Classic Farmhouse Entryway Makeover

I love old houses. But there are times I miss a few of the general amenities of newer homes… you know, things like having a closet on the first floor.

I am serious… our house doesn’t have one single closet downstairs. I’m not exactly sure why. Unlike most older homes, our bedroom closets are spacious and roomy. 

But downstairs? Nada.

So, this little entryway or mudroom is a pretty important spot for us.

And it’s looked like this for way too long.

Classic Farmhouse Entryway Makeover Project

So here are the problem areas we needed to address:

Our backdoor is the main entry for us. So, we needed a catch-all space. When we first moved in 15+ years ago, we added the beadboard and hooks. And, we painted it this awful yellow. Not all our choices can be successes. (ha, ha)

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We decided to keep the beadboard, but add more on top for additional height and space for hooks. This gave us the opportunity to add a shallow shelf as well.

Just so you know, we LOVE beadboard. It’s an easy and inexpensive solution for walls – especially plaster walls. It is also durable and can handle high traffic areas.

I also think beadboard is totally classic like, say, subway tile. And, by adding a little trim, you can easily change the look to resemble board and batten – another classic! Pair it with some farmhouse hooks, and well… it becomes a Classic Farmhouse Entryway Makeover.

Everything got a fresh coat of white paint and we opted for a subtle gray blue color. I chose Snow in June by Valspar. We have a local hardware store that carries Valspar paint and we are always happy with how it covers.

Honestly, I don’t sweat paint colors too much. I love that there are color palettes on Pinterest that have all the best colors you should use or paint colors that go with certain decor… but you know what? I like what I like and picking out colors isn’t something I ponder over.

My husband brought home a few paint chips. I saw this one immediately and knew it was the right color. I like a seamless look, so we painted the ceiling the same as the wall color. It’s something we’ve been doing in other rooms of our house too.

This is the more shallow side of the entryway. I added a few more hooks, but this is basically where the kiddos keep their coats and book bags. I removed all the decor from the wall and I kind of like it empty for now. I would like to replace the light eventually though.

Here’s a look at the other side of the entryway. This is where we made the most of our small space – adding more hooks and organization.

I purchased the old store shelf from an auction this summer. When I brought it home, I was so excited to see that it was the perfect depth for this space and also for my repurposed locker baskets to hold shoes.

For this shelf, I simply shopped around the house. It turns out I had plenty of extra decor to create a lovely vintage display. One of our local hardware stores went out of business, so Corey and I snagged the vintage Westinghouse sign at the sale.

Tucked behind the yellow door, you can kind of see a metal box. This is where my husband can empty his pockets and ditch his wallet or keys. And it’s all hidden from sight. That makes me happier.

Shop Our Entryway

This is one of those projects that feels really good when you are finished because it’s a room we use many times a day. Plus, nearly everyone who visits our house enters here. I think it is a much more welcoming space than before! Mission accomplished.