the reformed nook

I must start this post by saying that finding The Shabby Nest has done wonders for my house. I already loved to decorate and already loved numbers but that blog has brought it all to life. I have been so inspired by Wendy and her amazing ideas. Thank you, Wendy from the bottom of my heart for sharing your ideas with the world!

I first fell in love with Wendy and her Shabby Nest when I read this post about her closet turned mini mudroom. Genius. Pure genius. I filed that amazing idea away in my mind. It was only a short time later when the lightbulb went off and I had finally found a use for this eyesore in our entryway...

You see we live in a very cookie cutter house so I love personalizing it. This was just the spot to make a statement. It had been painted green along with the rest of the living room since before we even moved in over 5 years ago. It had a ton of possibilities and we discussed many different options but never fell in love with any of them. After I saw Wendy's mini mud room, I knew that was it. I love bead board and would put it all over the place if I could. (You should see the Lettered Cottage. Unbelievable use of bead board. Her house will make you drool. Seriously.) So, anyway I saved up the money necessary to complete the project and quickly put my husband to work (on Labor Day weekend, of course). There was a lot of liquid nails, Jason's new best friend involved in this project.

After all the bead board and trim was glued into place and painted a basic white, the hooks were placed on a separate piece of wood and installed. The hooks were bought at Ikea and were only $10 for all four. Not bad, huh? I found this sign that was just meant for our house at T.J. Maxx for $5.99.

Next up, Jason installed a piece of wood that we stained dark for a nice contrast to all the white. Then it was time to have fun with pillows for the little bench. This is where Wendy came in handy again. She makes the most beautiful pillows. You can see them all in her etsy shop. The larger one was inspired by Wendy's new rosette pillows. My Mom sewed that pillow out of muslin and then she pinned 3 handmade red burlap flowers to it. The flowers are pinned on since I am famous for frequently wanting a change. My Mom used yellow fabric that we already had to sew the smaller pillow. I added the j. using iron-on transfer paper. (And just to keep it real, my son had used the yellow pillow as a kleenex right before I took this picture. That would be the reason for the wet spot on top.)

And finally the reformed nook in all its glory...

Now guests have an easy spot to place coats, purses, diaper bags, etc. I am thrilled. It is my new favorite spot and it sets the tone for the whole house right when you walk in. It was definitely worth waiting for.