Grand Entryway

 Welcome! Come on in! 

Our entryway is one of my most favorite spaces in our home. It's the first thing not only your guests see when they enter but you as well. So make it good! 

Our home is a midcentury Georgian Colonial design so it has traditional defined spaces with lots of beautiful character, like the custom dental molding throughout the interior and surrounding our exterior. This allows for me to add distinct decor and design choices, like wallpaper! 

I want our home to reflect us, the people that live here. Soft colors and prints in classic patterns does just that. Carolina blue is Ryan's favorite color so it's a must.

When we first purchased this home the walls were tan with a faux marble texture.  We were not a fan but knew that it just needed my magic touch. 

SO. MUCH. BROWN!

First we painted and added furniture. I wanted a cool white on all the walls throughout and chose Benjamin Moore Classic Gray. I only wish it had a different name because it's not gray at all.

Note: I HATE, with a passion, the color gray - even the word itself makes me sad. Its gloomy and gives me prison vibes. Sorry gals, I know it's all the rage when it comes to neutrals but I've never been one to follow the crowd.

We added a foyer table that displays decor, functions as a landing place and holds party pieces when we host. Vivian used to play on the bottom shelf with her toys and sometimes I find a collection of dinosaurs on display and it always make me smile :)

This grand mirror reflects light making the space appear larger.  It's also serves as a quick check of your makeup, hair and outfit before heading out the door. I purchased it at an estate sale with a dear friend who's no longer with us so it's extra special to me!

Light Fixture - lighting is the jewelry of the home. While they illuminate, they also add style.  They're not something you change often so I'm simple and classic in my choices, especially in the common areas.

I also hung our first family portrait from when Vivian was a mere 9 days old.

It represents the purpose of our home, to love one another during our time here.

While this certainly freshened up our entryway it was still rather plain.

This beautiful wallpaper by Schumacher 'Hydrangea drape' in blue was just what it needed. Choosing wallpaper can be overwhelming, but not for me.  I had already established our color palette of soft blues and pinks based upon the heirloom rug in our formal living room. The vertical pattern creates height making our standard ceilings feel a bit more grand.  The hydrangeas are special, as they are my youngest sister's favorite.  She plays such an important role in our lives. It's heartwarming to have something that represents her incorporated in our daily lives.

Fun Fact: This paper was up the staircase in the movie Gone with the Wind

I spy a sneak peek at our dining room wallpaper - post to come soon!

By just hanging the paper on the walls surrounding our front door and foyer it doesn't overwhelm but rather adds life and the right amount of pizazz! 

Dress Your Entryway Beautifully

XOXO Sarah-Louise

The Wonder of Wallpaper

Fun Fact: I'd wallpaper every room in our home if Ryan & budget allowed!

Wallpaper is just so beautiful to me! It's like clothing a room in a pretty dress. And as with yourself, dressing a room with color, print, texture and quality materials is the key to great style. 

Wallpaper can be as subtle or bold as you want.

 Dining Room Paper

The herons have sentimental meaning to me

Details to come soon when I share our dining room design

Wallpaper isn't your basic element of design.  It's a luxury these days for the investment in materials and installation. And because of this, and the lack of an easy undo, choosing where and what wallpaper is a big decision.

Typically, wallpaper is best for small and/or formal spaces.  Gone are the days of wallpapering kitchens and living rooms. Today it's most commonly used in powder rooms, formal dining rooms, entry ways, and bedrooms. Kids bedrooms are the most fun!

Entryway Paper

The hydrangeas, color & print are all sentimental

Details to come soon when I share our entryway design

I'm not an interior designer and in no way want to step on their expertise.  They are educated and have the unique talent & resources to do what they do BUT I believe that having ownership of your space is a must.  It is your home where you live and where you make your memories. Therefore the design, decor and elements should mean something to you and reflect who you are. 

When choosing finishes for our home I implement these very principles in each room.

Here are My Tips for Implementing Wallpaper into Your Home:

• Choose the room 

• Choose a color palette - we have an heirloom rug in our living room in pink and blue that set the tone for the papers in the adjoining rooms

• Narrow down the pattern - florals, graphics, small or big repeats ...

• Pinterest, IG & Google image Search!  When you believe you've found a wallpaper you love, search online to see it implemented in spaces.  It will help give you a good idea of what it would look like on your walls. 

• Order a Sample! It's hard to know colors and textures online shopping. Our dining room paper has metallic gold throughout that just doesn't covey in images. The raised texture in our entryway paper is a detail you can't feel on the screen.

• Visit a Design Store! It is so helpful to see, touch and flip through books of papers.  It can help you hone in on your selection.

• Hire Professionals! This is not where you watch a Youtube video and try and hang it yourself. NO. It is an art to paste and line the print up just right - it's worth every penny! If it's off just a hair it will haunt you.

I started to round up my favorite papers and about an hour into it I realized I could be here uploading and linking for weeks!  There are so many beauties out there. 

Here are some that I would add to our home if I could (I just may and beg for forgiveness after!) ... 

Citrus Garden

I'd love to incorporate this into our sunroom

Chinoiserie Mural

I originally chose this for our dining but now want it for our bedroom

Formal with Birds

8 colors

I love this for our upstairs hallways

Bowood

This would be precious in Vivian's room

Snake

I'd love this for the back of lacquered built in shelves in the office or in our closet!

Forest

I love this for our office, powder room or den

Swan Lake

This would be so lovely in our guest bath or bedroom

Our master bedroom had gold grasscloth paper already up when we purchased our home.

While I absolutely love the natural texture, the gold wasn't my favorite at first but it's beauty has grown on me! It actually warms the space and compliments nicely as a lustrous neutral.

I believe for such a large room (it's over 25 ft long) a print would have been too overwhelming. I highly recommend grasscloth for depth if paint is just too plain and print is a tad too much. 

P.S. I'm will be sharing more of my home decor & inspiration this year because I enjoy dressing it beautifully almost as much as I do myself!

Dress Your Home Beautifully in Wallpaper

XOXO Sarah-Louise