Creating an Entry Way Where There Isn't One.

We've all seen these GORGEOUS houses that have large, expansive foyers with mud rooms, chandeliers, etc. However, how do you deal when your front door literally opens into your living room? I've spent the last month devouring every article, blog post, and pinterest pin trying to research ways to do this. Most lead me to sites with examples of houses that claim to have "no entry way" where in fact the entry way is huge, or opens up into a room big enough to create an entry way.

I pride myself on a livable house. I try to make it as beautiful as possible while still being able to function with two fur babies in tow. However, when I say I have no entry way, I mean it. Exhibits A and B:

The view from the "entry way" looking into the living room and down the hallway.

The view from the hallway looking into the living room and at the entry way.

To give you an idea of the amount of furniture that fills this living space: One of my favorite past times is gaming/television so I have a mega entertainment center. I am also an avid reader, so add on two large bookshelves. I kennel my dogs, so that makes two kennels (one medium, one large) a coffee table, a love seat, a sofa, and a really nice flip-flop couch (a.k.a fancy futon) that all fit into this room. Things were getting a bit tight to say the least.

I always felt horrible when guests would enter, as there would be a dog kennel close to the door opening, not to mention the girls running and tackling the guests in excitement. It felt stifling to watch. With furniture, my entry way looked a bit like this:

I'd had enough with making the guests squeeze through, and decided to do something about it. 

First, I rearranged the furniture. Basically, I moved the kennels into the kitchen (they fit perfectly into the two corners behind the table, and that freed up a ton of room at the door. I wanted to create a nice entryway that would be worthy of guests and actually feel like a foyer/welcome area to the home. 

Anyone who knows me knows I spend as little as I can when decorating, and was able to stay under $150 for this project. 

My first stop was a chest or table to put at the doorway to put some doodads on/in to be very pretty and welcoming. I ended up using a coupon I had alonside a sale Target was running and was able to pick up a chest for $100. 

You can check this out here.

Next was to fill that huge empty space behind the door. I contemplated mirrors and shelves, but found that the likeliness they would be knocked off, broken, or would impede entry made me rethink that.  I've done a lot with wall decals in the past, and haven't incorporated them into the new house yet, so I though this was the PERFECT opportunity. I toyed around with a couple of ideas until I settled on this gorgeous set birch trees and birds I found on Etsy for $40.

I know they are placed in a nursery in the photo, but I like to bend and break the rules!
You can check these out here.

I literally JUST finished putting these up today. So, without further ado, I give you how I created an entry way where there was none:

I now feel the room is more open and guests will really feel welcomed by the space and decor of my little "entry way." If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them in the comments sections below!

Avoidance

Do we spend most of our lives avoiding? Avoiding work, avoiding uncomfortable conversations, avoiding happiness, avoiding LIFE? Today's world makes it far too easy to retreat into ourselves, our phones/computers/tablets, our self-created safe zone. When did we stop living and start avoiding?

Worse yet is avoiding by prolonging. We prolong our dreams and goals by saying "when I do _____ then I can really focus on doing something I love". What happens if you never pass the roadblock to your dreams? We are missing life by focusing solely on our pathway to that dream life. Your life is NOW. Yes, it is important to have measurable goals, to plan and make a pathway to your dream, but it is important not to avoid living life while you're in it.

I'm not one of these schmucks who thinks you should live every day as your last, but I do think that when we start avoiding uncomfortable or unpleasant everyday situations we miss out on what makes life life - misery.

Hear me out - I'm not trying to say life is miserable, nor am I trying to sound like a brooding goth kid who wants to sit in the corner of the local shopping mall, donning 50 shades of black and despairing in the hopelessness of mankind. What I'm trying to say is without suffering and unpleasantness, we can't truly enjoy the good days when they come. Without the work week, the weekend wouldn't be as sweet. Without all of the hard work and sacrifices to reach your goal and/or dream life, would it still be worth it?

Ultimately, I'm trying to stop avoiding and start living. I want to be able to look back at all of the "suffering" and know I could have things worse. I want be able to stand in awe my crepuscular ray, and realize the dark clouds are still there. I want to be able to realize when things are good, know when they aren't, and realize that good things will peek through all of the bad eventually. I want to LIVE.