vanilla and not the good kind of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla vanilla, more like a generic brand fake vanilla vanilla.  

Ready for the After???

Yep, same house!!  How much better is this?  Ideally we would have gone with breadboard on both sides of the built in but we have to be able to open and close that audio cabinet and there were some constraints on the other side of the built in too.   I think it's still 1000 times better!!! 

What did we do? The cabinet and seat base (yes, it lifts for storage and it's where we keep the TP) are painted out in Vintage Market & Design Paint in Lace.  Hubster had to install the breadboard and let me tell you that what should have been a super quick and easy task turned out to give us headaches a plenty.  There were nasty exchanges about the vision and what I wanted in the middle of the Home Depot lumber aisle, cuss words o'plenty and finally relief when it was done.  Why is it the easy stuff causes the most problems?

(yes we are all aware the hooks are not evenly spaced- the shelf braces had to go into the studs so we had to place the hooks around the shelf braces) Safety first peeps!

Once again I used  Sherwin Williams Koi Pond Super Paint on the walls.  1) I love this color and 2) I thought I had enough leftover from the formal Living Room.  I still love this color and no, I didn't have enough paint.  *sigh*    (The formal dining room is about to be the 3rd and final room painted in this color) 

This little curved area is in between the doors of Abogg's bedroom and the MereBear's bedroom.

I had to buy the table and the lamp.  I had nothing in the house that would work.  The rest of the items were retrieved from various spots around the house.

Across the top of the shelf we have an old gas can that was originally purchased as table decor for Hubsters 50th birthday party.  The next item is a Longaberger basket I've had for years and years as is the fake greenery inside the basket.  Next up is my Daddy's old Stanley thermos and it still has his coffee stains inside.  Just past that is my very first 35mm camera.  My daddy bought it for me one year for Christmas, I think I was in college.    Then there is a wood duck decoy that belonged to Hubsters mom.   Hanging on the wall is my Prince tennis racket also from college when I took tennis as my PE credit and for some reason I've held onto that racket.  Next to that is a set of books of Hubsters parents:  Audel's Carpenters and Builders Guide, copyright 1923.  On top of them sits an old blue Mason jar filled with river rock.  Finally on the far right is an old globe I found at a flea market resting atop a Romeo & Juliet cigar box the Abogg picked up for me.  

A closer look at the little table.  The lamp came from Dollar General and the rest came from various places around the house.  (does anyone really know a useful purpose for those little wall niche's??)  

This is the side that you see when you come out of Abogg's room.  

The plate bowl thing has been hanging around for awhile with never having found a permanent home.

The double bin wire basket has migrated all around the house and now it holds the mail for my brother in law and store circular and coupons that I need to keep track of. 

I'm keeping my eyes out for an old fishing creel to hang from the hooks, at a decent price of course.  I am also thinking that at Christmas I'll hang the kiddo's stockings from the hooks or maybe it'll just have hats and gloves and coats hanging from those hooks and that's ok too you know!

The bench is enjoying a comfy new cushion compliments of an old quilt I had hanging around and the remnants of an old egg crate mattress pad.  The turquoise pillow used to be in Court's room at our old house and the yellow pillow was found in the clearance aisle while browsing through Target. 

Last detail in this part of the area- a new hanging caged light fixture.

This was a recessed can light and I knew I wanted something a bit different in here but wasn't sure just what I was looking for but Hubster and I were in Home Depot this past weekend and we happened upon this nifty little kit that turns a recessed can light into this lovely pendant light!   PERFECTO!!!   I splurged on the Edison bulb.  

It literally took Hubster all of 15 minutes to hang the light fixture and that includes getting his stuff out and putting it away. 

This is the door you were looking at in the second before picture.  It's the door that goes out into the garage.  The clock was already there but the EXIT sign over the door is new.   ( The clock is really not hanging over the edge of a corner, it's a shadow on the picture) 

As you come in from the garage this is on the right (across from the clock).  Gertrude (the cow) was hanging in the kitchen she just migrated to a new pasture so to speak.   The big key and cross were already hanging on this wall and so was the overloaded key holder.  The S hook holds Sir Winstons harness and leash so he's ready to walk at a moments notice.  I'd still like to find some kind of really narrow cabinet to install here by the door but I'm in no rush.  I'll wait until I find just what I'm looking for even though I don't know exactly what it is I'm looking for.  

The big rusty metal arrow was a find at Hobby Lobby and a favorite of the Hubster.  It was just kind of fun and I love how it fits perfectly around the thermostat and points the way to the garage.  The old butter churn belonged to Hubsters mom and found a new spot to reside in this area.

So what do you think?   Hard to believe this used to be so bland and that I managed to live with it that way for so long!!    The bad thing is that between this area and the formal living room, I'm about to run out of knick knack paddy wacks to repurpose so once I'm done with the Dining room (which is next on the reno list) I'll have to start buying decor items.  If you know any great vintage stores in the DFW area please let me know so I can go on the hunt for some fun stuff!  

 Here's the cost breakdown:

Wall Paint: $42  (Sherwin Williams-I had a coupon)

Beadboard, Shelving, Trim, Hooks: $100  (Home Depot)

Chalk paint: $15  (local hardware store)

Grey Table & Wall Decor: $82 (Hobby Lobby)

Lamp: $10 (Dollar General)

Yellow pillow: $12  (Target)

Caged Light Fixture & Bulb:  $35 (Home Depot)

There you have it, one more room finished and I'm hoping to have the dining room done next week.  I'm taking a break from painting and decorating this week since it is a holiday week and I've got to get the house and the lawn mower all decorated for the neighborhood parade and festivities.  

What are you guys spending your hot summer days doing?

Peace, Love & Paint