Aug 25

Aug 25 Before + After Series: Elsa's Living Room and Front Entry, Plus Tips!

Making your living room cozy and your entryway minimal

Today I will be sharing some before and afters of our home with you and I am so excited! I am also going to include tips and tricks on how to declutter your own living room and entryway, while keeping it extra cozy since these are typically your most used living spaces!

ENTRYWAY

Your entryway is the first space that guests see as they enter your home, and the goal is to have it be as minimal and clutter-free as possible. It is also the last place you stop on your way out the door, which means it also needs to house some very important items!

Some of our favorite entryway tips:

DO

Designate a space for keys to live - always put them there! This can be a catchall where you can sit your wallet and sunglasses too. Here is a pretty ceramic option and a wooden option.
Entryways are great places to display crystals, sage or candles. Creates positive energy for anyone entering the space. Corral all your tiny pieces in a dish
If you are a shoes off household, use baskets, a pretty shoe rack (Open Spaces has a great one!) or some other storage option so that shoes have a designated home. Not only will these keep your floors clear, but it will also contain any outside dust/mud/sand from the bottom of your shoes to one place.
Add a mirror to help make dark spaces brighter, and also give yourself one last look on your way out the door! We LOVE this mirror.
Add hooks for purses, jackets, kids backpacks, dog leash - whatever else you regularly need to grab on your way out the door. I love shaker-style peg rails for their combination of simplicity and function.
Fresh greens or florals are always inviting in the entryway.

DON’T

Dedicate a space for mail-because it will just pile up. Instead sort mail immediately. Recycle junk mail. Switch bills to paperless whenever possible and keep any sentimental mail (birthday cards, etc.) on display while they are still sparking joy then file them in your Memory Box/Scrapbook.
DON'T keep all your jackets on display in this area. If you do have anything in the entryway, it should only be the items that you are currently using.

Here are some items that we love!

LIVING ROOM

Your living room is commonly the most used space in a home, so we really took our time to figure out what was most important in this space. We have a large family, we often entertain, and we love playing cards and watching cooking shows together. So it was most important to us that the space is cozy, has lots of seating, storage for board games and extra blankets, cushions for extra seating, and an oversized coffee table that allows for fun game nights or entertaining.

It is also key to choose items that will have longevity in a space that is frequently used. The Article sofa is completely machine washable, which is crucial with three kids and a dog.

Many of our furniture pieces are from IKEA, like our smaller couch, white bookcase, entryway stools and media/storage cabinets. I am also going to link a few other items from our living room below! The exact wooden + leather belt shelves are no longer carried at CB2, but I found similar ones that you could stain depending on the style of your room. If you decide to get the Moroccan poufs, one tip is to upcycle old sheets and blankets in your home and stuff them inside as the filling!