This post is sponsored by Lulu & Georgia. They’ve extended Chris Loves Julia readers 15% off their purchases through the end of the year with code CLJ15. Woot!
Our entry was not really on our radar this year, but when one of my favorite favorite online shops, Lulu & Georgia, reached out and asked if we could collaborate on a room in our new home, the entry was the very first space that came to my mind. With new neighbors and guests coming in all the time, and it being such a central location in our house that we pass through often, I thought there’s nothing like a good first impression so we turned our attention to the entry and picked out 6 things from Lulu & Georgia that completely transformed it. We have an entry! We have furniture!
Here’s where we started:
A complete blank slate with really tall ceilings that I just wanted to feel cozy and intimate and simple. I can’t tell you how good it feels now! What a difference a few pieces have made!
With every room in this house, I am really thinking about how can I bring less things into the space without sacrificing style or impact. I suppose that is really what less is more is all about. For the entry, I really wanted unique pieces with staying power. Pieces that are well made but different than you would see at a big box store, per se, and Lulu & Georgia is my go-to for furnishings that do just that.
I went back and forth between doing a bench or console in the entry and decided on the main wall, a console would be better proportionally (but we made add a small bench or antique chair under the stairs on the opposite side later). The ceilings are 20+ feet in the entry so I wanted to make sure the furniture and any accents were substantial enough that it wouldn’t feel…dinky? Again, if I went for a too-small bench, I’d have to add more things to make it look right.
In the end, we made a drastic difference and huge impact 6 items from Lulu & Georgia.
1. A credenza that I couldn’t love more. This is the investment piece that I built the entire vibe of the entry around. It’s beautiful and big and well made. It has storage galore with 4 disguised doors and a unique vibe to it, right?–like, if this was the only part of my house that a person may see, they might think hey, this house is cool.
2. Interesting wall sconces. There were pretty ornate wall sconces in place (and 4 more of the same that still go up the stairs) But something that I have been noting for the past year when seeking inspiration is lighting adds A LOT to a space. Of course the color, and bulb and all of that, but I’m talking about the actual fixtures here. When I pick apart a space that I’ve fallen for, unique lighting choices are always something I note very first. Lighting changes everything. If you are going to update a track home–you swap out the lights. If you want to change an older home to fit your vibe and style more–look to the lights. And while you’re there, might as well make things interesting, right?When I’m designing a space, I usually have 2-3 options for Chris to look over and choose from and although these sconces were my favorite (because how cool?!) I wasn’t sure if they were too out there for him. Imagine how proud I was when he said, “Well those are the coolest sconces I’ve ever seen!” And they really are. Bonus points: they were a cinch to install.
3. An oversized mirror. This choice came down to proportions again. The ceilings are massive, a normal sized mirror would be dwarfed here. So I thought–what about a full-length mirror on TOP of the credenza. The measurements were perfect (it’s 72″ tall and 36″ wide). It plays to the height of the area, bounces light around and serves as that last check point before you leave the house. Every entry needs a mirror.
4. A durable area rug. I know what you’re thinking–that rug is super light for an entry. I thought so initially, too. But! Our friends at Lulu & Georgia explained that this chunky woven rug was also Indoor/Outdoor and resistant to water making it perfect for an outdoor space, a dining room, or yeah, even the entry. Dreams coming true!
5. An oversized vase. Back to proportions, I knew that we needed to go big with accessories because anything too small translates to looking like clutter. I knew one big vase (even if it was $100) would be better than 4-5 smaller things that actually add up to $100 anyway. Go big! I love the texture of this one and it’s also indoor/outdoor.
6. A candle. Scent is such a big part of making a house your own and I always want myself, our family and everyone else to be able to walk in and think, “it smells great in here!” This candle combines all of my favorites: wood and spice for a masculine fragrance with a hint of sweetness, featuring notes of sandalwood, tobacco, and leather–and it can fill the entire main area of our home. Such quality!
You can see in the background of these photos, we still have a lot of work to do in this space overall, but these pieces have grounded it all and gave us a major push in the right direction. I’ll end with–we were starting from scratch, so you may not need even 6 pieces. You might just need one. One really good, interesting, quality piece–Lulu & Georgia is a pretty great place to start and don’t forget to use code CLJ15 for 15% off your order!
what paint sheen did you use for the entry?
I used an eggshell.
PLEASE KEEP DOING EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE DOING! You guys do a phenomenal job creating valuable content that is educational, inspiring, entertaining, and overall just plain enjoyable. I truly hope that the negative comments don’t cause you too much pause.
Simply, budget is a sensitive subject… always has been, and always will be. Great work earning the opportunity to partner with such amazing vendors and create dreamy spaces with such wonderful pieces/materials.
In today’s instant gratification society, many are quick to forget the hard work and (sometimes moderate to high) budget that goes into creating the truly fabulous spaces we see posted on IG or in magazines. So many want “more” for less. However, if you had chosen any items other than the ones you did, you would be denying yourself authenticity.
If this design feels out of reach for some to replicate exactly, then hopefully they can instead draw inspiration from the overall style and great tips you provided. (Hello numerous tips on considering scale of chosen pieces.) At the end of the day, not every finished space or item will be accessible to all budgets, but why is that a problem?! You guys have great balance of high/low/DIY, and personally I love the mix. (I’m pretty sure I’m still drooling over the incredibly affordable fireplace over-grouting DIY you posted recently.)
I hope that anyone voicing negative comments, can take a breath, and realize that higher budget & new vendor partnerships = more content for us readers, more inspiration at a quicker pace, and a healthy mix of high/low end posts to suit all of our needs.
Again, I absolutely LOVE what you are doing. Please keep the great content coming.
Couldn’t have said it better.
This comment all the way. :)
Absolutely beautiful. The the mix of styles. Getting ready to paint our home and I would LOVE to know what the paint color is? Love this creamy shade of white! Please share!
It’s called Alabaster.
Please keep us posted about the rug and how you clean it…curious to see how it holds up to dirt over time. Thank you!
Love this look! I’m wondering where the large gray vase is from. I looked on the Lulu and Georgia website and couldn’t find it. Everything you’ve put together for this look is stunning and has definitely inspired me for projects in my house. Thank you!
It might be sold out! But it is from Lulu and Georgia!