my new entry rug

i have been deciding what type of rug to put in my entry since we moved in last summer.  most of the rugs that i have fallen in love with have been way out of my price range. i finally decided to take a chance on this rug that i found for a client on overstock.



 i am glad i did.

for a very affordable price (i paid right around $150 for a 5 x 8), i think it adds a soft graphic appeal yet manages to stay simple and classic.
(and HEY--i actually hung some things on my walls this weekend! more on that later...)

the rug is a nice ivory sand beige stipe,  and so far has done a decent job of camouflaging dirt...(although i don't think i would put this somewhere where heavy soiling would take place.)
i picked up the little console at tj maxx home goods for just over $100, and it is just a placeholder until i can get a piece that i LOVE here. the veneer is kinda peeling off the front, and i need to fix it...i may change out the hardware too.
the little stool was a $5 thrift store find that i have recovered.

  there is still SO much to do in this little space. at some future date, we will be adding extensive crown molding. i also want this wall to be a trim feature wall, and will most likely do something like the grid wall that we installed in the dining room in house #5.
we also need to paint the walls, replace the light fixture, get a new piece of furniture, and i will most likely wallpaper the ceiling in here with the yummy malachite wallpaper that i thought about adding here.
once all that is done, i may replace this rug....but until then, it is doing a great job of softening the entry and adding some pattern.


the rug pad is from rug pad USA, a site that offers rug pads for oriental rugs. they have an extensive collection of rug pads for application on hardwood floors, hardwood floors, carpet, laminate, and even outdoors! my rug pad is the eco-cushion pad, and it is surprisingly thick and soft. i love it!
you can find rug pads to fit any of your needs at rug pad usa.

i am also working on a little revamp of my living room, which i will be sharing over the next few weeks. if you follow me on instagram, you will see that i hung a gallery wall over the weekend. i also need to rework the pillows, and add some simple window treatments.  so much to do! isn't it fun?

before + after: the power of an hour--welcoming foyer

i am excited to share another pinterest board + phone call success story!

here is the before:

this client needed suggestions on how to warm up her existing foyer.

the hardwood floors, and crisp moldings are a great start, but the room definitely needed a few

items to make it feel inviting and welcoming.

here are some of the things we talked about during our consultation:
*adding a rug...something with some texture, pattern or color.
*having a simple, skirted table with trim on the bottom made to hide some storage and add softness.
*adding a lamp for some softer lighting
*putting a bench in the space
*accessorizing the table, and installing a mirror above

after:

the rug really adds a lot here! this is a great example of how some subtle colors in a bold pattern
can create interest and a little drama, but still fee sophisticated and neutral.
the pop of blue in the lamp references the rug, and adds just the right dose of color.

the small details like the trim on the bottom of the tailored table skirt, and the texture of the

top of the bench add dimension and interest to the space. 

(my client liked her foyer so much, she hired me again to work on her master bedroom!)

have a space that needs help? interested in working together? 

contact me at autumnclemons@yahoo.com to set up a consultation!

(the fee for my pinterest board + phone consultations will be going up slightly feburary 1, so let me know if you want to set one up before then.)

my dream foyer

layla grace is having a "pin it to win it" challenge, and i thought i would give it a try!
the challenge is to create a pinterest board of your dream foyer, using items from layla grace's
store. they have a pretty amazing selection, so it was pretty easy for me to come up with
my "dream foyer". apparently, my "dreams" are very expensive (i think this foyer would cost more
than the combined value of the last four cars i have driven!)....but, this is just for fun,
so i wasn't counting pennies...
you can click here to see my pinterest board, but just for fun, i threw them on a board for y'all:
(oh, and you have to picture this space with herringbone hardwood floors, a 10' coffered ceiling, and
wainscoting. cuz if yer gonna dream, dream BIG!)

entries are due this evening.
go here to read the rules, and start pinning your own dream foyer!

*flattered* jen's foyer

i met jen in high school. 

we had a ton of classes together, 
and really bonded by trying to make each other laugh. 
(i still have some of the "poems" 
that we wrote in "praise" of
our AP English teacher, mrs. aumueller, who was,
by our estimates, at least 124 years old.)
after high school, we kept in touch by sending 
each other gag birthday gifts; the sillier the better.
the goal was simply to make each other laugh.
 our communication really picked 
up about 2 years ago when we discovered facebook.
i had posted several  pictures of our treyburn remodel, 
and jen was smitten by the foyer.

 she asked if she could copy it.
i was *flattered*,
and of course i said yes!
we have since collaborated on a few other rooms in her house,
and enjoy bantering about design and her home, which
she is slowly transforming into a stunner. 
jen is now the creative director for an interactive ad agency,
but i think she is harboring a secret fantasy
to be an interior designer. 

one look at her home, and you will see why:

here is jen's version of "my"  foyer...

doesn't it look incredible?

she also used the same paint colors--- 

 raccoon hollow on the walls, 

swiss coffee on the trim,

and onyx on the doors.

while the floors in our foyer were 

walnut and maple, jens foyer features prefinished

oak in two different stains.

this saved her a lot of time and money,

but the end result is just as stunning as the

higher-end verison!

don't you love her collage on the wall,

and the accessories on the entry table?

the table, by the way, is ikea's stockholm sofa table.

the silver cups are vintage dog trophies.

(jen and her husband have two of the most spoiled pugs on the planet!)

just like in our foyer, jen carried the checkerboard
floors into the powder room.
this wallpaper was used to 
add some color and whimsy.
here is a look at the original foyer
in my last house:

just so you can appreciate all the hard work that
jen and her husband did, here are some before pictures:

i hope you enjoyed this transformation!

i will be posting some pictures of jen's closet

next week sometime...