Making it Lovely

Tag: Victorian

  • The Entryway (Again), with its New (Old) Runner

    The Entryway (Again), with its New (Old) Runner

    Let’s forget about the not-so-pretty photos from yesterday, and instead look at a runner that IS working.

    Making it Lovely's Victorian Entryway an Wooden Staircase

    Saving on the sideboard meant I could put the extra money toward the proper-sized runner for the space. It’s a vintage Persian Koliaei rug, about 50 years old, that I bought from eSaleRugs after Jenny’s recommendation. It seems like they have 50% off sales pretty regularly, the shipping was fast, and my rug arrived in great shape.

    Koliaei Persian Rug Runner #makingitlovely

    I like that the blue randomly changes midway through the rug. I laid it the other way at first, and it seemed off — like the lightest part should be nearest to the light source of the window and front door.

    Victorian Entryway and Wooden Staircase #makingitlovely

    Frye Boots in the Entryway #makingitlovely

    The runner called for switching things up a bit, so I’ll find places in the house elsewhere for the pink and coral painting, Heath Ceramics pottery, and blue dhurrie that you saw here before.

    Victorian Entryway with Wooden Staircase #makingitlovely

    Also, I swapped out the off-white plastic outlet cover on the floor for a wood one, and it blends in much more nicely now. A small detail, but it’s nice to have it done.

    Wooden Outlet Cover on the Floor #makingitlovely

    I saw this painting pop up in Jenny Vorwaller’s Instagram feed and I scooped it up right away, but I had to wait a few months because it turned out she was about to hang it in the downtown Seattle Anthropologie. Isn’t it gorgeous? The name is “Warp and Weft” — very appropriate to be talking about it in a post about rugs. I like it in the entryway, and I’m perfectly fine with it not being completely matchy-matchy. I do kind of want to steal it away for the bedroom though, so I’m not sure if this is its permanent home.

    Jenny Vorwaller Painting in the Entryway #makingitlovely

    Vintage Scouting Trophies #makingitlovely

    Can you imagine how awesome it’s going to be when the weather gets nicer, and we can have the front door open with a view of the pretty Victorian screen door?

    Victorian Entryway #makingitlovely

    This is the first space people see when they come over, and the first thing we see when we come home. It took a few months, but it finally looks and functions the way I wanted it to.

    Making it Lovely's Victorian Entryway an Wooden Staircase

  • The Entryway with its New Sideboard

    The Entryway with its New Sideboard

    Hey now! The entryway is looking like a real, finished space!

    Making it Lovely's Victorian Entryway

    We do a lot of walking in this neighborhood, so we use the front door more often than the back. I had a runner along the wall for a while, where we would line up our shoes, but once the weather turned colder, we needed more storage for hats and mittens and the like. Plus our mail (and everything else) was piling up on the dining room table. Now everything has a home in the entryway.

    Making it Lovely's Entryway

    This house is well-suited to solid antiques and quirky pieces of furniture, but sometimes IKEA does the job (and does it well). The sideboard I chose is somewhat plain, but with the addition of some knobs and a vintage rug beneath, I really like it. Plus if it was too precious (read: expensive), I wouldn’t feel so great about using it as a glorified shoe cabinet.

    Entryway Shoe Storage Cabinet

    The kids backpacks are inside on the left half, along with two pairs of shoes each. I added cushioned shelf liner to the bottom so that it could be removed and cleaned if needed. Normally their hats and mittens are inside too, along the the top shelf, but when August and Eleanor saw me taking pictures, this happened.

    August and Eleanor

    Our shoes go on the right side, and my purse can go inside too. More often than not though, I leave it on the chair (which is supposed to be a spot to sit down and put one’s shoes on). The tray holds mail, and the basket is for Brandon’s wallet, phone, and keys.

    Antique Thonet Bentwood Chair in the Entryway

    Vintage scouting trophies, because why not? The kids like them.

    Vintage Trophies

    There are a few things to do still. The rug needs a thin pad underneath, and the floor outlet would blend more if the cover was wood instead of plastic. I’m a little worried that something will happen to the painting, since its within easy reach of the kids, so I’d like to frame and hang it. I’d also like to bring in more blue elsewhere, but that’s something that could happen in the larger context of the space with the adjoining rooms. Or if I come across another rug that I like equally but that fits the space better (longer), I can swap it out and find a new spot for the blue one.

    Maybe I’ll paint (the walls, not the wood). Maybe I’ll add some art near the door. The house will grow and change in time, but for now, the entryway is done.

    p.s. Here’s what the space looked like this morning after we went out to play in the snow. Clearly, I took the other pictures after I tidied up a bit.

    Entryway with Snow Gear

    And this is why I want to get that painting up. Too close for comfort here!

    Snowy Hat