Traditional Home Makeover-Foyer and Home Office

Hello! I'm glad you could visit with me today!  

In the last post I showed you some before photos of a home that belongs to a friend. To recap a bit, she has lived in the home for more than a decade and has not changed much since she moved in. She, unsure of her decorating abilities, said she is not good at picking out things for her home and asked for help to lighten and brighten the space. She recently purchased a second home close to the ocean for family vacations and a rental space. It offers that coastal vibe one would expect when visiting Cape Cod or New England beaches. It is with that idea in mind that we moved forward with this project of giving the entire first floor a makeover or facelift; nothing structural here-just giving it a fresh, airy, more casual touch.

Two pieces of artwork my client/friend owned are serving as our jumping off point. She loves color and leans more contemporary than traditional but we will have to work with a lot of existing furniture.

We are going to try to pull the blues and aquas through the home. 

Entering the front door you are greeted with a beautiful staircase that sweeps up to the bedrooms. 

The goldish-tan color was all the rage 15 years ago but seems to just blend into the flooring and stair treads. It got a fresh coat of paint in Benjamin Moore's Balboa Mist,  allowing the light (which this space has tons of) to bounce around the space easier.

A new 5x7 rug greets you by introducing some color into the space and giving a taste of what is in store for the rest of the home. 

                                    (Source)

The space is large enough to allow for a chair and cabinet; a little space for visitors to wait or to put on shoes. The owner's daughter painted the picture of the foxes! The cabinet was existing. The chair is new as is the pillow. Use what you have! You don't have to get rid of everything in order to start over. We used a family photo to greet/send off guests. Decorating tip: print out inspirational quotes in a pretty font and color for inexpensive artwork. My friend chose Scripture to encourage herself, family and visitors; you will see it scattered throughout her home.

                                        (Isn't this beautiful! She is a very gifted artist!)

Upon entering the front door there is a large entrance to the formal living room to your left. The wall above it needed something big that filled some of that empty wall space. I found a couple options.

Artwork from At Home harkens back to our inspiration. I purchased 2 and hung them side by side over the entry to the formal living room. 

There are a set of French doors to the right that enclose a home office where the mister of the home works from. 

Her mister likes the wall color and didn't want it changed.

He does video conferencing from home so I rearranged a portion of the built-ins behind his desk.  Do not underestimate the value of cleaning up the background if you video chat, work from home, vlog, etc. Now his background is cleaned up. It tells you a little bit about him; representing a little about his personal values and character. Practicality requires the files be readily available but new folders in coordinating colors keep it neat looking and speaks to the organization skills of the person who uses the office. 

Notice the shelves to the right are a little "less pretty". These are not in the shot when video-conferencing so they can stand a little less formality; they hold more personal items that are important to the person who works here. 

That's is where we will stop for today. Much going on behind the scenes. The painter was in and out in a matter of 3 days! He and his crew painted the foyer, bathroom, kitchen, stairways, and family room in that short time. He was headed out on vacation so we needed to jump on it quick and boy did he deliver!

So, what do you think so far? Check back soon when we'll move on to the formal living room...

Linking up to these parties: 

Our Home Away From Home, Lou Lou Girls, Create With Joy, Celebrate & Decorate, Dwellings-The Heart Of Your Home, A Stroll Thru Life, Ducks 'N A Row, My Repurposed Life, DIY By Design, A Delightsome Life, Our Hopeful Home, Imparting Grace, Katherine's Corner, Shoestring Elegance, The Pin Junkie, Shabby Art Boutique, Life With Lorelai, Happiness Is Homemade, The Dedicated House