ENTRANCE EXAM...

(Interior door - painted this green this morning)

Today I am taking an entrance exam. This is not your typical exam where you pen the answers to questions on paper, this is more of a hands on decorating exam. I am literally examining the entrance to my home. Now that it is empty of Handy Hubby's mini office I need to rethink the space.(Area where Handy Hubby's desk used to be)

Now, while I would adore having an entry that is a fully functional foofed first impression kind of space, I have to carefully consider the tiny footprint of this small home and it seems it is always function over form.

The newest issue is a growing family of tiny tots who love to come to Hannah's house to play. Tiny tots come with stuff and need stuff to play with. Their stuff needs a place to be stored in between visits, so, while not the ideal area, half the entry will now house a special space for the sweet grands things. The other half will be a seating area for putting on shoes or curling up with a book.(Playing with the setup of the childrens corner)

I like that this space is adjacent to the living room and we can see them. There is a lot of natural light so it is a bright space. They can play, have snacks, do art projects, or watch the birds at the feeders. There is not a lot of floor space but that is not the issue, they can play in the living room, the issue is the storage of stuff for them play with.

I am on a tight budget so I spent the afternoon yesterday shopping my storage building and unearthed a little doll bed that was handmade by my paternal grandfather...An old bookcase...An old brass lamp...

A vintage suitcase stand...An old picture frame given to me by my friend, Pam...And a wicker suitcase...From the linen closest I snagged the rugs that were in my old studio space...From the woods I brought up the old iron bed bench...My mother recently gave me my old table and chairs from my childhood...In order to get a good grade on my entrance exam I need to combine all this stuff into room decor. I spent this morning cleaning the room from ceiling to floor and painting the inside of the door. I am now ready to move on to the fun stuff. My plan is to give the table and chairs and doll bed a face lift with a coat of gel stain and sealer. The bookcase I am just going to clean and oil.

The bench will get a fresh coat of black paint and a new fabric covered seat. The rugs will get a dye bath to make them a deeper green. I'll use the suitcase under the bench for extra storage for bulky toys. The suitcase stand will get a coat of paint, I think it will be black too. The frame will be cleaned and sealed, I'll add a piece of wood to fit the frame and give it a decorative treatment to turn it into a table top to rest on the suitcase stand in front of the bench.

I am a little iffy about using the suitcase stand and frame for a table, I also have the option of a small handmade trunk that I could install a safety hinge on to add more toy storage. I'll wait and see if I need or not. I do like the idea that the table is easily removed and folds up to move out of the way for play.

After all that, all I have to do is gather up the toys and group them on the shelves. I might purchase baskets to fit the shelves and have the toys a bit hidden. I won't be using any cutesy colors or go crazy with a childlike theme. My plan is to blend the child friendly elements into an adult decor. I think it is important that every family member feel valued and cherished. I don't want this space to scream so much that children frequent here but more importantly that children are loved here.

What might you ask prompted this self imposed exam? I agreed to host a party here this coming Saturday so I am in a cleaning, decorating, fooffing up frenzy. I hope to get the entry and two other rooms freshly foofed by Friday. I have four days for crazy decorating projects and one day for yard work with a half day left for setting up the party. Break time is over, it is back to my entrance exam, wish me luck!

Hope you are in the midst of happy plans too!

Blessings,
Miss Sandy