Magnolia Manor: Front Entrance Reveal

Just about the only thing we didn't change on Magnolia Manor was the exterior paint color. (And our bedroom tile, but that will go eventually).  But the setting and the bones, right down to the angle of the entrance, we fell in love with.  We saw past the teal carpeting and the floral wallpaper and big swoopy curtains.

The entrance of a home, I think, is often overlooked.  We pay particular attention to our countertop choice, faucets and the appliances, but the front entrance is where first impressions are indelibly marked on one's mind, as they picture where you live. While people are standing there waiting for us to answer the door, they are either noticing the cobwebs, nature's detritus and peeling paint, or they already feel welcome and invited. 

While we did have the house freshly painted, we kept the color because we like a good grey.  It is, after all, the offspring of black and white.  The doors got a fresh coat of paint as well.  I have always wanted double doors, for those times when you want to open them both wide and let the cool breeze of the morning sweep through the house, wakening those inside, and washing the staleness of sleep.

I ordered the light fixtures, not knowing about the the bonus feature of the light beams behind (do we see a theme?).  I liked the square with the round.  It seems I gravitate toward the duet of shapes within shapes, like the doorbell that mimics our giant Texas star going over our garage. I did love geometry back in the day). But when I came to check on the progress of the house one day, the lights had been installed and were on in their full glory! I loved them even more, which is rare for me.

I repainted (spray paint of course!) some of our giant red pots black and white and planted white flowers (and leaves) to match.  That amaryllis?  Each year, after Christmas, we plant our holiday bulbs outside (the advantage of this balmy weather), and they will bloom again outside every year.  Before we moved, I had 2 of the Dill girls go and dig in the mud to retrieve our amaryllis garden.  We brought them in a big garbage bag and promptly forgot about them.  Until one day, I was looking for my bee suit, poking around amongst the paint cans and building paraphernalia, when I picked up the garbage bag full of slimy spheres.  This amaryllis, in particular, already had a stem about half this size with buds ready to bloom.  I planted the poor wilted, pale beauty and she bloomed mere days later.  This is the second stock from the same bulb, just about a yard high. I also have jasmine on each side that gives the most pleasant scent to warm your senses while you wait for us to answer the door ;). 

And! My penny tile!!

The tile they took out left the floor lower than the rest of the flooring, so they had to "float" it, or raise it.  They did a pretty good job of getting it even for those little round beauties.  I did grey grout, a happy medium between the black and white with a permanent "rug" in the contrasting tile. 

This isn't the entrance we normally use, so we don't have our shoes lined up here, but we are now a no-shoes-in-the-house house. More on that later, because some of you have asked.

Drummer, who normally starts crying when I take pictures, hammed it up for me.  I guess he doesn't mind a dslr in his face compared to my phone? Or was it the fluffy treat in hand?  No, it's probably his sharp lookin' star shirt.

This seemed like a good place for our giant hibiscus.  I almost killed myself hanging it, and realize now that I should have just waited for Ryan to get home, but when I get something in my head I want to accomplish, I get 'er done. I tried to get Clover to assist me in where the hook was when I hoisted the gargantuan flower.  Finally she said, "Maybe we should just wait until the sisters are home."

Surprisingly, Drummer didn't take a single bite of those mammoth marshmallows.

He just smeared them on the tile.

Go figure.  Happy Friday!