Dreaming of .... Front Hall

"Dreaming of...." will be an ongoing series as I begin the process of turning my house into my home.  First up, the front hall.

Here is my front hall as it looks today:

Certainly an improvement from where it started and you can see the "before" shot in an earlier post Mini-makeover - Front Hall.

This is what I'm hoping it'll look/feel like though:

Suzanne Dimma's gorgeous front hall - via House & Home

Front hall of one of my fave bloggers - via  Door Sixteen

Pops of yellow and a great shelf for keys - via Better Homes & Gardens

The home of Janette Maclean - via Design Mom

Wonderful red door and classic penny tile - via House & Home

Although these spaces look different and have varying design styles, they do have several common themes.  All of these front halls are bright and welcoming and certainly suggest to guests what they may expect to see in the rest of the house.  Each space has personality and includes repeating patterns/colours which is important in even a small space.

I'm hoping to accomplish something similar with a few additions like:

New tile - I'd love something white, bright and vintage

Octagon & Dot with grey grout

Basket weave

Penny round

Coat rack - without a hall closet, my jackets are currently stashed in one of the three (yes, three!) closets in my bedroom which is not very convenient

Coat Rack Bench - Restoration Hardware

Grid Coat Rack - Crate & Barrel

Metal Tipped Coat Rack - West Elm

Shoe rack - it's nice to be able to have several options at the front door

Kellan Shoe Rack - Pottery Barn

Shelf - something small for my keys and a few accessories

Rustic Wood Shelf - Pottery Barn

Holman Shelf - Pottery Barn

Reclaimed Wood Wall Shelf - Restoration Hardware

Seating/bench - I've always wanted a rustic bench at the front door and finally have space for one

Addison Storage Bench - Crate & Barrel

Offset Bench - West Elm

Storage - a bit of a catch-all for toques, mitts, scarves, shoe polish, bags, etc.

Barika Totes - Crate & Barrel

Metal Mesh Bin - Restoration Hardware

Woven Felt Baskets - West Elm

Repeating pattern/colour - I don't have a large house, so I'm planning on working a similar shade of blue into each room in my house.  The rug I recently added is a perfect start and adding a small tray, vase or piece of artwork in the same colour will tie it all together.

Fold Key Hook - CB2

Lacquer Stash Box - Jonathan Adler

Mille_Fleurs by Brea Souders - 20x200