3 Simple Steps to Refresh Your Entrance or Foyer (Light DIY)

I decided to take a walk down memory lane and show a few of my early designs for a condo that I lived in for 5 years. Hopefully, this post inspires you if you're looking for "light DIY." I define "light DIY" as tasks such as painting, swapping out light fixtures, and using furniture, art, and textiles to finish a room. If you're looking for a true one-weekend project, then this is for you.

One of the great features about my condo was that it was built in the early 20th century when formal foyers were important. I thought about making this a combo foyer and home office since there was enough space, but in the end, I decided to keep it as a foyer. After doing some research online, I found out that the foyer serves an important psychological function. The room itself is important to help a person transition from the public exterior (aka the floor hallway) into a more private interior space. This is where you can drop off your bag, take off your shoes and coat, and begin to shift your mindset into a more quiet space.

As a brand new homeowner, the first thing I did was hang up pictures in the foyer because I wanted it to feel like home right away. This was not the right decision, though. I had thought that I would keep the existing wall color, which was a neutral off-white, but quickly realized that it was not working. The longer I lived in the condo, the more I realized that the walls looked dirty and needed a refresh. I decided to makeover this foyer in three steps.

Step 1: Light DIY - Painting the walls, door and trim

Prep time: 30 minutes

Paint time: 6 hours

Cleanup time: 30 minutes

I bought a few different colors for paint for other rooms and decided to use the existing paint since I liked the color scheme I was building. I wanted to keep the front door white and decided to use Behr Anonymous on the wall to make the door and molding stand out. The molding is Behr Ultra Pure White.

The remaining walls were painted a very light blue/gray, but unfortunately, the paint color is no longer available on Behr's website. The nearest current options are Behr Ice Drop and Behr Blue Me Away.

Step 2: Light Fixture

Prep time: 10 minutes

Install time: 30 minutes

After painting, I swapped out the light fixture with help from my stepfather, Rodney. He helped since I wasn't sure I could do the whole thing with one set of hands and it turned out to be true. You need a second set of hands to hold the light fixture to prevent it from falling, so I highly recommend asking for help on this one.

The flush mount light fixture that I chose was from the Home Depot Tessali Collection.

Step 3: Decor!

Prep time: 2 hours

After the paint and light fixture install were complete, I moved the new console table, window mirror, existing pictures and a rug back into the space. I was very happy with the results and the foyer always brightened my mood when I first came home.