The Front Entry - before and after

The photo above is from when we first obtained the keys to the house exactly a year ago today. It doesn't seem possible that we've been here nearly a year. However, there is oh so much more to do to the Sow's Ear.

The front entry was one of the first projects Jason tackled when we moved in mid May last year. It is one of my most favourite rooms in the house. It has an open, airy, uncluttered feel which I adore.

The entry gets the lovely warm winter sun in the morning and cool afternoon breezes on a summer's afternoon - a really good place to hang out with a book and drink.

In the above picture there used to be VJs (vertical join) boards nailed over the green painted area. It was a very crude effort and looked out of place. We suspect it was done to hide the electrical wires which snake their way along the walls. It was probably VJ-less originally, but we're not sure.




We thought it best to line it with VJs again but add cornice and a frame to give it a more finished look. As you can see from the above picture, this room was orignially a deep sea green.

This is the door to the study and that's a glimpse of Jason (fully clothed? It was winter) filling the gaps between the VJs before painting the entire room. The study door was also frameless.

This is what the entry looks like today.

It took about two weeks for the entire project with work done on weekends and week nights. White paint magically transformed this formerly bland entry. It cost approximately $500 to refresh this room - for new timber, VJs, paint and other building materials.

I like that this room makes a statement about what to expect when you enter our home - it is certainly a departure from what is traditionally expected in a Queenslander home in the burbs.

The Marimekko fabric hanging, I made myself. I bought a good quality large stretched canvas from Eckersley's in Milton (best and friendliest art store in Brisbane) and simply stapled the Marimekko Mini-Unikko fabric onto it. A very effective way to obtain instant, happy colour.

The Butterfly Chair was purchased from Katherine at theoldboathouse a number of years ago. I have another adult sized chair under the house which needs a cover. I was thinking of getting orange with white piping, so I can have the Holy Trinity of citrus colours....in the name of the lemon and the lime and the blood-red orange...

The large white Chinese lantern was about $8 from an Asian homewares store and replaced the green plastic shade that offended me so much.

The new VJs above the front lattice door. Neater and seamless.

In this picture you can see the frame Jason made for the VJs, above the lattice.

The yellow child's butterfly chair was a gift from friends when our first child was born. A very funky present.

Another friend gave us the swirly black cast iron table when she was de-cluttering for her move to North Queensland. The retro style planter was bought from Katherine at theoldboathouse - she has some great finds. The mothers-in-law tongue plant was from our backyard.

In this photograph you can see the door frame Jason made. It definitely presents a more finished look.

The vintage anodised bullet planter was an ebay purchase and it cost $17 including postage from Bundaberg. An absolute bargain. The spider plant was from my Mum's backyard.

The Jack and Jill coat hooks, which are made in South Australia, were from Great Dane. They were $25 each.

The bus roll we have had for years. Our mate Chris used to collect vintage Brisbane vinyl bus rolls and had this one framed decades ago before they were ever fashionable. When he moved house to a different suburb, he gave it to us because he knew we like a bit of Brisbane history and we also live in one of the suburbs listed.

(Also for Ange from Signed by Ange,  my fabric handbag was bought at the BrisStyle Indie Designer's Market last December from acreaturestrange who also operates an Etsy store.)

So, there you have the story of our front entry.