I love foyers that make a statement…you are in them for such a short time, yet they can set the tone for the whole house and offer the opportunity to get creative; but at the same time, it can be hard to justify spending a lot on such a small space! We were definitely short in the cash department so when I wanted to decorate our foyer, I had to get really inventive!
When we bought our house, everything had been painted this creamy beige color that was great as it was fresh, and a neutral color that didn’t require us to have to paint right away…but three years later, I was ready to inject some personality and color into my house! To be truthful, I wanted my foyer to be so amazing that your eyes bug out of your head, and say “I LOVE that…!” and yet not be so over the top that I would have to re-do everything when it was time to sell our house. The foyer is the first impression for your guests, and I wanted mine to be spectacular!
Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a lover of all things blue and white. Threads of blue are seen from room to room of our home, but for the most part it’s all in pretty subtle ways. My china cabinet is filled with blue and white pieces, I have some antique cobalt blue bottles, and then there are the ginger jars in the dining room….I look in love at those every single day! For my birthday I just bought a second pair to add to my collection…and I don’t plan to stop there!
I digress…
I wanted to choose a stronger color for the wall going up the stairs in my foyer, something that would stand out from the neutrals that fill the rest of the house. I would then temper it with a soft gray (Edgecomb Gray HC-173) on the other walls. There is also a LOT of wood in this room, so I needed to find a way to make it brighter as painting it out was something we decided not to do. So a shade of blue was the natural choice! At first, I had envisioned something in a deep aqua with touches of gold…I was inspired by this photograph in a House & Home magazine. But it wasn’t quite “right” …I didn’t want to use wallpaper (too much of a ripping hazard with small children), but preferred a stencil. When I looked at what was available, I didn’t LOVE anything and the more I thought about it, the more I wondered if I would tire of this look quickly.
Pinterest came to my rescue and when I saw this picture my heart just leapt! THIS is what I had been looking for and all I wanted was achieved in this one inspiration shot!
So…I showed my husband my idea (it did take a bit of convincing), told him that I already had the paint (I had some leftover chalk paint from a previous project and it would be enough for the job—huge bonus!), and began looking for a stencil. I stopped in at The Painted Bench on Ottawa Street and looked at their selection. At first, I didn’t see anything that really caught my eye, but then I spotted something at the back of the store. It was on sale (which meant final sale), and this stencil was BIG!
Would it work?
Would it overwhelm the small space?
Would I love it for a long time? I couldn’t decide!
But the more I looked at it the more I realized, THIS is IT!
So I bought it.
That was the Spring of 2016. I had a baby in April and didn’t get a chance to really start this project until October. It took me a month, but little by little, it slowly got done!
I wanted the look of wallpaper, but I didn’t want it too perfect; so, I purposely chose to leave the edges a little rough. I rolled on the chalk paint and made sure it was relatively even as I only had enough paint for one coat. Once that was done, I used some leftover paint from the kitchen for the stencil. I won’t lie—it was definitely tricky maneuvering such a large stencil on a small wall like this one! I did all the full pieces first, and then slowly filled in the rest. It was rather tedious as I had to wipe down the stencil after each use or I’d lose the crisp lines and the details would all get blurry and messy-looking. That’s probably what took the longest! But the more that got done, the more I absolutely loved it!
The last thing to complete the wall was to paint out the mirror and table. In the spring of this year, I used some leftover craft paint, sanded down both pieces, and within a couple of days they were done!
Technically, the space is not yet finished. I want to paint the front door a shade of blue…or turquoise… but must wait until the weather warms up in the spring. I’d also love an area rug, but that will have to wait as well. And the other walls still need a coat of that Edgecombe Gray paint sitting in my basement…I’ll get there one day!
This wall is now the favorite “moment” I have in my house! It does exactly what I wanted it to–create that “wow” factor upon entering our home—but it’s also practical (the kids can’t mess it up!) and that’s important too. I love the fact that I could create so much impact with such a low price tag. I love that I was able to do it myself. I love the fact that I had the right colors of paint just waiting to be used in my basement.
People generally get the impression that using a designer is a luxury…an added expense that seems like more than one can afford. But really, a good designer is worth their fee! Whether you have a small budget (like mine was) or a larger one, Bella Casa Interiors can help you achieve the look you want.
Using what you already have? We can help!
Want to move things around a bit? We can help you with that!
Want to start fresh? We can do that too!
Whatever your budget, our prices are affordable and bring you results!
I’d love to help you with your next project, so if you are in need of some advice just give us a call or send an email. You’ll be SO glad you did!
To see more inspirational foyers, check out my Pinterest page!
