Honestly, our front porch definitely needed a makeover! So this is all about our small entryway makeover on a budget.
We’ve been locked in over Winter and also in an extended lockdown due to the ongoing pandemic, so although we have used the time to make lots of improvements to our home, we really did ignore that little part of the home! Everything that needed to go into the recycling was placed there until someone was going outside, mucky shoes were left strewn on the floor and there was an assortment of umbrellas in various states of disrepair. You might think that is all, unfortunately not. There was more. It was a real mess.
Someone came to make a visit (socially distanced, of course) and when I opened the front door to talk to her, I feel like I could see her eyes wandering around the small porch and entryway and taking it in and I was truly embarrassed! I had to do something! That was on a Wednesday and so I decided that day, that I had to do something about it! Well, this transformation took place the following Sunday.
Luckily, the transformation did not cost a penny. Every bit of what we used, are things we already had at home. So we were ready for the work to begin. We took stock of what we had and made an effort to check what we needed and what we needed to get rid of. There is a handy storage cupboard on the front porch which houses the gas and electric meters. There is extra space in there so we wanted to use that as well.
Clearing
The first thing we had to do was to remove all the things that cluttered our front porch.
Shopping bags were placed in the boot of the car for shopping. The usable umbrellas were placed in the storage compartment there in addition to 2 wreaths that were there. The boxes (which could not fit in the recycling receptacle) were placed securely behind the recycle bin. The shoes that were strewn on the floor rested in the passage until the renovation was done and so were the flowers and the little table. Now it was time to clean.
Cleaning
The cleaning approach we took was ‘top to bottom.’ There was flaking paint on the ceiling. This was due to the gutter being blocked over winter and water, therefore, settling on the roof. Luckily, this was easily cleaned using a duster, and there was no need to repaint as the ceiling had previously had multiple coats of paint.
Before we did anything else, I had to vacuum away all the dust from the bits of flaking paint that promised to transfer itself all over the house! So I used my trusty GTech Air Ram hand held for this job. I love love love this vacuum so much. The suction quality is great and the vacuum is so handy to use. It really is easy to take around with you.
Next was cleaning the walls. The main thing is that the light grey paint was looking a little worse for wear. I love the colour and do not want to change it any time soon. There were scuff marks on the walls primarily from a scooter going in and out of the house. I used warm water, a lint free cloth and Pink Stuff. I had seen raving reviews about the Pink Stuff and had bought one so I could dry it. In the past it has worked wonders on my doors. I am pleased to report that the Pink Stuff worked wonders so this is certainly a recommendation! And for how good it is, I can’t believe how affordable it is on Amazon.
There is a beautiful mirror in the entryway that we really love. It is really beautiful as you can see. Well, I learnt this little trick to clean it and keep it sparkling. I clean it first with a damp soft cloth and warm water. Then after rinsing the cloth, I put a few drops of regular distilled vinegar on the cloth and give the mirror a second wipe. After a minute and a half, I buff the mirror with a lint-free cloth to a beautiful streak-free shine. So lovely to see.
And of course the doors and light fixtures got a proper clean too. The next job was to clean the floor. After that, the smell was amazing.
Decorating
Soon it was time to do my favourite part of any transformation! The decorating!
The occasional table was the main feature in the space. I played around with placing various plants, both fake and real on the table. In the end, I settled for a spider plant, we have many around the house and I just chose one.
We have a white laminate shoe rack outside which previously housed some plants. I cleaned it and used it in one section of the entryway. The shoes which were previously scattered on the floor, are now neatly placed on the shoe rack.
There is a beautiful ‘Welcome’ sign with a lovely sunflower design which I made with my fair hands some years ago. It was a frugal make as well. The wood for the sign was a reused shelf! My daughter did not need the shelf anymore and had wanted it to go to the dump! No way, I used it for this sign. It’s beautiful and it now adorns the redone entryway.
The finished Look
i am definitely pleased with the finished look. It is bright, welcoming, useful and has purposeful storage. What more can you want from an entryway? I am hoping that this has inspired you to do a revamp of some area of your home, and I also urge you to do it on a small budget or free if you shop your home.
Doing small areas at a time helps you to maintain your home throughout the year.
I am currently editing a video to show you what the finished small entryway looks like. I’m so excited for you to see it! Will update soon.
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See you next time.
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