My sweet parents came up for the Memorial Day weekend to lend their extra hands for some of our first projects around the house. We had some ideas on what we might be able to tackle during their stay, but the minute they arrived, everyone hit the ground running. Somehow by the end of the holiday we had an entirely new entryway, and wow was it a THRILL to see this space transform! I'm not sure if I've ever been happier after the black and white porcelain tile was finally removed.
We started by removing a coat closet that was pinching down our back hallway and blocking all of the natural light coming in from the front window. I wanted to frame out a new opening into the back hallway so that there was still a transition separating the entry from the bedrooms giving it a little more private feel. I love how clean and crisp the new opening looks and I'm thinking we will add some casing + trim and maybe even a little transom window above!
HALLWAY OPENING
BEFORE NOW
Our entry opens right up to a vaulted living room where there was originally a pretty significant header making the whole space feel very compressed. Our ceilings are already pretty low at 8'-0", so cutting into the structure to raise everything up felt like the natural decision and I'm seriously SO GLAD WE DID THIS. Airing out and enlarging this opening made the entry feel like a 10'-0" tall space. Mentally, I'm already shopping for new ceiling flush-mounts to show off now that you will actually be able to see and appreciate them. Eventually, we want to replace our single front door with this more modern double door.
LIVING ROOM OPENING
BEFORE NOW
The last major move we made was resizing and shifting the opening leading into the office space to match the bedroom side. Since the office plans are still in the think-tank, I'm happy that we've at least brought it to a point where this could remain a simple cased opening or it could turn into a spot for a specialty steel or sliding door if more privacy is needed.
OFFICE OPENING
BEFORE NOW
The entry was so important to tackle first since it's basically a landing pad for all the other spaces it's connected to. We couldn't start working on the living room until the opening was sized and placed correctly. Same goes for the office. Plus, we have to settle all of the wall and opening shifts before we can install new floors which is one of this home's greatest immediate needs!
I'm finding it really important to keep a soft touch on this house and focus more on how spaces function and flow together. Luckily, it's got great bones and doesn't need to just be gutted and redone, so simple moves like these are really proving to make a huge difference! I have a mood board in the works for this space that I can't wait to finalize and share. Now that we have a little more usable space, I can see some functional furniture pieces making their way in here!
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