A Little Something Old Into a Little Something New :)

Everyone has a spot in their home that seems to be a constant work in progress. You know, that spot that you just walk past and overlook because it is never quite how you would like it to be?

Since the day we moved into our new house, that spot for me has been our entryway. I love entering homes and getting a sense of the owner's style and inspiration as soon as you walk through the door. So for me, the entryway has always been an important part of our house to decorate. For months, we have been looking high and low for a piece that would fit in our entryway and make our home feel warm and inviting to guests upon arrival but something that would also be functional and a good use of the small space.

A few months ago, we were helping the Gorhams at Whit's Grandmother's house and we were lucky enough to be given a few special pieces from her home.

One of them was this beautiful wooden chest:

The chest is cute, charming and full of character - and most importantly it has special meaning since it is from Whit's Grandmother's. With a little inspiration from Whit's sister, Ashley, we realized this was the perfect piece we had been looking for to adorn our entry way. We brought it home and sure enough, it had found it's place. :)

Last week, I finally had the chance to begin to work on it and I finished up the piece last night.

Here are some pictures of the project:

This was the base coat I chose for this piece.
I wanted something soft, but with enough color that it would pop and be noticed in front of our neutral walls.

The chest has a beautiful detailed carving on the front
which, I think, adds so much character. :)



Here is the finished product :)

For the final coat and finish, I decided to do a combination of
three colors to add some depth and texture to the piece.

We decided to use the original hardware on this piece,
which actually complements the tone of the chest well.

A hydrangea from our very own hydrangea bush :)
While I was staging the chest,
I couldn't seem to find the perfect finishing touch until I
suddenly remembered the beautiful bloom
we had gotten on our hydrangea bush this weekend.
So we brought the outside in -
which has been my inspiration throughout our entire house. :)  

Taking on a piece that needs a little work and making it our own makes me appreciate the piece even more. It just takes some time and patience, both of which I struggle with finding from time to time - but once I dive into another project, I remember why I enjoy it so much! When I look around our house, it seems to be filled with pieces that were once "projects" but now they each add character and life to our home.

One more project down - next up - the pie safe!! :) Stay tuned!!