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Entryway Progress & Decorating Options

The trim around the grasscloth accent panel on the entryway wall still needs a coat of paint, but I managed to get all of the trim installed, and get my living room repainted yesterday. I’m convinced that Benjamin Moore Classic Gray is the perfect barely-there wall color.

grasscloth accent wall in entryway - Phillip Jeffries Juicy Jute Tantalizing Teal grasscloth on Benjamin Moore Classic Gray walls

My baseboards still need some touchups as well. I got stain on them when I refinished the floors at the beginning of this year, and I have yet to fix them.

And as you can see, I decided to stick with just three grasscloth panels rather than add the fourth one. The consensus seemed to be that three looked better and more intentional, and that adding a fourth one (which would have to be cut lengthwise with half of that sheet added to each side) would look like I ran out of wallpaper.

I could definitely see that, so I stuck with three. It really wasn’t that big of a deal to me. I really just wanted to avoid my usual trap of overanalyzing the options, spending days weighing the pros and cons of each, spending hours on Pinterest and Houzz trying to find the perfect examples of each option, using my photo editor to do mock ups of each one to determine which one was better, blah, blah, blah.

I just wanted it done. So it’s done. 🙂 It’s nine feet wide, and gives me plenty of room as a backdrop for whatever I decide to do on that entryway wall. So now I just need to decide what to put there!

I envision something more substantial than an entryway/sofa table. I think I’d like something more like a buffet, similar in size to the one that used to be in the entryway and now lives in the breakfast room. The only other furniture pieces I know for sure will go in this room are my consignment store sofa that I still need to reupholster (or have reupholstered).

my-new-to-me-living-room-sofa-before

I already have the fabric for it (a light and neutral Crypton upholstery fabric very close in color to the walls), so I just need to decide what to do with the exposed wood parts. I don’t want to keep the dark wood, but a more natural wood might be fine. Or I might paint it. And since the fabric is light and neutral, if I paint the wood, I’ll paint it a color other than white (which would blend too much with the fabric) or black (which would be too much of a contrast with the fabric).

And then I have a pair of tufted, fully-upholstered chairs that are kind of a transitional nod to wingback chairs. They’re hard to describe, and I can’t find the picture I took of them (I’ve been holding on to these for about five years now), but they also need to be completely stripped and reupholstered.

And in addition to those furniture pieces, I’ll also be using these draperies…

new-living-room-draperies-diy-drapery-panel-with-greek-key-accent-and-solid-band-accent-on-leading-edge-2

So for the entryway wall, a buffet in a natural wood appeals to me. I think a natural wood would look great against the teal grasscloth backdrop, and I also like the idea of natural wood balancing out the color in the room. But I have no idea what that piece of furniture should actually look like. My love of modern, clean lines is continually fighting with my love of traditional, softer lines and curves, and more often than not, it seems that my love of traditional wins out. But I really like (and prefer) a mix of furniture and styles. I think if everything in a room or house is modern, it can look cold. And if everything in a house is traditional, it can look stuffy and boring. I like the push/pull between the two that creates some unexpected excitement in a design, but I have a hard time actually implementing that.

So with that in mind, I’ve been looking at a few different options. I really like the modern lines, natural wood color, and black accents on this dresser…

Fixer Upper living room after - natural wood dresservia HGTV

And I’ve also had this picture saved in my “house inspiration” file for a long time. Of course, this is a bathroom vanity, but I think the general design concept would work well on a buffet.

But the more traditional side of me absolutely loves something like this…

natural wood buffetvia Eloquence, Inc. (doesn’t seem to be available any longer)

And then a last natural wood option that I came across and really like is this natural wood with painted design. This looks like cerused oak to me…

 

And then a completely different look that I absolutely love is a Parson style table (either painted or covered in some amazing textured leather, be it real or faux, with nailhead trim) with upholstered ottomans underneath that can be pulled out for additional seating when needed.

console with nailhead trim and two uphosltered ottomans beneath, via Stephanie Krauss Designsvia Stephanie Krauss Designs

That type of console table by itself really doesn’t have the visual weight that I envision for my entryway wall, but when it’s used with two uphosltered ottomans underneath, I think it’s fantastic. Of course, what I love about that option is that it gives me one more opportunity to bring fabric into the room on the ottomans. And y’all know how much I love fabric!

So at this point, I’m not really sure exactly where I’ll land on this decision. It’ll all just depends on what I can find, what fits into my budget, whether I feel like making something or finding something ready made, and probably my mood at any given point during the decision-making process. 😀

But in the meantime, I can at least get going on on the sofa upholstery and also on getting my draperies finished since those items are definitely going in the room. I still need to decide on fabric for the two upholstered chairs, but that might be easier once the sofa and draperies are done.

My birthday is just a week away, and Matt asked me what I want. I told him I’d like to have the sofa upholstered, but now I’m having second thoughts. It would cost right at $1000 for the labor and for them to make a new single, long seat cushion to replace the three individual cushions on the sofa now. I’m okay with the price, especially since I know first hand the work that goes into upholstering a sofa. What I’m not okay with is the wait. I think it would be about two months before they could get it done, and that seems like so long to me! So I’m trying to decide if I want to just go ahead and tackle it myself (with my mom’s help, of course! 😀 ) or if I can be patient and wait. I certainly have plenty of other projects that can keep me busy in the meantime, but…two months. That means I wouldn’t see that sofa finished until the middle of end of August. *Sigh* I’m not sure what to do.

 

 

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68 Comments

  1. Your design plan sounds great, especially with those pretty draperies! No ideas on the buffet either, though I do like the upholstered ottomans. For the sofa, I would get on the upholsterer’s schedule, but in the meantime, work on other projects and also maybe make some progress stripping the old sofa upholstery. Whatever you can get done, might mean less expense at the upholsterer’s? Or do they need the sofa now?

      1. If you do it yourself and get partway through it and see it isn’t working for you design-wise you can change horses midstream, whereas if you send it out you are stuck with whatever comes back. Just a thought since your plans do tend to change during projects.

        1. Good point. On the other hand, it’s summertime and August will be here in what will actually feel like 3 weeks!

  2. The grass cloth is beautiful – my favorite wall covering – thanks for the link to the supplier. I love table options 3,4, and 5 – I can see the upholstered table in that space. I too, love both traditional and modern, but I never think to use them together. Would you consider a rattan, wicker, or bamboo piece of furniture – something fun and interesting? Just a thought. I can’t wait to see what you choose:)

    1. As much as I love rattan and bamboo, they remind me more of outdoor furniture. I do love it, though! Especially the dark and medium brown rattan and bamboo.

  3. I must have missed something . . . . I thought you were going for the formal dining room?!? Where is the sofa going?

  4. Let someone else do the upholstery for you on the sofa while you work on other projects. Treat yourself by having the upholstery done! The two months will go by quicker than you think! 🙂 If you and your mom tackled it, it might take just as long as that two months because as you already know, upholstering a sofa can be a huge time consuming project. The song “Let It Go…Let It Go”….comes to mind!

    1. Plus, the garage conversion will be starting soon, you’ll be busy with that.

      Love the grasscloth, it looks wonderful. Have you considered the painted green w/wood drawers console you have/had? I always loved that piece. 🙂

    2. I agree! Let someone else upholster the sofa. With all you have going on, you won’t be sitting anytime soon! 🙂

  5. Kristi

    I love the traditional. Re sofa – two months will fly by quickly and give you time to get a lot of projects done.

    I sure do love your house.

    JoAnne

  6. What happened to that fabulous console table you made way back when for this space (https://www.addicted2decorating.com/my-new-green-console-table.html)? It seems really similar to the last idea. If it is still lying around, maybe bring it out for a test and see how you like the size and weight.

    I actually like the console table over the other styles, especially since storage doesn’t seem to be a problem in your house. It feels like a more open, airy look for right when you walk in the door rather than a big ol’ piece of furniture. The wood and metal first option would be my second favorite for the same reason.

    Glad to see it all coming together!

    1. I was actually just thinking about that table! It’s in my garage, and I made it specifically so that there would be room enough under it for two ottomans. I think I’ll try it out!

      1. And how about those beautiful “tile” lamps you made. Aren’t they the right colors? I’d love to see the sofa table and lamps there whether you decide to stick with them or not. The lamps are my favorite small project you’ve done.

  7. The two I like are the bathroom vanity and the Parsons table with ottomans. Also quite like the idea of dark rattan/wicker which could look substantial (without the weight), add texture, and reminds me of Turkey!

  8. I loved the gold accent bead on your old green kitchen cabinets but agree with your decision to get rid of it. Could you perhaps bring it back on this console table like in that bathroom vanity?

  9. Personally I have the same taste, I love the clean lines of modern but something abt traditional gets me. I’ve found that mixing the two is easy if you use a more modern look on traditional furniture.

  10. Ahhh… 2 months? I hate waiting for other people!ha. Imagine what you could get done with that sofa in that amount of time:) You have the fabric and no tufting! hehe…. I know what you mean though!!!! A natural wood buffet or dresser sounds terrific. The upholstered leather parsons table looks amazing too but extra storage in an entry way may be more useful. Whatever you do will look great, I know that. Can’t wait to see!

  11. So glad you are using your drapes. And I thought of that table that you made a while back also!

  12. You could look for a mid century piece that resembles the bathroom vanity. I’ve seen that basic silhouette before. Possibly make the table in your garage work short term, painting (stripping) would be easy for you. This way you wouldn’t have to rush into a decision, and one less thing in your garage(lol). I do this often, it gives me time to find the perfect piece. Your home is lovely and you are very talented.

  13. Love the idea of natural wood in there. In nearly every room of my house I’m trying to include some natural wood and it makes so much of a difference. I love the look of the first option but I think you would end up feeling like it doesn’t match the rest of the decor enough. Something like the Everett Foyer Table from World Market (https://www.worldmarket.com/product/everett+foyer+table.do?sortby=ourPicks&from=fn) could look good (search google images for how people soften it with baskets) or a similar look via Wayfair (https://www.wayfair.com/August-Grove%C2%AE-Eleanor-Console-Table-ATGR1532.html?SSAID=1009818&refid=SS1009818) that goes in and out of stock regularly since it is so popular. I don’t think this is the vibe you’re looking for but there’s also credenzas to consider (https://www.hayneedle.com/product/sauder-adept-storage-credenzabookcase.cfm) or (https://www.potterybarn.com/products/samantha-smart-technology-console-table/?cm_src=AutoCatRel) – my mother in law ended up with a credenza console because they can be so practical and she has thousands of baskets she loves to store things in.

  14. Kristi-Have you thought of a large Japanese Tansu piece of furniture in front of that beautiful grass cloth panel for an unusual foyer piece? They have very clean lines and are really transitional.
    Something you definitely don’t see every day. Can’t wait to see what you decide upon– you have a great eye!

  15. Get yourself on their schedule and in the meantime, I would deconstruct the sofa and figure out what you want to do with the wood on it because you definitely want that ready to go no matter who reupholsters it. I love the idea of natural wood but have you thought about cerusing it like you did the table?

  16. Treat yourself and get a professional to upholster your sofa. You will be busier than you think with contract work going on in your studio, plus you have drapes to make. Two months will fly by!

  17. Wow. If you can get a sofa upholstered for $1000 that is cheap! Mine cost $2200 but that included the fabric. What I don’t understand is why I did not just get a new sofa. Really, re-upholstering your furniture is not cost effective. You must really love your thrift store sofa if you are going to reupholster. What ever happened with the sofa that you painted?

    1. For me, reupholstering furniture isn’t always about saving money. It’s about getting exactly what I want and ending up with a custom piece for my house. The reason I went this route is because I found a Crypton fabric that I absolutely loved. I had my heart set on a velvet sofa, but every time I’d find a sofa I thought I liked, I ended up being incredibly disappointed once the velvet samples arrived in the mail. Either the color was off, or the velvet wasn’t soft and plush. And I’d keep comparing the velvet samples to that (non-velvet) Crypton fabric that I had found and really loved. I eventually decided to stop forcing the velvet sofa, and just use what I love, but that meant finding a sofa that I could use it on. I searched the consignment store for about two or three months before finding THE perfect sofa (for me) that was super sturdy, the right size, and would fit with the design plan I had in mind. Saving money wasn’t the primary goal for me, although it will still end up being less than any of the velvet sofas I had looked at and seriously considered.
       
      I gave away the painted sofa about six months ago.

      1. Thanks for the explanation Kristi! One more thing I would add, we are now having a bed bug epidemic in this country. Those little ba&*!@ds can hide in just about everything – even library books! I bet you are replacing the stuffing too right? And you probably checked the frame very carefully for evidence of bed bugs? On another note, I must say, the frame and woodwork of your “new” used sofa is very beautiful.

        1. Yes, I’ll be stripping it down to the frame and replacing everything. And sometimes I disinfect the frame with a water and bleach spray before reupholstering if needed. I am vigilant about looking for evidence of bed bugs and other bugs before bringing consignment store items into my house.

  18. I really hope that console table you already made will work there. I would get on the upholsterer’s schedule because two months is going to fly by. You’ve been without it for this long already and you’re going to be involved in other projects such as you beautiful new workspace that you won’t miss it. Go for it!

  19. Sofas require a lot of space to re-do? If it’s a project you’ll enjoy creating the final details, I’d wait till after the renno, it would be a treat to work on it in the studio.

    You seem to be in finishing mood, and wanting to wrap up many rooms, or is this part of a goal I missed?

    I love the idea of re-purposing the table in the entryway, if it doesn’t work, you can change it later (right now it’s less furniture to store, more finished).

    I’d like to see a post on sorting thru the garage items, it’s such a large project that we all have to do at a point.

    1. It’s part of my goal for the year. 🙂 In January, I decided I want to finish the year with my breakfast room, kitchen, living room, entryway, music room, and hallway finished. The year is almost halfway over, so I feel like I need to step up the speed at which I’m working if I want to meet that goal. Of course, the breakfast room still needed so much basic finishing (i.e., walls, trim, pantry doors, etc.) where the other rooms already have that stuff and just need decorating, so hopefully I can still meet my goal for this year.

  20. I am very impatient when it comes to vision of mine coming to fruition, but in this case, I think I would have the sofa reupholstered for me, and spend that time getting the room ready for its arrival. Think of all the progress that could me made in preparation for the “Great Sofa Homecoming”! I am getting excited and it isn’t even my project. AND look at what you have accomplished since January and how quickly that time has gone by. Turn it over to a trusted source and work on more loveliness at home. CANT. WAIT. TO. SEE. WHAT. HAPPENS. NEXT!!

  21. Just my small 2 cents, which is all it is worth… I think the woodwork on the sofa would look great if it could be like your breakfast room table. It has just a touch of wood and that is a nice tie back to the other room.

  22. The framed grasscloth looks so pretty. I’m so happy you stuck with 3 panels.

    My personal preferences for an entry piece are ideas 2, 3, and 5. I am in love with the blue Parsons console table with the ottomans though I like the entry storage of the other pieces.

    That said, I’d finish the living room since it’s the main event before I did anything further with the entry other than maybe put your old console back in place to protect the wallpaper. I think you need the curtains up and a rug and furniture in place so you can see how much weight and color you can bring to the entry wall. I’d also put the finished chairs and the dirty sofa in place with the new fabric draped over it before I spent the money to reupholster it but like the others have said, get your name on the upholsterers list. Then you’re either ready when they want to come to get it or you can push your name back a couple of slots if you’re not.

    With respect to the wood on your sofa, I’ve got the same dilemma with a bergere chair I’m about to redo. There is some damage from the dog that dictates that I must paint after doing the repair though I would have preferred to keep the original stained wood. I found this look on another blog, Maison de Pax, that I think will look better than just plain paint. I’m going to do it in a medium-dark, grayish taupe but use less white wash than the manufacturer of these chairs did since my upholstery fabric is cream colored. Just an idea.
    https://www.maisondepax.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Valentines-Decorations-Home-Tour-pillow.jpg

    1. Just FYI, I know those chairs aren’t painted grayish taupe with white wash, I’m just going to have to use paint to fake a slightly aged wood that’s been limed.

  23. Margaret

    I really like the Parson’s table. It doesn’t feel as heavy and busy as the others and with the addition of the ottomans it has substance. It will make the entry look more spacious and it is more versatile, could be used in the breakfast room or behind a sofa or…

  24. Love the grasscloth! Framed like that as is, it reminds me of a modern painting. Such beautiful colors.

  25. Since you mentioned you might want to go with a natural or light colored wood finish have you ever thought of using this product on any of your wood? diydriftwood.com
    You are so good about educating us about so many products and their pros and cons I was kind of
    hoping you might try this one sometime. 🙂

    1. I keep coming across that product on Pinterest. I’d love to try it out on something. I’m curious to see if it really works as easily and as well as it shows.

  26. I love that you are going to try your Parsons table in there. As for the sofa, You have 2 chairs to recover too. I would choose either the chairs or the sofa to go to the upholsterer. Then work on the other price. (Personally I think the sofa would be easier. Lol) With the Studio remodel, drapes and you working at upholstery the time will fly and you will have all the main peices complete and you will fill your need to make something pretty. As well as be ready to add accent tables and art. In 2 months you could have the living room complete and focus on your Studio!😁

  27. So pretty!! I love when I finally get to see the pictures in your mind! The first thought I had when you mentioned the color for the sofa wood was the color of the Eloquence® buffet. I suppose you haven’t forgotten about your garage remodel and the time for someone else to reupholster the sofa may just fly by before you know it!! Keep on doing what you do!!!!

  28. Hi Kristi-

    A few years ago, we had our three-cushion sofa reupholstered professionally and made the switch to a one-cushion. Not only do I love the one-cushion look, allowing a professional to do the work was the best decision I could have made. I’m an experienced seamstress, but I think that job would have done me in. That one large cushion is really unwieldy, almost like trying to maneuver a twin-sized mattress: even just flipping it or moving it to vacuum makes me break into a sweat, so I can’t imagine recovering it. Our upholsterer, however, did a phenomenal job: the lines match up perfectly, he created it to be flipped over, and he even installed a strap-and-D-ring mechanism to keep the cushion in place. It was well worth the time and money.

    Hope that helps!

    1. I love that strap and D-ring idea! I never would have thought about that. I think I’ll definitely have that added to my sofa cushion.

  29. I love the 4 door French Country (?) buffet…love the color of the wood, and it is reminiscent of the wood parts on the sofa. If you don’t use it, maybe you could refinish the wood that color on the sofa?

    1. That buffet is lovely by itself and I like the color, too. But I looked at it and thought “Too ‘Grandma’ when combined with the sofa.'” My faves were the bathroom vanity and the parsons table.

      When reupholstering the sofa, would it be possible to cut down the lobe on the wing? I think a smaller wing would give the sofa an updated but still traditional look.

      1. Yes, I might rework a couple of things on the sofa to update it just a bit. As long as the wood detail along the bottom stays intact and visible, I’ll be happy. That’s my favorite part about the sofa, and why I chose this one over others. 🙂

    2. I’d love for the wood on the sofa to be that color. I’m anxious to see what’s underneath all of that heavy stain, so fingers crossed!

  30. I like #1 and the “idea” of the Parsons table with ottomans. I lean towards the latter, because it’s a bit lighter in visual weight, but the first one has an open leg area that helps. I just wouldn’t want to deal with cleaning the dust under it! With the metal along the floor, you almost have to get on hands and knees to clean – something my knees won’t permit anymore. I think the one you made is a bit too frilly, with all the curves.
    And I love that you left just the three panels of paper! It looks AMAZING!

  31. I’m really looking forward to seeing what you place on that lovely grasscloth. It certainly is a stunning backdrop.

    The Parsons table with the stools is amazing and I think it is the right mix of traditional/modern that works for you. You would have so much fun with it. AND I join the others wondering how the table you made will look in your space now with the addition of stools.

    You certainly could “do” the sofa yourself. But there is something so special about the makeover being a birthday present.

  32. The grasscloth looks pretty, Kristi! I love the idea of a wood table with it. The entry sets the tone of the house, so I would try to find something that echos some of the shapes in your other rooms.

    I’m thinking about the columns in the kitchen cabinetry or the curved legs of your breakfast table–maybe go for a piece that has some curvy elements but maintains clean lines.
    Would something like this work?
    https://www.worldmarket.com/product/everett+foyer+table.do?sortby=ourPicks

  33. Last option would be my first choice. The first option would be my second. If it were me, I’d place the console table you already have there & see how it comes together first. Then if you decide it’s not quite right or you need more storage there, you could change it out @ a later time & still enjoy a more finished space in the meantime.

  34. To my mind: $1000 + 2 month wait = you should upholster it yourself. It seemed like something you really have a skill with doing, and at least at my house, $1000 could definitely be used somewhere else!

  35. I really love the hall table with the ottomans. The ottomans will give you extra storage and seating in either the music room or living room. Not sure what to tell you about the upholstery – if you have enough projects to keep you busy (I’m rolling on the floor laughing at the absurdity of that statement) then enjoy the lovely gift of letting someone else do that work. If your Mom can give you a hand, it’ll make lighter work for you and you can spend the $$ elsewhere. Happy Birthday!