We started this entry renovation in January. January! It's been slow moving- especially after tacking on a collaboration with Pella for our new front door. It's ironic that it was an afterthought to reach out to them considering the door completely MAKES the entry! We've refreshed the entry a couple of times but mistakenly focused on aesthetics rather than function. Fast forward and now it's beautiful and functional. Keep reading to see how we added beauty and function to our small entryway. 

We removed the bottom 2/3 of the wallpaper and replaced it with a double stripe board and batten. The grasscloth wallpaper, while beautiful, is fragile and I wanted to avoid damage from hooks/baskets/shoes being thrown against it- you know, normal family life. I adore the paper and refused to remove it entirely so keeping the top portion was the perfect solution. We chose a satin finish for the paint to help with durability. TIP: If you love wallpaper but it's out of the budget, consider wallpapering just the top portion of the walls in a room. Personal choice but I prefer this option over wallpapering one wall.

2. A place to sit.

We've had both and for us, a bench is more practical than a console table. Since we use our front door far more than our garage entrance, having a place to sit to put on or take off shoes is convenient, plus you can stow shoes underneath it. This bench has been discontinued but I love this one (splurge) and this one (save). I also rounded up others we considered, here. TIP: If you're deciding between a console or a bench, ask yourself how you use the space. Also consider your storage needs. Try a console with drawers so that the top of the console doesn't end up littered with items that don't have a home. 

3. We added pegs.

This made the biggest difference. We have a hall tree over by the garage but we rarely use it. I love the advice in life to "choose reality" but it also works in home design. The reality is we enter through the front door and the kids' backpacks end up on our kitchen stools. Now there are 8 pegs we can use for coats, backpacks, and more. Clearly it's more styled in this post but I fully expect to swap the cute straw hat for a backpack once the kids are back in school. ;) TIP: don't use the pegs with the screws if you intend to hang heavy things on them- use pegs like these + wood glue.

4. We added a place for mail.

We added 3 additional pegs for mail, keys, or other items. This mail carrier fit the space and style perfectly and it can house anything else we need to grab on our way out the door. But I'm lowkey looking for the perfect vintage basket to hang...

5. We added shoe storage.

I considered this type of shoe storage but many reviews warned that if you have big shoes (me, Joe and Nadia raising our hands) don't bother. I also love the idea of baskets under a bench but ours has a support bar that's in the way. For now, this basket is doing the trick. If I'm being honest, no matter what "system" I have in place, my family will likely not use it. ha. We have a few other baskets on the first floor for shoes, so that helps.

What do you think? This is one of my favorite renovations because it's just so practical. I also see this room from the first floor constantly so it feels so good to have flooded it with light! Any questions, drop them below! Shop the post below too!Paint Color is "Wild Bill Brown" by Dunn Edwards but has been discontinued. What you see here is a color match done at Sherwin Williams!