How Do I Style My Entryway? | Bloom in the Black

QUESTION OF THE DAY: HOW DO I STYLE MY ENTRYWAY?

Who doesn’t love open concept living? Being able to take in a whole floor of your house in one wide sweeping view is amazing! The space! The light! The… mess.

It really is a blessing and a curse, right?

Blessing: I can make dinner, watch TV with my kids, and keep an eye on the dogs all at once.

Curse: I can make dinner and see the huge mess my kids and dogs are making while staring at the pile of mail, homework, and school permission slips all at once.

The Problem With An Open Concept Entryway

Don’t get me wrong, I truly do love the wide sweeping expanse of our downstairs, but my original vision of that gorgeous entryway I stare at from the kitchen/living room didn’t include a command center bursting at the seams.

It’s not awful. The pieces are all cute. But the reality is that being smacked in the face with a pile of papers and all your upcoming calendar commitments doesn’t mesh well with relaxing on the couch.

I ignored it for awhile — I bet you do too, right? — but all attempts to prettify the space fell flat. It was just the wrong use for the space.

What do you think of when you picture an Instagram-worthy entryway? Artwork and prettiness right?

It was actually such a simple change, I can’t believe I didn’t do it sooner…

Pin for later!

How to style an entryway? No matter if you call it a foyer, and entry hall, or an entryway, this space derserbes to be styled! Check out this article for some tips. #entrywaydecor #foyerideas #entrywaystyling

*This post is sponsored by WhiteWall. All content, ideas, and words are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support this amazing community of ours!

Modern entryway with coastal inspired art and a black console table.

My Messy Entryway, Solved

This small gallery wall is so. much. better. After feeling yucky about my beautiful, but over-stuffed letter bins and well-used whiteboard calendar, I realized that I could easily move the command center to the hallway leading to the garage (because it’s very useful!), and I was basically left with a blank slate.

Olive branches in pottery on a black console table in a modern entryway

For art, I wanted to mix it up a little by using photography rather than my typical paintings and drawings. I grabbed an adorable candid of my girls from a couple years ago and scoured Etsy for the perfect companion photos (instant digital downloads are your friend).

In the Spring 2019 One Room Challenge I worked with WhiteWall to produce the artwork and I was so happy with the quality that I jumped at the chance to work with them again.

But to be 100% honest, they have SO MANY OPTIONS. It’s a little overwhelming! How could you possibly figure out the perfect mix of materials to complement each piece and also stay on budget?

Enter Juline. This woman is good, people. She is part of the team at the SoHo location and they provide incredible guidance. I explained the space it was going in, sent her the photos I was working with, and gave her my budget.

Juline got back to me the same day with a gorgeous mix of frames, exactly (seriously, EXACTLY) on budget, and even sent over a mock-up of a suggested layout. This is a service they provide to all of their customers for free. Juline even gave me some great advice about choosing a matte acrylic to cut down on glare. I never would have thought of it but I’m so glad that she did!

Let’s Look At The Frames…

Olive branches on a modern entryway table with coastal artwork

I ended up going with a traditional frame in a sleek black profile for the photos of the girls. Can’t go wrong with a classic!

Brass candlesticks on a black console table in the entryway

The minimal lighthouse is perfectly complemented by a frameless acrylic setting.

But my absolute favorite is this gold slimline case frame. Look at the detail. It’s just enough bling to highlight that moody ocean shot.

styled entryway with narrow console table, brass candlesticks, olive branches and coastal artwork

Listen, I know you don’t want to read a novella (people just scan the pics mostly, right?). So here are the bullet points about why I’m loving WhiteWall for my printing and framing:

Incredibly easy to hang. There’s a horizontal hanger bar on most of the options. As long as you can get two nails into the wall at a level height, you can slide the picture back and forth to adjust the placement.
Lightweight. Even the bigger pieces are fairly lightweight so you don’t have to go too crazy with hanging hardware.
So many options! Overwhelming yes, but they’ll help you out.
Quick ordering. Send them your digital file — from your phone, your “good” camera, or buy a digital download online — and they do the rest.
Quality. So good.

How To Fill In An Entryway

Once I had the art in place I just had to fill in around it. What are the elements you like in a styled entry hall? I personally like:

Trays
Mirrors
Sculptural objects
Plants or flowers
Vases

Olive branches in pottery with coastal artwork

The Verdict?

I’m in LOVE with this entryway. I still have my command center around the corner but when I’m relaxing? I have this gorgeous little space to smile at.

This took maybe… an hour? Two if you count filling in the holes made by what was hanging there before.

My challenge to you…

Transform just one small space this weekend. You can do it! Start with art or by organizaing something. Either of these two things will have an enormous impact on your space and how you feel about it.

My Messy Entryway Makeover