With my babies returning to preschool this morning, I am breathing a huge sigh of relief.
You see…I thought it would be fun to play full-time, stay-at-home mommy for a few weeks while the kids were out of school. Much to my dismay, my short-lived blogging hiatus was not much of respite at all. In fact, my instincts were correct all along: there is no way in hell I am cut out to be a true, stay-at-home mom.
Simply put: the time off from my blog has made me realize just how grateful I am for this creative outlet of mine and the fabulous people who actually take the time to support my work by reading my content. Staying at home with your kids and strictly “momming” 24/7 is no freakin’ joke! From this short break, I recognize with full clarity that I need time away from my kids to “adult”. Working on this blog gives me a critical sense of individuality which I don’t believe I could be satisfied without. So…if you are reading this right now, I just want to express my appreciation and give you a big ol’ bear hug! You have no idea how much you mean to me. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Returning from my two-week hiatus, I thought I would share a recent room-makeover with you. This entryway makeover is a little different from my usual room transformations as it wasn’t planned with a design board or tackled dramatically all at once. In this particular instance, I gradually tweaked aspects of the space as budget allowed and my aesthetic developed. Over the course of a year or so, my foyer has gradually evolved to better fit my current design preferences (and you know I have been going all Modern Farmhouse lately).
For those of you who haven’t been following along since the beginning of my fixer upper journey, I have got to show you the original state of my foyer….(you should also check out my full home tour by clicking here)
Foyer Before
When my family and I moved into our fixer upper three years ago, the foyer was basically a time portal to the 1980’s.With textured walls and mauve galore, I rushed the design of this space-assuming anything would be a vast improvement.
Foyer Progress
Don’t get me wrong: the photo above was definitely an improvement. The brighter paint color (Sherwin William’s Passive ), the lantern pendants and the DIY gallery wall (you can read that tutorial by clicking here) , all aided in the advancement of this space.
The styling however, was not entirely reflective of my true aesthetic. In fact, it was basically a result of me rushing out to Target one day and grabbing what I could find after learning my house was going to be photographed for a local magazine that very week. As you can probably gather by the sea glass vase and mirrored accent chest, my vibe at the time was a little more coastal glam.
After quickly discovering the impractical nature of a white rug in my foyer (think: incessant muddy footprints), I knew I needed a more forgiving rug in the space. And so….a simple rug sparked an entire room makeover…
For your shopping convenience, this post contains affiliate links.
Modern Boho Farmhouse Foyer
I had been swooning over vintage kilim rugs for quite some time, so I knew nothing less would work. Not only would the colorful rug design be ideal for disguising dirt, I love the “lived-in” character vintage rugs add to a space. To cover the dated mosaic, the rug had to measure 6’x9′ .
While 5’x7′ rugs tends to be more of a standard size, this would have been too small for disguising the mosaic. As a result, the somewhat wonky sizing completely dictated my kilim rug search. After months of browsing, I fell in love with this 1970’s hand-made, wool rug which I purchased from this shop on Etsy.
After the initial investment of the wool rug, I hung tight and tolerated the glam, mirrored chest for months. While doing my best to save up more dough, I scoured the internet and my favorite discount stores for the perfect wooden console table. When I found this one on sale for under $100 a few weeks ago, I knew I had to have it. The weathered oak finish was exactly the modern wood-tone I had been craving. I think it is the perfect blend of rustic warmth and clean, modern lines.
To accommodate the altered scale of the new, longer furniture, I decided to add some curvature with this golden, round mirror which I also found on sale here.
From there, I styled the table with nature-inspired elements including live greenery (Magnolia stems from my front yard to be exact) and an assortment of textured, woven baskets. To pull from the color palette of the kilim rug, I added these beads which used to belong to my great Grandmother. I love how the beads exude that quintessential, boho vibe.
Of course no vignette is complete without books which , in this case, provided the critical “horizontal” element and give the miniature basket of beads some much-needed height.
If you are interested in re-creating this look, be sure to click on the items below to be directed to their source. You can also scroll to the very bottom of this post for the full list of sources used.
Shop The Look
While I am still considering a wall treatment here (perhaps more shiplap?), I believe the current styling here much better reflects my design preferences. Of course if I do happen to complete a wall treatment, you will be the first to know, but in the meantime, I am moving on to some more pressing projects in my fixer upper. If you would like full room source, scroll to the very bottom of this post!
Now get out there and design some good vibes. Please also be sure to spread the love by Pinning…..
Room Decor Sources
Wall Color- Sherwin Williams “Passive”
DIY Gallery Wall Post- Click Here
Pendant Lights- Overstock
Rug- Etsy
Console Table- Target
Mirror – Target
Large Baskets- Target (I got the last 2 in my local store, and I can’t find them online)
Capiz Vase – Homegoods
White Vase Set – Homegoods
Small basket- Hobby Lobby
Books- Amazon
Julie S
Thursday 16th of August 2018
Hey Erica! Beautiful job as always, I just had to comment about the "true stay at home mom" thing... what does that even mean?! LOL! I mean, I'm a stay at home mom to a 5 and 3 year old and I even homeschool, how much more stay at home-ish does it get? But I'm also a mom who hiiiiighly values alone time & me time, I don't really ever play kid games with my kids, and I have two creative hobbies that I enjoy almost daily (decor stuff and fiber arts) while having trained my kids to leave me alone for a certain part of the day. I mostly make it work for me though there are definitely times I need to Get. A. Way. in which case hubby takes over and I disappear. So, just saying that if you have the idea that a "true stay at home mom" loves all kids, plays tea party and crafts with the littles every day and has no need of major space or passions of her own, I think maybe that woman only exists in the movies.
Designing Vibes
Thursday 16th of August 2018
Haha! Ok...that just made me feel so much better about my parenting style. I do not enjoy playing with my kids (I feel so guilty admitting that). Hats off to you, mama! Sounds like you are superwoman. I am a mere mortal that needs teachers to take over a few days a week (that's what I meant about true stay at home mom- I cheat.) Wishing you a wonderful weekend.
Mary-The Boondocks Blog
Thursday 16th of August 2018
Erica I first started following you when you were in your coastal phase. I am loving the transformation that the rug brought on. I too am going for a more earthy look although right now I am having an identity crisis when it comes to decorating.
Designing Vibes
Thursday 16th of August 2018
I feel like a crazy woman, going through such a style/identity crisis on my blog. Like you said though, I am totally craving more earthiness and simplicity. Thanks for sticking with me through it all, Mary. xoxo
ashley allen
Wednesday 15th of August 2018
WOW! Erica you totally rocked this entryway, I love the natural wood tones and whites together and the vintage rug just sets the entire space off. I have been contemplating moving our artwork that is currently in the entryway to a different area of our home and going with something different (more natural less color) and you've pushed me over the edge... I'm going to do it! This is so perfect it looks like it was always supposed to be this way.
Designing Vibes
Wednesday 15th of August 2018
Thank you so much, hun. I absolutely adore the art in your foyer, but I totally get the craving for more calming neutrals. I have been going through the same thing myself.