Foyer update: glossy black paint

Last week I wrote about how I’ve been fantasizing about foyers. For a quick refresher, here’s why…no words necessary…you get the picture.

The first order of business was to remove that cracked piece of wavy and dated plexiglass that was by the planter. This was so easy, that after completing the 10 minute task, we looked at each other and wondered why we’d waited so long to do it.

Next up, we decided to update the book case and cabinet. We liked these two built-ins because they defined the foyer area and provided some extra storage for us, so we didn’t want to eliminate them all together. They just needed to be a little prettier and stylish (don’t we all?).

Light sanding removed the aged finish, and a single coat of Zissner’s Bulls Eye 1-2-3 water based primer got the built-ins paint ready.

After two coats of Benjamin Moore Black in a semi-gloss finish, the facelift was complete. We got some stylish storage,

and, I also gained a desktop that little fingers can’t reach. (It’s usually not this neat).

On the opposite side, the planter with its copper insert has become a dumping ground for keys, my purse, dog leashes, etc., but the good thing is that you can’t see this stuff unless you’re right on top of it. When we’re having company, we dump out all the junk and use it as a bar. Cheers to some progress!

Fabulous Foyers

The foyer above has a great combination of the elements in a smaller space. Note how the wood flooring runs horizontally in the foyer and turns vertical to indicate a transition into the other room.

Do first impressions matter? Yes! No! It’s simply a matter of opinion. But the first impression someone has of your home’s interior is when they walk through your front door. You may be one who doesn’t care about first impressions, and we’re willing to bet your foyer might just reflect the same. I wish I had more of that in me, but truth be told, I think first impressions do count. I can’t help it! As a result, lately I’ve been having foyer fantasies.

Here’s why: this is our foyer. Now, honestly, what is your first impression?

Yeah, it’s pretty bad. This picture was snapped at our home inspection, so I can’t take credit for the plastic flowers. We could see that the foyer had good bones, a closet, some shelf units that helped to define the space, and lighting. BUT, that Mexican restaurant tile! The dated plexiglass divider! The “Hello, welcome to the 80′s” front door! This poor foyer needs some design intervention!

Of course, design intervention is what I live for, so remediation is in the works. Progress reports forthcoming, I promise! In the meantime, let’s review the basic recipe for of an ideal foyer.

Essential ingredients include:

1. lighting
2. seating
3. console, chest, slim table
4. coatrack or closet
5. mirror and/or art
6. defined flooring

photo credit: Ngoc Minh Ngo

This bright and breezy foyer by Jonathan Adler has it all, but do you think anyone has ever worn shoes here?

image from Southern Living

This country casual entryway is much more family friendly. A bench with baskets would be the obvious choice here, so the club chairs offer unexpected comfort and whimsy.

photo credit: Andy Cheung

I love the juxtaposition of the shiny marble tile floor against the rustic bench in the foyer above. Tight and tiny, but it’s all there.

What’s happening in your foyer? Are you missing any of the essentials? Does it make an impression you can live with? Do tell!

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

That’s the magic of Kindergarten isn’t it? Check out what the kids in my son’s class did. They gussied up these plain pine chairs for their school’s Home Tour and Silent Auction.

Ok, they did have a little help, but this project was pretty easy. The hardest part was to make sure all 75 Kindergarteners got to participate!

First, we procured some simple pine kid-sized chairs and did a coat of primer. Then, we painted each chair the base colors, black for the boys’ chair and periwinkle for the girls. Both of these layers took seconds because we used spray paint.

Then, we were ready to get the kids involved. We taped off a checker board pattern so the boys could use white paint to make their checks. On the girls’ chair, we traced circles in multiple sizes and had the girls choose either light or dark pink, yellow or green to fill in a circle. Then back at home we “cleaned up” the checks and circles and embellished each chair with more patterns on the sides and backs. We also added finials we found on the cheap at Michael’s to give the chairs a whimsical look.

For the seat designs, my mother-in-law found some images online of the cheshire cat and tea party scenes from Alice in Wonderland. Because she’s a great artist, she copied the images right onto the seat freehand with a Sharpie, but if you’re not so artistically inclined, you could trace the images directly onto the chair. Then, it was simply a matter of filling in the lines with a few layers of acrylic paint.

Once the design was complete, we sprayed the chairs with a few layers of clear spray paint. This forms a protective layer between the paint and varnish and keeps the paint from smearing when the varnish is applied.

The last step was a final coat of Minwax water-based polycrilic protective finish, and this adorable couple is ready to be auctioned off to the highest bidder!