Essential Elements for a Beautiful Entryway

It’s the beginning of a new month, which means it’s time to release another designed space. This month’s design plan features an entryway 3 ways: casual, formal, and transitional.

This article contains affiliate links and ads. You can find the products I recommend by clicking on the links throughout and at the bottom of this page. These are designs that you can pick and choose which elements to bring into your own spaces. They’ll be saved here on my website, or you can save them on Pinterest. You can come back and add pieces to your spaces as time and budgets allow.

This month I am sharing what I consider to be the perfect recipe for a successful entryway design. The best entryways have the following essential elements in common:

  • a functional piece of furniture
  • a lamp
  • artwork
  • a mirror
  • storage/catchall
  • something alive/fresh
  • a rug
  • a clock
  • and a place to set a wet umbrella.

Not only do these items create a beautiful space, but they are functional as well. For example, the mirror allows residents and guests to check their appearance before coming and going, as well as reflecting light into the space. A lamp allows residents to find their way inside on a dark night, as well as helping guests find the door on their way out.

Below you can see a colorful and vibrant entryway design. Since the entryway is the first impression of your home, it’s an opportunity to create a space that reflects your personal style. This design leans more towards casual and bohemian. It is full of visual interest and layers of texture. Combining two separate pieces, like the green and white plate and the pink framed artwork, you can create a one-of-kind, original piece of art in your home that no one else will have. Try using Command brand hooks to mount the plate on top of the pink art before hanging it on the wall.

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Traditional decor thrives on symmetry. The design below uses symmetry to create balance by flanking the mirror with matching lamps and plates from the same series. While the first design is considered modern and casual, I would consider the design below to be formal.

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Entry Table

Below you will find the final entryway design for this month. Notice how similar metal tones and a soft ivory color are carried throughout. Natural materials like wicker, marble, and wood counterbalance the glamorous gold and brass to create a sophisticated but approachable space. This design is a midway point between casual and formal.

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In many cases, the front door to the home opens directly into the living space without a designated foyer or entryway. In these situations it’s possible to create an entryway by grouping specific items on a wall next to the front door. Are you missing any of these essential items in your entryway? Do you have any items in your entryway that you would add to this list? Let me know in the comments below.

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You can find many of these items in my LTK Storefront HERE.

Abby SmolarskyLeave a comment

American Living Room Design Plan: Warmth and Style

It’s the beginning of a new month, which means it’s time to release another designed space. A few weeks ago I took a poll on Instagram, and the majority of followers voted for this month’s design to feature a living room.

This article contains affiliate links and ads. You can find the products I recommend by clicking on the links throughout and at the bottom of this page. These are designs that you can pick and choose which elements to bring into your own spaces. They’ll be saved here on my website, or you can save them on Pinterest. You can come back and add pieces to your spaces as time and budgets allow.

In most American homes, the living room is the space in the house where a family will gather to sit and relax together. Living rooms provide the perfect opportunity to show your style and to incorporate pieces that reflect your personal flair. In this living room design plan, I’ve purposely used multiple sources for the items featured. I want to discourage you from walking into a furniture showroom and buying a completely matching living room set. In order to create a collected aesthetic that is a unique reflection of your style, you’ll need to pull together pieces from different sources.

Click the photo to shop this design.

Design preferences are FINALLY moving away from sterile, all-white or gray interiors. The design I’m featuring today is warm and evokes a feeling of “home” with saturated and inviting colors. The wall color for this living room design is Shaker Beige, HC-45, from the Benjamin Moore historic color collection. On the floor you will find a timeless selection of traditional hickory hardwoods. Using Shaker Beige and hickory hardwoods as the base for our design, we begin to layer in warmth and richness, starting with a woven Persian rug.

The sofa in this month’s design is fully customizable. After choosing the basic shape of the sofa, I selected the number of cushions, fabric, cushion filling, and feet. The feet selected are walnut stained feet with brass castors. The fabric shown is “Atlantic Performance Blakely.”

At this point in the design, we have the base in which to start adding complementary furniture, art, and accessories. I added some leather armchairs and walnut end tables that echo back to the lines of the traditional sofa. The elegant coffee table pairs well with the metal accents on the sofa feet.

The table lamps in this living room design are ones where a visitor might wonder if they’re new or if they were found on an antiquing adventure.

I selected window treatments and an art piece for this space that pull from the colors found in the rug, sofa, and wall color. If you’re only able to change one thing in your living room, try finding a new art piece that will unify the other colors used in your space.

The final layer in this living room design plan is for accessories. Accessories are such a fun way to inject personality into your space. Here I have used conversation pieces that add texture and interest.

You can find the sources for each of the items that I recommend below. Never miss a design release in the future by subscribing using the box at the bottom of this article.

You can find many of these items in my LTK Storefront HERE.

Abby SmolarskyLeave a comment
1920 Lane cedar chest tall footed

Antique Lane Cedar Chest

Hi, there!

Last weekend we went antiquing in Braselton, Georgia. We’re familiar with the antique shops of Braselton, because it’s where I actually had my first antique booth in 2012. After stopping in Countryside Antiques, we drove next door to A Flea Antique. While we were there we picked up a Lane cedar chest.

1920 Lane cedar chest tall footed

I had been looking at a cedar chest in a different antique store a couple of months ago, but it wasn’t a Lane chest. I like the style of this chest, which I have learned is called a Tall Hasp with Feet, or THF. To give you an idea of the size, it measures 27″ high by 46″ wide by 19.25″ deep.

After bringing our new Lane chest home, I did some research. I learned that MOST Lane chests can be dated by the serial number on the bottom of the chest or under the lid. The serial number, read backwards, gives the production date. However, my chest only has a style number, not a serial number. I found out that some of the earlier chests did not have a serial number listed. Lane stopped their production of cedar chests in 2014, but I did contact the company to request some information.

1920 Lane cedar chest tall footed

As part of my interior design degree, I have taken several Furniture History courses. Combined with my time selling antiques, I believe this chest to be from the 1928-1940 time range. This is mainly due to the style of the feet, the bullseye rosettes used, and the floral design motif on the front.

Other than being in desperate need of some wood conditioner and wax, the chest is in great condition! The only thing I am unsure of, and asked Lane Furniture Company about, is whether the green lid is how it was originally decorated. It hasn’t been colored in recent history, but at some point it may have been refinished that way. I’m really not sure.

Here’s a look before moisturizing and waxing:

1920 Lane cedar chest tall footed

Here’s a 15 second video showing how I gave it some TLC…

After here’s an “after”…

1920 Lane cedar chest tall footed

If you’re interested in following along with more of my antiquing adventures, be sure to follow along on Instagram. Here’s a little snippet of what you’ll find us doing!

I’m not a Lane cedar chest expert, and the information that comes up on a Google search hasn’t had all of the answers that I’m looking for. If you have any information about this chest, please either send me an email or leave a comment below. I would greatly appreciate any details about this piece.

Abby Smolarsky3 Comments