Happy Fall besties! I am so glad I can finally start to feel the weather cooling down and PSL’s are back at Starbucks – thank goodness. This has inspired me to decorate the entryway of my home for Fall, but also for everyday use when the Fall décor is gone. I spent a lot of time searching for décor that was functional for my needs, while still being gorgeous and glam. Now I want to share my finds and my design process with you all, just in case you are in need of a little entryway inspo!
Phase One: Planning
I started off by figuring out what I needed this space to do for me. There were a few things I decided I needed:
- Ample storage for shoes
- A place to set down my purse that my puppy couldn’t reach
- A spot to hold necessities like keys, perfume, and sunglasses
- A mirror to check my hair before I left the house
Phase Two: Furniture Procurement
Now that I identified what I needed my space to accomplish for me, I started looking for the furniture and functional pieces that would give meaning to my entryway. I shopped around for a while to find a piece that would fit my space and my style, and I ultimately settled on two Ikea Brimnes cabinets. I wanted something very affordable because at the end of the day, this piece was going to be holding shoes and would get dirty over time on the inside. Being in Florida with rain and humidity year round, I wanted a piece that I didn’t have to be precious with, even though I chose a white finish. To customize the piece and make it more *Melissa*, I bought gorgeous gold handles off of amazon to give the cabinet more allure. I also decided to use a mirror that I had already purchased from Kirkland’s, which is an amazing alternative to the gleaming primrose mirror at a fraction of the price. All of these base pieces look way more high-end than they are, especially when used together.
Phase Three: Functional Decor
| Gold Wall Shelf: Pottery Barn | Marble Tray: Amazon | Vase: Target (Similar) | Candle: Voluspa (Similar Size, More Affordable Here and Here) | Picture Frame: Mackenzie-Childs (Similar Style, More Affordable Here and Here)
After setting up my larger pieces, I went on the hunt for functional décor to meet my needs. I settled on a gold shelf to hold my everyday purse, a marble tray to hold my small pieces, and a candle with a pretty container for glitz and glam, but will be super welcoming to guests who enter my home. I also wanted the space to feel a tiny bit moody, so I went with a black and white checkerboard picture frame. However, the second Mackenzie-Childs releases a sterling check picture frame, I will be picking that one up for the space!
Phase Four: Styling
| Eucalyptus Stems: Z Gallerie | Tall Glass Pumpkin: Kirklands | Short Glass Pumpkin: Kirklands | Mini Gold Pumpkin: HomeGoods (Dupe) | Perfume: Mancera | Sunglasses: Gucci (Amazon, Suspiciously Cheaper) | Sunglasses Case: Target | Brow Gel: Kosas | Mascara: Merit | Key Pouch: Louis Vuitton (Similar and More Affordable Here and Here) | Purse: Louis Vuitton (Similar) |
Now on to my favorite part of this process: the styling. My styling inspiration for this entryway was the intricate Parisian architecture that floods my Pinterest feed. I wanted to keep the color palette neutral, with “pops” of pattern like marble and checkerboard. I wanted to add some greenery and life to the space, so it didn’t become one-note, so I went with preserved eucalyptus stems to accomplish this. I put the majority of my budget into a few key décor pieces I knew I wanted for the space, like the eucalyptus and Mackenzie-Childs picture frame. I was able to reuse some old décor from my apartment to save some money on the styling as well. Then, on to the final touch: pumpkins. While I don’t necessarily decorate for Halloween (yet), I love decorating for fall. I didn’t want to overcrowd this space, so I just added a few pumpkins in varying sizes, textures, and colors to make it interesting but keep it *me*. When Thanksgiving is over I can easily take these few pumpkin décor pieces down and replace them with something Christmas themed for the remainder of the year. Let me know if you are interested in a Christmas styling post!
Not featured in these pictures is the lucite and gold railing I bought to spruce up the entryway staircase (still needs to be installed – we will get there eventually LOL), a gold shoe rack for guests to use when they visit, and the entryway rug that matches my living room rug. I hope you all enjoyed getting a peak into how I style and design my spaces! As you can see, I love airy and beautiful spaces that are also dog-, boyfriend-, and budget-friendly. Check out some of my other entryway picks down below (you can click the pictures to take you to the product):
Entryway finds
