Every piece of furniture in this front entrance was purchased second hand and given a new look. Buying furniture for the home this way, is not only a great idea for the budget savvy and environmentally conscious, but also for the creative types that enjoy putting their own look on things. The armour, as you can see, is a large piece that commands the attention in this foyer. In its original dark wood colour the piece was quite heavy. To take things down a notch (or several), the armour was painted creamy white. The great thing about this armour other than its curvy lines, beautiful hardware and craftsmanship, is its massive storage capabilities. I paid $300.00 for this armour and it has been with me now for 15 years. The mirror hanging beside the armour was purchased for $40.00 and I love how these two pieces compliment each other.

If space permits, I always like to add some sort of seating at a front entrance to allow guests a comfortable spot to put on, or take off shoes. I scored two wooden chairs from an antique auction that was filled with items that came from England. They were in pretty rough shape when I got them, but I only paid $15.00 for the pair. Both chairs were painted, heavily distressed and reupholstered in a new French Country inspired fabric.

I found this absolutely adorable and unique light fixture for $10.00 on a local used furniture website.

There are two water colour paintings in the room and both were done by a local Nanaimo artist and family friend, John Hofman. The antique smoke stand beside the chair was lightened up by painting it a soft blue and topped with baskets for a perfect spot to drop keys and sunglasses as you enter the home.

The area rug is a highly textural soft wool in creams, beiges and blues.

The only other art in the room is an old beat up nude beach sign.

The adjoining hallway which leads to the garage and laundry was modified to incorporate pull out storage cabinets under the stairs.

The storage cabinets were then framed out and painted in Cloud White by Benjamin Moore to match the existing trim colour in the room.

The opposite wall in the hallway was also framed out with new trim, painted and completed with coat hooks. The garage door at the end of the hall was painted Normandy by Benjamin Moore to match the front door and add a pop of colour.

With the windows in the door and the large window in the adjacent room being the only natural light source in this foyer, keeping things bright was a must so other than the trim and wainscoting that is painted cloud white, the entire foyer was painted in Benjamin Moore’s warm neutral called Ballet White.

A light and airy foyer that is filled with Casual French Coastal Style, loads of storage and functionality.