Renovation Diaries | New Entry Planning and Design

When it came down to figuring out our new entryway, my one requirement was storage. I am a curated maximalist that loves a minimalist vibe here and there. T is a minimalist and wants zero clutter (lol). Here’s hoping that our new cabinetry plans will help us find a happy medium. Especially in our home that was built in the 1920s that has quite a limited amount of storage available.

When you walk in through our new side entry up our tandem driveway, there will be a new shelving divider between the entry and the kitchen. The top half will have some open shelving and the bottom half will have enclosed cabinetry for shoe storage. This girl (*points at self*)loves shoes and needs some decent storage to house it all. No doubt, I will use the majority of those cabinets and T will maybe fill up one 0:). The top will be the perfect way to add separation to the two spaces but also give me a space to display fun knickknacks, plants, and of course a lot of my own ceramic pieces.

When you walk in through the entry, straight ahead will be this beautiful built in with seating. T loves a place to sit when putting on shoes (he’s basically an old man), so we thought that having a bench here would be ideal. It would be great for him, family, and friends when they come in. There will be a mix of storage that’s partially enclosed and partially open (for displaying all the cute things) that will serve as a “hallway closet” system for all the miscellaneous things:

  • All of our pup’s things (poop bags, booties, outfits, etc.)

  • Reusable bags (grab before you head out + drop back after unloading groceries)

  • Lintrollers (bc we have a dog that sheds like no other)

  • Umbrellas (for rainy day emergencies)

  • Car cleaning supplies (to clean up little spills and bird droppings here and there)

  • Stash of hand sanitizers

  • Little Kleenex packs to grab on the go when needed

  • Taller shoes like boots that would otherwise take up too much space in the shoe cabinet

For this cabinet, we’re going with a mix of white oak wood with a pop of green (pretty much a mutual favorite color between T and I). We also have a custom bench cushion coming in which will be cozy as well. Honestly hoping I’ll come home from work some days and see my pup sunbathing on this and waiting for us to come home.

This one allowed for some fun pops of color to brighten up this entry and we went with a fun green (aka the only color I really allow for). We figured this looks earthy and will compliment all of my plants. This will mix with the oak paneling and will be complimented by a custom bench cushion with a boucle-esque fabric. Originally I was dreaming of one from Zak + Fox, but with budget cutting we opted for one from Serena + Lily instead. The cabinet will frame out one of our large custom windows which is quite a beautiful sight. It’ll look straight out into our backyard which will hopefully (in the distant future) look like a Spanish villa. We have two mini dome sconces that will hang on either side of the bench and I can imagine this looking so super cozy in the evenings.

What do you think of this space we’re curating?

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Interior Designer: @CathieHongInteriors (sketches + materials sourcing)