Back Hallway Makeover-Part 1

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ByMarci
Hello lovelys!
Over the last few weeks I have been working diligently to spruce up our back entryway/hallway and I’m finally ready to share it with you! 
 I’ve decided to break up this DIY project into 2 posts.  Part 1 will be about how I repainted the back door and Part 2 will include a DIY tutorial on the wall of hooks that I installed.  
First let me show you a “BEFORE” picture of the space…
boxwood wreathe-Target
rug-Target
bow-front cabinet-hand me down painted with Young Kansas Wheat by CeCe Caldwell
on bottom and French Linen ASCP on top
woven basket-Target
Lilly of the Valley-Gordon’s 
old window-painted with French Linen by ASCP 
hooks on old window-Hobby Lobby
rain boots-The Backpacker
wall color-Revere Pewter (BM)
door & trim color-Moderate White (SW)
This photo was taken with my cell phone so it’s not totally in focus, but you get the gist.  We use to hang our keys on this old window frame that I turned into a key rack and we threw the rest of our junk on this bow-front cabinet as sort of a “catch all” /”stop and drop” type place.  You can imagine how we grew out of this system fairly quickly.   Also, you can’t tell in this picture, but the back door had gotten pretty gross!!!
 So the first thing I wanted to do was clean up the door.  It had 5 years of smudges, scuffs, and dings on it that just wouldn’t come out.  I decided to paint it a color that was more conducive to hiding dirt since I consider this to be a “high traffic” area of our home, AND I wanted to use a “pop” color to add some character to this boring hallway!  Take a look at the first stage “after” pics….
I am so in LOVE with this paint color!!!  It’s called Mopboard Black by Benjamin Moore.  It’s the perfect shade of DARK navy/pretty much black, without looking blue.  It hides dirt and finger prints like a dream! 
Here’s a closeup… 
I made this wreathe out of a wire coat hanger and some branches from our citrus tree.
(Super easy, tutorial later next Spring)  

To paint the door I did a quick “scuff” sanding job with some 120 grit sand paper.  I didn’t sand it down to the wood or even make a significant difference in the sheen of the original paint, I just gave the new paint a rough surface to stick to.  The original paint was enamel with a satin finish.  I bought the new paint in an enamel, eggshell finish.  I chose eggshell because I knew that the dark color was already going to be more shiny than we were use to so I didn’t want to go over board with satin.  Either one would have been fine.  Satin would have just given a slightly more formal look.  I followed this chart while painting to ensure that my brush strokes looked correct as they dried…

I love looking at our newly painted door from the kitchen and I think it pairs nicely with the Revere Pewter (BM) walls and Moderate White trim (SW).

curtains-painters drop cloth from Home Depot
bench-Paul Michael 
rug-World Market

After I finished the door, I wanted to upgrade our old organization system by adding a wall of hooks for us to hang our keys and backpacks on.  The wall to the right in this picture was the perfect space to do this…

So I’ll be back soon to show you Part 2 of our back hallway makeover with a DIY tutorial on how I installed a wall of hooks/”stop and drop”.

Remember, when life hands you lemons, turn them into something lovely!
-Marci 

5 Comments

  4. Thanks for your question Caroline! Enamel comes in oil and latex. I prefer latex because its MUCH easier to clean up. Enamel is super thick and durable so I don't see the need to use oil, even for "high traffic areas" like doors and trim. If you want more of a shiny finish like oil, I would get an Enamel paint in Semi-Gloss or High Gloss but latex based. That way you get the best of both worlds i.e. high sheen but easy cleanup! Hope this helps!

  5. Thank you so much for this info! It is so helpful and makes my day! Oil-based paint is a pain. I used some leftover from our painters and I literally threw the brush away because I couldn't clean it completely! Thanks Marci!

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