Front entrance: Before and After

I think I mentioned a few posts ago how I've been moving furniture around here - shaking things up. One of my kids is less than pleased. That would be the child that hates change.  "Too much at once!!!" declared that child.  It was long overdue, says I. 

I've been shopping for a dresser to replace this bench for well over a year. What that means is that I've kept my eye open at garage sales and spring cleaning, but didn't have any luck. 

Reasons I wanted to replace the bench with a dresser:  1) As you can see in this undoctored photo - I used the bench as a holding spot.  Six days out of seven it held folded laundry.  On this day - and the whole week prior, it held a box of shirts for our Girls on the Run girls.  2) We need more storage and I keep trying to go *up* A dresser goes up.  3) The bench stored either blankets or hats/mittens, but it was always so hard to get to with all that laundry on it. 

Turns out it was a good thing I didn't find a dresser, because I had it all along. This dresser came from the boys room, and I love this piece. I bought it at a garage sale over fifteen years ago and put a lot of elbow grease into it. It was originally green.  My kids don't know how to use dressers though, so it will work better here. I'm still not sure what I'm putting in all the drawers, but I can tell you that the bottom one is currently holding coloring books and the next one up is holding all the things I need to ship my husbands balls.  (grin) (If you're new to reading my blog - I'm sorry. Click the link over there on the left to my husband's Etsy shop, and you'll get it) 

And while I moved most of the boy's toys upstairs to their room, I just don't have the nerve to move their dump trucks.  1) Because they haul my laundry with their trucks and 2) Call me crazy, but I visualize those trucks flying down my stairs if I let them go upstairs. It's safer, I think, if they stay on the lower level. 

I dug that heavy metal basket (the one on the floor) out of the garage this morning, and it now holds our hats and mittens. I try something different every year with hats and mittens. 

The silver rack above that (from IKEA) I use for drying hats and mittens, and occasionally small laundry items as seen in the first photo. It's right over the vent, so those things dry fast. 

We don't have many flat surfaces for stuff in this house, so I'm a little giddy about having a surface to play with. The lamp was a Christmas gift from my dad years ago before we started exchanging names, two of my husband's carvings, and a basket full of mini scrapbooks, Brian's Cub Scout book, and the kid's Bibles and Catechisms for Sunday School. 

The two framed pieces were purchased individually here and there over the years and have been in the storage hole for too long. I put the other piece in storage now instead. I'm looking for one more something to put in the empty spot to the right of the red frame. It'll come to me. 

I'm not quite done with the other entryway - still some shelves to go up, and I ordered a rug this morning that better darn well live up to its reviews for what I paid for it. 

When those are all up - I'll share that too. 

Feels good to freshen things up. 

Comments

[Barb]

Wow. Inspiring. I have a table by my front entry. Hmm.

[Nancy K]

Looks great! It's so nice when you can pull things from other parts of the house and re-use them in new and different ways:) By the way, you ever get tired of the red framed picture, I have just the perfect spot for it;) lol.

[jersey Girl Anne]

i like all the things you have done in your entry way! It must feel good because it sure looks good!

[Allie.Duckienz]

OH MY GOSH, Husband's balls! I soooo laughed. Thanks for explaining :P

This is looking great :D

[Ann Bimberg]

It's looking great, Sharyn! How fun to rearrange.

[Sherry]

Looks great Sharyn!