Entryway Makeover

While the inside of my apartment is beautiful, the entry hallway definitely lacked appeal.  This is the first thing we see everyday when we come home from work.  It's our dumping ground for coats, hats, scarves, gloves, and boots and the first thing guests see when they come over.  The previous tenants left this awful and anything but welcoming wire shelf, lined with bright blue shelf liner.  Not only was it dirty and gross (I can't believe I even set my things in there), but it wasn't even securely attached to the wall.  I added a couple of 3M hooks for the time being to hang our coats from.  There's plenty of holes in the walls to suggest that the previous residents took their hooks with them when they moved out.

Entry Before.

I knew we needed something that felt more homey, but was also functional.  I wanted hooks for our coats, as well as concealed storage for hats and gloves.  After searching all over for something with the right dimensions and functionality, I found this at Christmas Tree Shops for under $30.  I loved the mirrored drawers and black knobs and hooks, but wasn't crazy about the rustic distressed wood.  There's two different styles competing here.  Not good.

Shelf before.

I turned to my good old standby, paint.  I removed the drawers and unscrewed the hooks before I started painting.

Here we go...

I decided to keep the formal feel of the mirrors and knobs, and go with a sleek and elegant black.  It also matches the rug just inside the door.  All it took was two quick coats, and I was done before lunchtime.

Done painting.

As I was waiting for the paint to dry, I pried down the old shelf and spackled a few of the holes out in the hall.  Then, I popped the drawers back in and reattached the hooks.  Now it looks like a much more expensive piece.

Shelf After.

 After some measuring, leveling, and nailing, it's up!  A much more welcoming sight to come home to.

Entry After.