Our last home (a city dwelling/1800’s urban revival we gutted, remodeled and revived), and I made our foyer in that home fit the style of the home. It was full of dark, original wood that we cleaned and shellaced until it shined like never before. Click here to see what I did in that home foyer space.
Our new home, a 1978 island bungalow (on Sanibel, Island, Florida) needs more light and airy decor. It’s surrounded by nature (our backyard is a nature preserve) and I believe the interior needs to reflect this.
The house opens up to a foyer, open staircase, and an open living room/kitchen concept. While I am still working on the entire house, we recently finished the space under the open staircase.
Anytime I design a space in a home, I always make sure it follows my personal top three rules:
It must be functional
It must look organized
It must be aesthetically pleasing
I think many people should always think of these three simple rules before they design a space in their home. A space can be beautiful, but if it’s not functional or you can’t ever find what you need in the space, what’s the point?
I love making use of all the space in a home. I did it in our former home (see how I turned an unused staircase into a pantry by clicking here) and I’m going to continue that practice in our new home and any home we ever own in the future too!
Check out all the images below to see what I did with our foyer space (and how we hid a wall plug we couldn’t move).
The Space Before…
My husband caulked the corners and baseboard (to repair some cracking/gaps) and I painted the wall before starting any decorating…teamwork gets it done fast!
Home design, execution and photography by Carolyn J. Braden and Thomas Braden
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The Wall Plug…
We purchased a fabric covered flat headed plug extension cord (in a light color to match the wall…we found it at Home Depot) and plugged it into the highly located wall plug and then hung a shelf over it.
We wanted to move the plug closer to the floor (which we thought it should have been in the first place and it’s the only plug on the wall, so we needed to use it) but due to an exterior plug being in the exact location where we needed to move this one to, an outet move was not possible.
We may be able to move it eventually (like when we get the house re-sided), but we just made due for now.
Home design, execution and photography by Carolyn J. Braden and Thomas Braden
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Plug Hiding Continued…
We used cable staples to tack down the plug, making it blend into the wall better.
Home design, execution and photography by Carolyn J. Braden and Thomas Braden
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Putting it All Together…
I purchased the mini letter boards on Amazon, had some of my photography printed onto framed canvas prints (via Smallwood Homes), a small planted artifical plant via Hobby Lobby, a woven bench and pillows via Target, gray knot pillow via Amazon, basket via Target, shelves set via Amazon, and the circular rug via Target.
Home design, execution and photography by Carolyn J. Braden and Thomas Braden
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The products I purchased on Amazon:
Husband Help…
My husband, Tommy, does a fantastic job helping me with all my designs! I think wearing two different socks helps his creativity come out too….lol!
Home design, execution and photography by Carolyn J. Braden and Thomas Braden
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After…
I LOVE how it turned out! It’s simple, yet modern and cool. My photography brings our beach surroundings into the space beautifully.
My cutie pie dog, Johnny Cash, seems to love the space too. He thinks it’s a perfect space to play with all his toys.
Home design, execution and photography by Carolyn J. Braden and Thomas Braden
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Some More After Photos…
He really wanted to do some posing!
Home design, execution and photography by Carolyn J. Braden and Thomas Braden
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Love It…
I’m so happy with how it turned out! I love how I can interchange the quotes on our letterboards as often as I’d like to change up the look.
Home design, execution and photography by Carolyn J. Braden and Thomas Braden
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After- Me and My Little Angel Fluffs
I may add more to this space over time. I was thinking about adding some baskets under the bench for extra storage as needed. My dogs (Minnie Pearl and Johnny Cash, Miniature American Eskimos) toy collection keeps growing, so I may need that space sooner than later.
Home design, execution and photography by Carolyn J. Braden and Thomas Braden
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After-One More!
Home design, execution and photography by Carolyn J. Braden and Thomas Braden
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