a long post about where we hang our coats

Since the new year we've tackled a few home projects that have been on my to-do list for quite some time.

This is our entryway:

Unfortunately, these things are covered in coats or towels most of the year. It really drives me crazy. I hate that the first thing people see when they come to our house is a pile of  messy coats. And yet I consistently put my coat on the pile with the others so I really had no right to complain. I just stewed on the inside. Then one day I saw this cool idea on pinterest and thought it just might work for us! So nearly two years later we did it!

I don't have a great before shot of our hallway, in fact this photo of the kids with Will's friends is the best one I could find:

The wall between the door to our garage and the half bath and stairs is pretty empty. Basically a thoroughfare. Occasionally I would place laundry baskets or other random items in the corner, but that was about it. We decided we could give it a try and enlisted the help of my dad (and his truck, saws and nail gun). 

A few Saturday's later we had this:
 

 aerial view

filling in the gaps and then sanding them down

 Painting (no picture of this step)

hanging hooks

VOILA!

It's still a work in progress, which is why it has taken me so long to post about it. I want to put some sort of decor on the ledge above the hooks, but haven't figured out quite what yet, so it is still empty. Also, seeing how bright the white looks, I am now even more impatient to paint the rest of the dark trim white.

UPDATE (decor):

And the best for last:

 The view from the front door.

Even though the rest of the house is probably a mess, it is so nice having a cleaner, less cluttered entryway. Thanks to my dad and Anthony for bringing my dream to life!