Mini-makeover - Front Hall

It is going to take some time to find all the "right" pieces to pull my new house together.  I have a long list for each room and most of those items are on my phone so when I'm out-and-about, I know what I'm on the hunt for and have all the essential measurements for any larger items.

My front hall is quite wide so there is plenty of space to take off your shoes, hang up your coats, drop your bags, etc.  The only problem is that there is no hall closet.  The former owners left a huge wooden rack with hooks and a shelf but the little cherubs on it weren't exactly my style so it was removed while I was re-painting.  The blinds you see in the photo are broken and the hall light is not very bright and casts a horrible yellow light.  With the dark colour on the walls and the brown tile at the entrance, the space just sucked up any light that came through the side window - the complete opposite of an inviting entrance.

Before:

The dark walls sucked all the light out of the space 

I used Stonington Grey by Benjamin Moore and now the natural light bounces around the space 

Not a huge fan of the colour of this tile - contemplating a temporary fix with marine paint

After (so far):

A much more welcoming space

The new light fixture is considerably brighter 

Still in need of a coat rack and a bigger bench to sit on and store shoes

I removed the blinds and added a temporary opaque film to the windows for privacy

Great inexpensive rug from HomeSense by Colin and Justin

Much better!  The colours of the rug work really well with the lighter paint and make the space even brighter.  I love the extra privacy that the frosted windows provide without sacrificing light.  The new light fixture is great and completely changes the space.  I picked it up during a lighting sale from Restoration Hardware and the classic shape is perfect for the age of the house.

Here's the rest of the "to do" list:

• replace the tile (something light and bright)
• replace the locks and doorknob
• replace the windows (ordered and booked for January - still will be opaque for privacy)
• paint out the fixture cover above the door so it's less noticeable
• add a coat rack with a shelf
• add a large bench (storage under the seat or pick up baskets/boxes for under the bench)
• paint out the door? possibly a glossy black???

Still a lot left to do but this mini-makeover will hold me over while I continue to search for the rest of the items on my list.