WELCOME HOME

Space was tight in this narrow front hall, but thanks to a thrifty makeover, every square foot is now functional and family-friendly. Create a hardworking foyer that leaves a lasting first impression.

BY AURELIE BRYCE PHOTOGRAPHY BY DONNA GRIFFITH

BEFORE

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What the Pros Know

For limited-edition art that won’t break the bank, check out e-tailers such as 20x200.com, etsy.com, society6.com and yellowkorner.com.

3 can transform an overlooked nook and create a focal point. A contained space, this alcove presented the perfect opportunity to play with colour and pattern on a budget. AphroChic Haze Mimosa Yellow wallpaper, purehome.com.

2. INSTANT GALLERY

Generously sized matting can lend playful prints the gravitas of fine art and make small artwork feel more substantial. What’s more, it can be custom ordered from your local craft store. Artwork by Lauren DiCioccio, 20x200.com. Ribba frames, ikea.ca.

3. OUTDOORS IN This humble

lawn ornament makes a striking statement thanks to a coat of diluted latex paint that lends a mottled marble-effect finish. Ornament, homesense.ca.

ARE KIDS THE CULPRITS

BEHIND YOUR FRONTHALL CLUTTER? REIN THEM IN WITH STORAGE SOLUTIONS FROM OUR ORGANIZING PROS. VISIT canadianliving.com/ hallstorage.

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THE PAINTER’S MATE FOR QUALITY AND VALUE TMTHE PAINTER’S MATE FOR QUALITY AND VALUE TM

4. REFLECT ON THIS A must in any front hallway, a mirror reflects light and creates the appearance of spaciousness in tight quarters. Plus, it offers a last glance at your do before you head out the door. Satiny white paint gave a modern face-lift to this baroque beauty. To make sure we painted only the frame (and not the mirror itself!), we applied painter’s tape along the edges of the glass.

Clutter Busters

These stylish accessories will bring order to your home’s busiest traffic zone.

BEFORE

5. TAILOR-MADE

If you no longer use a piece of furniture the way it was intended, why not repurpose it? This console started off as a vintage sewing table. We cleaned and primed it, then spray painted it with two coats of high-gloss white. For a surface that’s hardy enough to handle keys and damp gloves, we topped it off with two 18- by 24-inch marble floor tiles, using hightack tile adhesive to bond them directly to the wooden tabletop. Rug, homesense.ca.

BEFORE

We snagged this chair for a song at our local Habitat for Humanity ReStore! When this tall, sturdy glass vase isn’t holding fresh blossoms, it can serve as an umbrella stand. Bladet 25-inch vase, $40, ikea.ca.

Use a screenprinted canvas hamper to collect gloves, hats or pet toys. Tree Houses large canvas hamper, $80, jennarose.ca.

Upcycle an old-school stool with new upholstery. Stool, goodwill.on.ca. Willow canvas fabric in Artists Green, tonic living.com. Rust-Oleum metallic gold spray paint, homedepot.ca.

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6. PULL UP A CHAIR

A solitary secondhand chair is put to work as a perch for removing shoes. To update a dining chair with an upholstered seat, unscrew and remove the seat from the chair frame, then freshen up the frame with a coat of high-gloss spray paint–and-primer-in-one. While waiting for the frame to dry, pull out the seat’s upholstery staples and remove the old fabric, reserving it as a template; trace the outline of the old upholstery onto the new piece of fabric. (Give yourself a few extra inches when cutting out your new seat cover—you can always trim it to size.) After ironing the new fabric, place it facedown on a flat surface and layer the salvaged foam and seat base over top. Fold the fabric over one side of the base and staple it to the underside of the seat; repeat on the opposite side, followed by the remaining two sides. Continue stapling evenly around the seat, pulling the fabric taut after each staple. Cane-back dining chair, habitat.ca/restore. Greek-key duck fabric, tonicliving.com. Nautical brass cleats are an artful way to keep scarves, bags and leashes off the floor. Streamline knob, $6, anthropologie.com.

A playful doormat can start your day off on the right foot—a clean one! Happy Day coir doormat, $25, danicaimports.com.

The next best thing to a front-hall closet. Ikea PS 2014 hat and coat stand, $50, ikea.ca.

Corral incoming mail with a smartly styled letter tray. Kate Spade letter tray, $38, indigo.ca.

Round up rainy-day footwear on a tray that’s at least two inches deep. Your hardwood floors will thank you. Manor boot tray, $12, walmart.ca.