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Saturday, July 20, 2013

Home is where you hang your hat.

Home is where you hang your hat,
and I've got a new place to hang mine.


Here it is!


Just a few months ago, this is how our front entrance looked.

Jeepers creepers!
I could have brightened the photo, but I wanted you to see
how dark and haunted the space really was.  Now that I see
how gloomy it was, all traces of painter's remorse have suddenly vanished!


I painted the door a creamy white and that just made the
dark wood trim look worse.  So I painted the trim.
And the walls.  And the brass door hardware.  And the built-in bench.
And the floor.  Whew!  That was a lot of painting!


I painted the floor with Rustoleum oil-base paint.

  Here's how it looked before (below).
  As you can clearly see, I had nothing to lose by painting the floor.


Our plan was to have the floor refinished at the same time as
the bedrooms, but it was beyond repair.


Before we could remove the 1960 era linoleum floor, we had to pull up the narrow 
 molding around the perimeter of the room, as well.  The wood was so old and brittle that
many of the pieces broke in the process, so I installed new trim, too.
It was good practice for all the trim that needs to be replaced upstairs.




I painted the built-in bench, but left the top as is.
I stripped the old battered finish off the bench a few years ago.  Since then,
I've grown to like the weathered look of the natural wood against the painted finishes.




An old mirror and a few of my blue & white plates
adorn the wall above the bench.



For the opposite wall, I made a coat rack with a display shelf above.
Now that I've mastered shelf construction, no wall in this house is safe!
I brought out my straw bags and a sun hat for a summery display.
The empty wine bottles?  Medicinal pain relief
for the many hours spent on my knees while painting the floor.



I made a simple shelf out of plywood
trimmed with inexpensive wood molding to cover the radiator. While I was at it,
 I gave the radiator a fresh coat of creamy white paint, too.



I couldn't resist these adorable straw shoes
 for only $3 at a local antique shop.   



I hung my 4 miniature cuckoo clocks on either side of the doorway.



















As you can see there's plenty of room for my clock collection to grow.
  Christmas?  Birthday?  hint hint

Off to the right is the dining room which has also been painted.

And to the left............

.......mmmm, lots of painting yet to be done in the living room.  Sigh.

I think I'll be needing a few more bottles of wine.

This is what I do on my summer vacation
when it's too hot and muggy to play outside.

Thanks for visiting!
Vickie


I'm joining the parties at:
Cozy Little House Tweak it Tuesday
Savvy Southern Style Wow us Wednesday
A Stroll Thru Life Inspire Me Tuesday
Common Ground Be Inspired
Funky Junk Interiors Party Junk
The Style Sisters Centerpiece Wednesday

57 comments:

  1. LOVE how the entryway look! Didn't even notice the door was painted. Forgot it used to be blue, I guess!!!!

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  2. You a a genius! Your entryway looks amazing. Very light, bright and sassy. I always wanted a black and white floor. Didn't know I could just paint it myself. Duh! Glad your knees survived the project.

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  3. It doesn't get more charming than this! Love the floor, the white paint and all the cool decor.

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  4. Your entry room Vickie is so sweeeeeeet!!!! Love it. Much brighter and cheerful now. A lot of painting but well worth it. Love the floor too. Your clock collection ADORABLE!!!
    Kris

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  5. Very nice entry now. Love the floor. We are painting, too and can't wait to have all the mess cleaned up.

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  6. I love what you have done with your entrance way, wow, what a make over, i just love that floor, that pattern is cool and I agree the bare wood against the painted wood is such a great look, cuckoo clocks are a great thing to collect too,the tiny ones are so cute.
    I want to thank you for the kind words on my blog tonight,

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  7. It so cute, you did a marvelous job and it sure brightened up the space.

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  8. Oh my goodness - I love every bit of it! It looks like a totally different space and everything about it is perfect.

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  9. Vickie, such a wonderful change! Your entrance is lovely now. Very good job with the floor! It looks so nice. I'm trying to get the courage to paint one of my room's floor but I don't know if my knees and my back are going to resist...
    I love collections and your cuckoo clocks are fantastic.
    Besos!

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  10. it looks great Vickie. I know how many hours it takes to do those checkers on the floor because I did the same thing in a bathroom. It sure brightened everything up. Huge difference. Give yourself a pat on the back girl and pour yourself another glass - you did good!

    xo Danielle

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  11. Oh my goodness, such a beautiful transformation! I know that was so much work for you but it was worth it.

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  12. That is an incredible transformation...and one I need to do to my foyer as well! I love it!

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  13. It looks gorgeous now, so light and airy! Love the little display shelf, and the miniature clocks. I have one like them with love birds that kiss with each tick of the clock. I wish I had more, too.
    Happy week!
    Patti

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  14. Hi, Vicki! For a second there, I thought that was my entryway! Yes, in my vintage cottage there isn't an official closet.. just a place to hang your hat in more ways than one! Just last night, I was speaking to the mister about painting that area a creamy white. Never thought about painting the door, though. Hmmmmmm..... well, after just doing the one bedroom it's now time to move onto that dark, cavernous hole downstairs. Thanks for the inspiration!! By the way, what color is your trim? I would love to have a new thought on that. Thanks!

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  15. Love this! Black and white checkered floors have long been a favorite of mine. Love the radiator shelf, too. All of it is so pretty. Great photos!

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  16. Vickie, it is just so pretty and fresh. I love the painted floor and all the warm touches you added. It is beautiful!

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  17. Hi Vickie! Oh, this is so pretty! I love it and the floor! It's so gorgeous.
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

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  18. Vickie this is just too cute! So bright and happy now! Love it all!

    hugs,
    Linda

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  19. Vickie I LOVE how nice and bright it is!What a beautiful transformation! And the little details like those sweet shoes,bag and hats so pretty!I know it is allot of work to paint but the results are so worth it!
    xx
    Anne

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  20. The new look is so pretty with all the decoration, hats are part of it. GREAT job of transformation.

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  21. I love what you did, Vickie.
    And I am so jealous of your clocks!
    It's so cheerful now.
    No monkey to greet your visitors? ;)

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  22. At Home on the Bay posted about your entry makeover so I popped over here to view it - and wow! It is amazing what you've done with paint. It looks wonderful!

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  23. Wow! What a fabulous transformation!! Your entry is so bright and fresh and welcoming! Love, Love, Love all your changes!! You did a great job on the floor too.
    Mary Alice

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  24. Oh Vickie it is fantastic! I want to know what your daughters say when they come home next. And you get extra points, or bottles of wine, for the knee work doing the floor. It all looks great.
    Bliss

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  25. Goodness heavens, your entryway looks beautiful! You did a great job. It looks so nice and bright.

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  26. This new entry is stunning! You are one talented lady! I love every bit of what you did to transform this space!

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  27. Unbelievable!

    You made an amazing change in your entry. I think I might sit on that bench and read just to enjoy the black and white floor and the bright enry.

    By the way, that is a great photo of you and I assume your husband and a glass of wine.

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  28. i just love it, vickie! love the painted floor, bench--and the sweet light!

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  29. Oh Vickie, I would LOVE to hang my hat in your entry! It looks beautiful!!

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  30. Vickie,

    The entry looks so great! I love the floor and it is so much brighter and inviting.

    Cynthia

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  31. The one word that comes to mind is CHARM! I love everything you did Vickie and I agree about the weathered wood next to all that painted wood. And the painted floor turned out incredible! You must just love coming and going now because the whole feel of that entry space has been changed!

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  32. Turned out so great, Vickie! The floor is perfect! The space is so bright and fresh...love how you decorated it, too!

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  33. Love the painted floor! The whole make over turned out use wonderful. Those little straw shoes are so sweet too, you always find the best vintage items. Glad it has cooled down for you too, Laura

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  34. Oh my goodness...from darkness to light. You did that entrance so much good. I love the straw shoes.

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  35. Wow, it looks stunning Vickie. I love the wood with the straw against the white, it all looks so good. And I'm really impressed with the floor, it's something I've been thinking about for my own hallway, but I'm seriously concerned about the pain levels. I may just have to follow your lead and get some alcohol in !

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  36. Just gorgeous! I love the floor! Your entry looks beautiful.

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  37. Vicky, that's an amazing new look you made for yourself. Definitely no need for remorse. I can't believe how cool it all looks. You got so much done! It looks like it would have taken forever. Painting is fun when you start and fun when you are done, but the middle part, that can get tiring! Way to stick with it!
    Liz

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  38. Amazing transformation. I love it. The checkered floor is wonderful and all of the creative detail to the bench and built-ins. So pretty. I would love it if you would link up to my Inspire Me party that is ongoing. http://www.astrollthrulife.net/2013/07/174th-inspire-me-tuesday.html Hugs, Marty

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  39. Wow! What a difference! You did an amazing job!

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  40. So light and airy! What an incredible job! Come link up your post at my party Centerpiece Wednesday http://thestylesisters.blogspot.com/2013/07/centerpiece-wednesday-85-and-wrap-up.html
    Karin

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  41. I loved taking a peek at your entry again, it really is gorgeous. Thanks so much for the visit and your very gracious comments about my tour. I loved have you stop by. Hugs, Marty

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  42. Suzanne of Simply Suzannes at Home

    Oh my gosh . . . I love your entry!
    It's fresh and pretty!
    Who wouldn't want to come home to that!?!
    I LOVE the sweet black-rimmed hat you have hanging!!
    Where did you buy it?
    Have a beautiful day,
    Suzanne

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  43. this is stunning! i love a b/w checker floor and now i want to paint my entry hall like this...damn you, woman!! LOL ;) you certainly did a lot of painting - you deserve every drop of wine in the house. it's a fantastic makeover...love it all!!
    :)

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  44. Your new entry is like a breath of fresh air! You did a beautiful job on EVERYTHING! Love the floor, the bench, the shelf ... everything! Well Done!

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  45. What a difference a can of creamy white paint can achieve. It's so bright and cheery now it doesn't even look like the same spot. I love your floor. It's perfect and looks so much spunkier than just a plain wood floor. The whole entry is so inviting now. No more creepy.

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  46. Howdy! I just found you through Common Ground. Your front hall looks absolutely beautiful! I am a new follower I can't wait to scroll through your blog and read everything. I know I will love it!

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  47. Love your entry. The floor is amazing!

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  48. You are the painting queen. I love love your entryway. So bright and fresh. The black and white floor is perfect-I can imagine your knees after tacking that project! The hats and shelf are the perfect touch. Well done! Looks like a magazine. Enjoy your weekend.

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  49. Wow, you really turned that into a gorgeous entry! I remember you telling me about your b&w painted tile look. It is fabulous! Love everything white. It's so cheery. The straw shoes are darling. Seeing your cuckoo made me think of one hubby brought home from Germany. He was stationed there during Desert Storm. I haven't hung it at this house. I need to do that! Now, wondering where it is?
    hugs,
    Jann

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  50. Love your charming entry way! You did an amazing job transforming it. The clocks are such a great way to add personality to the walls too.

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  51. I'm with with Kelly - your new entry way is simply charming. I love it!

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  52. What a great transformation! It looks so bright and welcoming! :)
    Susan

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  53. White paint works wonders! Love how you painted the floor, a real touch of "sophistication." I need to learn your new skill of making shelves. You did a great job! Your entry way is so inviting that just coming into it will bring a smile to every visitor's face.

    Judith

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  54. I'm impressed with your mad painting and redecorating skills! Looks like a totally new entryway...can't even tell it was the same space!

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  55. Love your new and bright entryway. Oh how I miss my cuckoo clocks, you have a ice collection.

    Hope all is well.

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Your comments make it all worthwhile. Thanks for visiting today!

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