You had me at Hello!

 

 First impressions are everything. At least that's what I tell my children when their manners are left wanting. But the truth is first impressions do count for a lot. When you meet someone for the first time they form an opinion about you based on your appearance, your body language, your demeanor, your mannerisms, and how you are dressed. The same could be said for your home. An entry hall does not have to be big or lavish to make a good impression, but it needs to be welcoming and it needs to have a personality, something that tells your visitor about who lives in the home.

If you have the space, having some sort of table or chest as a surface for display is a good starting point. You could choose a decorative table that doesn't need much adornment....

....or you could decide on  more simple version.











You could opt for a rustic look....

...taken to the extreme by these old workbenches.

Whatever you choose, make sure it expresses something about you.

Deciding what to display on your table is entirely up to you. Plants, glassware and candles are popular choices...

 

 ...as are books, ceramic or pottery pieces.

Lighting in the form of table lamps or wall scones will help set a more ambient mood.

 

 If you have the space, some sort of some seating is a practical idea.

Also pay attention to your wall space. A mirror is always a good choice as it adds light and depth to a space.

Framed photos give your visitors something interesting to look at...

 

...and an eclectic grouping of paintings, sketches also provide great visual interest.

Adding baskets under the table is both decorative and useful for storing those bits and pieces that collect at your front door.

 

 

 If more substantial storage is required, you could consider using a chest of drawers or a low cabinet in your entrance hall. Here are some lovely examples..

 

 So go and take a look at your entry hall and consider the message your are sending your visitors...if it says, dull, boring or just plain messy (which I know you aren't) you might want to spruce it up!

Wishing you all a lovely week ahead from a very rainy Cape Town. (Hopefully the dams will fill up for summer!)

Till next time

Sharon x

Village vignettes

Thank-you for all your lovely comments after my last post. You shouldn't have encouraged me because now I feel compelled to show you a few more pictures taken in and around the beautiful village where we spent the weekend.


The lovely entrance to Kloovenberg Wine and Olive farm

This feels just like France with the cypresses, lavender and vineyards





This attractive entrance is to a shop selling olive products



Another beautiful entrance



Pretty little Georgian style house in the village

I love this row of potted olive trees

Stunning chandelier and stone wall

I want one of these garden clocks

These cypresses are so reminiscent of  Provence or Tuscany

A  sweeping avenue of plane trees underplanted with ivy

I hope you enjoyed and I promise I won't subject you to any more sightseeing for a while!

Till next time


Sharon x

Trying to take my niche up a notch

We have this niche in our entrance hall that was needing some attention. The staircase runs up behind it so it has a bit of an odd shape at the top. I had tried various pieces of furniture there but was never really happy with the result.

What I really wanted was a French console table like one of these below.

Aside from the fact that the budget wasn't going to accommodate one of these, I had the added problem of the kids using the area as a dumping ground for all their school stuff. I tried to change their habits, but failed miserably, so relented and bought these large baskets for the purpose. These would then have to fit under the console table. This was going to be tricky. 

I decided the only solution was to fake it by making my own French console table. A bit ambitious, I know!

We bought a big piece of pine and a strip of decorative moulding at Builders Warehouse. The moulding is made out of polystyrene or something similar!

We found these decorative brackets at the Garden Shop. In South Africa, they are called "Broekie Lace" and are used on the verandahs of Victorian style houses.

I painted the wooden shelf starting with a dark brown layer, then mid brown and then grey and rubbed it, trying to give an aged effect.

I painted the moulding and the brackets starting with black, then brown, then grey and ending with a touch of bronze.

Here is the fake console waiting to be installed by my ever willing husband.

I also repurposed some old picture frames into mirrors and added some gilt to the wooden frames.

I decided to layer the frames to add some interest. There are actually two frames at the back, although it looks like one large one.

You can see the view into the sitting room reflected in the mirror.

This picture shows where the niche is in relation to my front door.

Now to decorate the console table (I mean... shelf)

I put some lovely grey penny gum leaves in a willow basket and flanked it with two succulents in urns.

I added some gilt and embellishment to this old mirror that given to me by a friend to "do something with". 

These urns were terracotta in colour so they got a paint effect as well.

Here is a close up of the bracket.

A close up of the paint effect I did on the pine shelf.

Leading through to the dining room with the water feature in the background. I need some advice from you with regard to my water feature but that will be the subject of a seperate post.

And finally a last view.

So what you think about my fake French console?


I'm linking up to Wow us Wednesdays. Go and take a look at all the clever creations.

Till next time



Sharon x