Since closing on our house in December 2023, I’ve had a running list of projects to tackle. And because of lack of time, and budget (why does everything cost $10k?!), the list was starting to feel very overwhelming. I decided to pick one area just to start and landed on making over the entryway. The entryway of our home is small enough that the work involved was easier than any other room in the house. Plus it’s the first space guests see, so why not make it a joyful area?! We set the goal of one week to transform the space into a colorful entryway and here’s how it came out!
If you’re looking to add a bit of color to your home, the entryway is the perfect place to make a statement! This area of your home doesn’t have to be large, it can really just be where you step inside and take off your shoes. For us, it’s a hallway.
Because the space is a bit darker (the only light source is from the door and side windows), I wanted to brighten it up. The walls were beige when we moved in, so we already took a partial step in painting everything white. It just needed a bit more of our personality, which is where color came in!
Here’s everything we did to the space:
Quick Tip: Paint your paint samples on watercolor paper. This will allow you to move it around the room and see it in different lighting! Plus it’s bigger than the swatch from the store so you’ll get a better sense of the color in your space.
We were lucky enough to partner with Lowe’s for a gifted campaign for the materials used. Content contains affiliate links. When you shop the links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for supporting my small business.
Materials
- Ceiling Medallion
- Crown Moulding
- Chandelier
- Rug Pad
- Drop cloths
- Brad Nailer
- Brad Nailer Battery
- Vent Register
- Caulk
- Caulk Gun
- Corner Pieces
- Brad Nails
- Paint Sprayer
- Scraper
- Ladder
- Miter Saw
I also suggest that you grab proper safety gear if you recreate this in your own home. A respirator and safety glasses are a must!
The art hung was a thrift store score of mine (only $25 bucks!). I’m also still playing around with the final rug choice, but here’s the one photographed in the final images.
Head over to my Youtube channel to watch the entire colorful entryway makeover process!
Ceiling Prep
Our home, even though it’s over 100 years old, has textured ceilings. We’re not sure when they were put in, but it would have had to have been after 1945 when the trend started. Since we’re trying to stick to the original era of the home as much as possible, we decided to remove them.
One important thing to note is that we did have the ceilings tested for asbestos and lead before starting. I was able to collect a small sample and send it to a lab for testing. It cost $100 and took 3 days to process, which was well worth the piece of mind since so many textured ceilings have asbestos in them!
We’ll eventually remove the popcorn ceiling in the entire home, but the entryway seemed like the perfect place to try removal before fully committing to it.
How to Remove Popcorn Texture Ceilings
1. We started by laying down tarps everywhere! I mean the more tarps the better since this gets so messy. I wish we would have also covered the baseboards, and we will going forward with the other rooms.
2. To help the texture come off easily, we sprayed the ceiling with water and let set for around 10 minutes. This really is the trick so don’t be afraid to saturate everything. When we first started, we tried a light mist and it was so much harder to scrape off the texture!
3. Scrap away using this tool and the texture of the ceiling should fall right off. Being at eye level will give you a better angle for scraping. It can be tiring standing on the ladder and looking up, so take breaks as needed.
There’s a chance you’ll have to patch the ceiling depending on what’s underneath, but you won’t know until finished. We had a few marks but didn’t mind them from the ground.
Related: DIY Large Wall Art on a Budget
Painting the Ceiling
I’ve been dreaming of a painted ceiling for years at this point and I’m so happy to say it’s been worth the wait. I love thinking of the ceiling as the fifth wall of a room, making it completely open to paint, wallpaper, and more.
Painting the ceiling draws your eye upwards making the room feel larger. Our ceilings are over 8ft, so with the pop of paint, the entryway feels that much more grand.
Color: Loveable from the HGTV Home by Sherwin Williams line at Lowe’s.
I was able to paint the ceiling from the ground (I just used a poll extender). The best part about adding the crown moulding is that I didn’t have to be perfect with where the ceiling met the wall since it was going to be covered by the moulding anyway.
I applied two coats and let dry overnight before we installed the moulding.
Painting the Door
I went back and forth with whether or not to paint the door… and clearly decided to paint it. It’s a colorful entryway makeover afterall! Our long term plan is to get a new door, so adding color is a great way to get us through until we take on that project.
Color: Piano Blues from Clark + Kensington (Lowe’s color matched!)
Here’s how I did it:
- Removed from the hinges and taped off the glass
- Sanded with 120 Grit sandpaper then wiped clean
- Primed with Kilz 2
- Sprayed two coats paint and let dry
I plan on sealing the door when we fully commit to this color for the front as well (only the interior is painted for now).
There are pros and cons to spraying your door vs hand painting. I think the worst part was having to remove the door from the hinges multiple times because it was so heavy. The plus is that the finish is so smooth and nice and ultimately worth it.
Painting Crown Moulding
I used the same Paint Sprayer on the crown moulding and I couldn’t recommend it enough! It made getting in all the details very easy. The final results are SO good and it’s worth picking up a sprayer if you’re taking on any super detailed work.
I applied two coats in the same color as the ceiling and let it dry overnight.
How to Hang Crown Moulding
The Crown Moulding system we used came with corner pieces which made the entire process so much easier! To install I used a miter saw, construction adhesive, a brad nailer, and caulk. Here’s how to hang crown moulding:
- Start in a corner and focus on one corner piece. You’ll want to apply constriction adhesive to the back and hold in place. For extra security, use the brad nailer to secure.
- Repeat the same process with your longer boards.
- We didn’t have to cut two of the boards because the space was long. To fill in the rest I installed the other corner piece then measured the distance left between the corner and long piece. Cut to size with a miter saw.
- Once your moulding is installed, you’ll want to caulk to seal. This will add polish to the project and fill in any of the brad nail holes. Wipe away any excess.
- Once the caulk is dry, paint!
I go over everything in my YouTube video if you prefer to see it visually!
Final Details
Before I could wrap the project up, it was time for those final details. I eventually want to find antique vent and switch covers, but for now I was able to paint them brass to match. I think this is a great alternative for adding charm to your home without having to rush finding the perfect piece.
We also decided to hang a new light. We have something similar in our dining room, but this one was a third of the price! It’s so pretty at night too and makes a statement as pretty as the ceiling.
The Reveal
So here’s the final colorful entryway makeover!! The space truly looks so much prettier in person (it was so hard to capture with a camera).
I can’t wait to go through the rest of the house and repeat the same techniques. For a week’s worth of work, I think the space really came together!
Since sitting with it for a while, I’m debating adding wallpaper or maybe painting stripes on the wall. Let me know what you think I should do in the comments below!
