Cassie Bustamante

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Project Design Entry: Making the Most of a Tiny Cape Cod Foyer with New Lighting

March 23, 2017 by Cassie 51 Comments

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Project Design Entry: Making the Most of a Tiny Cape Cod Foyer with New Lighting is in collaboration with Lamps Plus. I was not otherwise compensated for this post.

Happy Thursday, my friends.  Before I go on, I just want to extend a heartfelt thank you for all of the love and friendship you showed me with your own stories and words of wisdom and support on my last post. You’ve inspired me, enlightened me, and given me hope, so thank you.  OK, now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s move on to something fun and DIY/design minded.  I was thrilled when Mary Ann of Classic Casual Home and Cindy of Rough Luxe Lifestyle asked me to participate in their Project Design series.  This month the focus is on entries, so I was a little nervous to say “yes” but knew it would be a good chance for me to make some sort off improvement to our small space.  We live in a cozy little Cape Cod style home and the entry is a little too cozy for comfort. It’s small and awkward!  And on top of that, as you will see, we have dogs and they have free access to this area of our home at all times, which limits me on some of the things I can do.  I decided that the one thing that truly needed changing that I could do myself and not worry about dogs messing it up was change out the lighting.  Sometimes minor changes can have a major impact.  Today I am going to show you the new light fixture from Lamps Plus and how it flows with the spaces around it, and also share some ideas for making the most of a tiny entry.  And if you are looking for more ideas, be sure to visit everyone who’s sharing entry way ideas today: claire brody designs, classic casual home, Dixie Delights, Maison de Cinq, Northern California Style, Our French Oasis, Rough Luxe Lifestyle, This is Happiness.

Tiny Cape Cod Entry Ideas

That is my less than grand entry above.  I’ve given it a little Spring style for this post, even though this photo of my little Cape was taken just over a week ago as I was shoveling the driveway.

Charming Cape Cod House in Snow

As I mentioned, the major change that I made recently is the lighting.  Just a couple of weeks ago, this circa 1979 brass  beauty dimly lit the hall.

1979 brass light fixture

I am all for vintage lighting and vintage style as you know, but since we’ve lived here, we’ve changed the lighting in the kitchen and dining room, playroom, the bedroom fans, and I will soon be sharing the new lighting in the downstairs bathroom as well as the porch’s new lighting.  Most of the fixtures we’ve chosen are industrial style and the finishes are in oil rubbed bronze, black, or chrome.  This baby just wasn’t jiving.  See it hanging there sadly?

Daybed in Dining Room- Modern Boho Farmhouse Style

I selected the Possini Euro Schoolhouse fixture from Lamps Plus to replace the foyer light as well as one other fixture in the hallway that faces the entry.  The flow from the dining room into this space is so much more cohesive now as the finish and style works with the dining room chandelier.

Small Eclectic Entry off Dining Room

Everything in this space just flows so much better now with a continuing palette of black, white, blue, and natural elements.  (Of course, the glaringly maple staircase is due for some sort of love soon!  Just try not to focus on that… deal?)Small Entry

This light fixture was the perfect choice because it hangs down enough to add interest but not so low that it interferes with the door.  Many of the fixtures I am drawn to won’t work in our Cape Cod with lower ceilings, but this one fit the bill and the price is right at just under $100.

Industrial Schoolhouse Style Lighting

This change was little, but oh my gosh the hallway feels so much fresher to me!  I also gained a new skill… this fixture was the first one I ever changed by myself.  The day I did it, I realized how easy it was and proceeded to change out 4 more.  It was SO easy.  On instagram I said that it was so simple, in fact, that if my dogs had opposable thumbs, I believe they could have handled it.  If you’re interested, I can share a post on how to do that.  I felt empowered and want you to feel that way, too.

As I mentioned, at the end of hallway off the foyer, there was another circa 1979 brass piece just waiting to go, so I replaced that one with the same style light.  Previously the light at the other end worked with the existing entry light, but they weren’t the same.  I love that I now have a matching pair. (And here you can see our puppy, Snowball, greeting you at the door.  This little booger jumped in tons of my photos, so you’ll see her again.)

Hallway in Cape Cod

And again, as mentioned, the view looking into the dining room is much more cohesive and easier on the eyes. (There’s that attention hog again!)

Industrial Lighting- Cohesive through houseThat’s my major DIY change for Project Design, but I also wanted to talk about some of the other ways that we’ve made this tiny little entry work for us.  One of the first projects I did when we moved in was paint the wall the door sits on with chalkboard paint.  It was 5 years ago and the trend was still going strong.  Every now and again, I think of ditching it, but then I remember just how much fun we have with it.  For Spring I added a couple of gold Syroco birds (available here in my etsy shop!) and recreated Sir Mixalot’s Baby Got Back with my own springtime version.

Chalkboard Wall in entry- funny Spring birds and quotes

The female bird has her part:Fun Chalkboard Wall

And of course the male has his:

Super Fun Spring Chalkboard Wall- Funny, Humorous

For now, the wall stays…. the kids love to see new quotes and messages on the wall.  Whether the trend is over or not, in our house, we love it.  Because we have no mudroom or much space in our entry, I added hooks to that wall to the right of the door.  Chris gave me the adorable woodsy animal hooks for Christmas one year, and each child has one for his or her backpack.

Emmy has the owl hook:

Owl Hook from Anthropologie

Sawyer has the stag hook, which seemed more suited for him.  After school, these hooks work overtime to hold backpacks full of books, crumbs, lollipop sticks, and crumpled notes, as well as homework that was never turned in. I mean, let’s be honest here, right?

Stag Hook from Anthropologie

Another reason I continue to love this wall is that the black really ties the dining room, entry, and living room together as you can see here.  (Also, see if you can spot the puppy!)Eclectic Dining Room

Upon entering our front door, one is greeted with a juncture of spaces… to the left, the living room; straight ahead a stair case, hallway, and small strip of wall respectively; and to the right the dining room.  All of that stems off of this one small space.  Because it’s a small space with so much going on, we need to really use every square inch wisely.  On that little strip of wall, I had my neighbor build me a small live edge shelf that I mounted with some brackets I sprayed gold.  You can read all about that project here. Live Edge Shelf DIY in Small Entry

Because we have an air vent on that wall, we had to be careful not to block it and a shelf seemed to be the way to go.  The sharpie sheep wall was something I added 4 years ago… a fun and quirky DIY.  Sometimes I think about changing it, but like the chalkboard wall, I still love it.  Each season the shelf receives some simple seasonal flare.  I added some white cacti, daffodils from my yard, as well as a little wooden model who I’ve put in the “Leaping for Spring!” position, and a little yellow vintage bunny I borrowed from Emmy’s room.

Simple Spring Shelfie Styling

This year my mantra is to spend less, so I’ve been careful not to buy any seasonal decor and have just worked with what I had on hand, or what my kids had on hand, as in the case of this adorable yellow rabbit.

Yellow Spring Touches

And just because, here’s another shot of this space with my photobomber.

Foyer Feeding into Dining Room

And this post has motivated me to tackle to think about tackling that staircase… it needs some major love. Just look at all of that orangey-brown wood.  I am thinking black, white, and maybe some blues like the door color…. Who wants to come over for a paint party?  Trim and railings are the most tedious, aren’t they?Eclectic Spring Entry

Even though I still  have trim to paint and stairs to love, I am thrilled with the new lighting in the entry and hall.  It’s amazing what a simple task like changing a fixture can do to update a space! Thanks to Cindy and Mary Ann for organizing this hop and lighting a fire under my tush (pun intended, because I can’t help myself).

Head on over to see what everyone else did to update their entries:

cassie bustamante
claire brody designs
classic casual home
Dixie Delights
Maison de Cinq
Northern California Style
Our French Oasis
Rough Luxe Lifestyle
This is Happiness
Easy DIY Ideas for a Small Foyer

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Filed Under: Entry, hall, making our home, My House

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Comments

  1. [email protected] says

    March 23, 2017 at 7:43 am

    I love the new fixture Cassie! I’m still working on changing out fixtures in our house – trying to make sure that they coordinate without being too matchy-matchy. And I had to giggle at the “I Like Big Blooms” verse on your chalkboard wall. Too cute!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      March 23, 2017 at 1:11 pm

      thank you so much, jenny! that was my goal, too- cohesive without being the same.

      Reply
  2. Emy says

    March 23, 2017 at 8:36 am

    Love the new light fixture, although the old one was such a beauty! 😉 I would love to see a tutorial on how to change a light fixture. I’ve never done it by myself. I normally have my hubby do it.

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      March 23, 2017 at 1:11 pm

      the old one is in my garage, so you are welcome to have it. 😉 ha! and i was so lazy in taking photos so i think i will undo one of the lights and redo so i can take pics and write a post. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Erin says

    March 23, 2017 at 9:19 am

    Is the new lightbulb bright enough? I love the look of them but sometimes find they aren’t practical. How does it work for you? What watt lightbulb are you using? But this would look great in my entry as well.

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      March 23, 2017 at 1:10 pm

      it is enough light! it’s about the same as the old one. not sure on the wattage, but it’s the bulb that came with the fixture! maybe 60?

      Reply
  4. Amanda says

    March 23, 2017 at 9:20 am

    I think your new light makes a world of difference. I love how you truly made the most of your space!! And I still love chalkboard walls too 🙂

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      March 23, 2017 at 1:09 pm

      i am glad i am not alone on that!

      Reply
  5. Blair says

    March 23, 2017 at 9:35 am

    The new light fixtures are so pretty, and your birds are hilarious, I love the “big blooms” lyrics! You are right about how empowering it is to learn how to change out a light fixture. I have renovated two homes in the last two years and in my opinion updating a light fixture is one of the best ways to transform a space.

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      March 23, 2017 at 1:08 pm

      thank you so much, blair! we are women who can change light fixtures, hear us roar!

      Reply
  6. [email protected] says

    March 23, 2017 at 9:38 am

    Small change = Big Impact. Love it girl.

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      March 23, 2017 at 1:08 pm

      thank you, ashley! i appreciate it!

      Reply
  7. Brynne | The Gathered Home says

    March 23, 2017 at 9:44 am

    I love the new light fixture! So pretty! And I always get a huge kick out of your humorous chalkboard designs! 😀

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      March 23, 2017 at 1:07 pm

      it’s a good way for me to show my humor without it being permanently damaging to my home or kids. 😉

      Reply
  8. [email protected] says

    March 23, 2017 at 10:04 am

    The light is perfect for your entry. I love your entry and wish I’d have one. I have nada. And I adore your attention hog.

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      March 23, 2017 at 1:07 pm

      she is something! 🙂 thank you so much- i love the new light!

      Reply
  9. cindy hattersley says

    March 23, 2017 at 10:08 am

    Oh my Cassie I am so amazed you even pulled this off all that you have gone though. Thank you so much you are a warrior! Don’t ever get rid of that blackboard wall until your kids are older it is too personal and sweet. That is a great light fixture I used it in one of our fixer uppers all though the home. Thanks again and take care of your self.

    Cindy

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      March 23, 2017 at 1:06 pm

      when i got home from seattle, i honestly thought about just backing out…. but i knew that it would make me feel better to get up and do something productive and it did help. so thank you so much for having me and helping to distract me. 🙂

      Reply
  10. classic•casual•home says

    March 23, 2017 at 10:35 am

    That light fixture is so perfect!!! I love it. I can’t believe you put it up yourself…yes, please show us how you did it! You made such a great use of the space with that cool ledge, too…and the sweet hooks. Great job! Thanks for playing with us.
    Mary Ann

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      March 23, 2017 at 1:05 pm

      thank you so much, mary ann! thank you so much for having me- you guys have been awesome!

      Reply
  11. Carol @ CAD INTERIORS says

    March 23, 2017 at 11:02 am

    Now I have that song in my head! The new light fixtures look great (love the style). Your entryway sets a unique tone that flows with the adjacent spaces. The walls are whimsically awesome!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      March 23, 2017 at 1:04 pm

      haha! thank you so much!

      Reply
  12. Mila says

    March 23, 2017 at 12:19 pm

    I love that choice. It is so chick and unexpected.

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      March 23, 2017 at 1:03 pm

      thank you so much, mila!

      Reply
  13. Jessica | Petal + Ply says

    March 23, 2017 at 12:28 pm

    The new lights look great!! And your lyric remix is hilarious. 😉

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      March 23, 2017 at 1:03 pm

      i love playing with words. 🙂

      Reply
  14. Our French Oasis says

    March 23, 2017 at 1:54 pm

    I love the new light fixture and I also love your wooden floors, in fact I have slight floor envy! Wasn’t this a fun thing to do, I so enjoyed playing along.

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      March 23, 2017 at 2:39 pm

      oh thank you! one day we will get to refinish them. 🙂 and i did, too- this was a great group!!!

      Reply
  15. Emily May says

    March 23, 2017 at 7:57 pm

    This looks so great! I don’t think I’ve seen some of these angles before… I love how all of your spaces work together. And heck yes on those lighting installation skills. I’m on a similar mission in my house…. sometimes I wish I didn’t know how easy it can be to swap them so I would just leave well enough alone… lol!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      March 25, 2017 at 8:03 pm

      tank you, emily! this post motivated me to keep working and i have been painting upstairs all trim this weekend! can’t wait to have it all done!

      Reply
  16. kim says

    March 23, 2017 at 8:33 pm

    Cassie, Love your ideas! The light fixtures are lovely and I like the entry table you had made. I swear it reminds me so much of one my parents also made in the 70s in our home entry we loved. It and your seasonal accents are so charming. I also love what you did with the chalkboard wall. The hooks are pretty and fun having a place to write as you did. I might have to get some of those birds for my yellow and gold wall. It’s been great doing this together and I hoping to sit down and read more of your beautiful blog! Kim

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      March 25, 2017 at 8:00 pm

      thank you so much, kim! i appreciate that! and it was awesome doing this together!

      Reply
  17. Sheila Irwin says

    March 24, 2017 at 1:05 am

    Cassie,

    I think you’ve done such a good job! I love the new fixture -it’s perfect! And I adore that wall shelf! I think it’s soo cute and such a great idea for someone who doesn’t have much space!

    And though you didn’t talk about it, i love that antique mirror too:)

    Sheila
    xo

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      March 25, 2017 at 7:58 pm

      thank you so much, sheila! i guess i did forget to mention the mirror! ha!

      Reply
  18. Lynn says

    March 24, 2017 at 9:54 pm

    The new fixtures look great. Know what I saw, when you showed us the old fixture? The beginnings of a terrarium. Paint all the metal edging gold, cover with another piece of glass, insert air plant. Doesn`t really even need a sheet of glass on top. Would work without.

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      March 25, 2017 at 7:53 pm

      great idea! thanks!

      Reply
  19. Shelley | Crazy Wonderful says

    March 25, 2017 at 9:03 am

    Love the new light fixtures!!!! I love even more how you are now a fixture changing boss! BOOM!!! I can’t get over how beautiful that white woodwork is along your stairs. Absolutely gorgeous.

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      March 25, 2017 at 7:53 pm

      my friend told me i should go become an electrician… too bad i am a one trick pony with electric!

      Reply
  20. [email protected] says

    March 25, 2017 at 11:10 am

    Love the new light fixture! And I always love seeing your entry–such a fun, quirky space! I need to get to work changing out the rest of our fixtures, too. and redoing my foyer. And, and, and….

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      March 25, 2017 at 7:51 pm

      thank you! i just started working on the upstairs hallway and that is leading to the stairs… BOOM! let’s do this!

      Reply
  21. Kirby says

    March 27, 2017 at 2:29 pm

    That light is perfect! I need to change a few around here. Can’t get rid of the vintage crystal stuff, though, as much as I’d like to.

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      March 31, 2017 at 12:03 pm

      oh if i had fab crystal stuff i would keep it, too!

      Reply
  22. Heather C says

    March 28, 2017 at 7:10 pm

    I loved the sheep and the black one going the other direction – pure whimsy – love – love. What is the style of the mirror in foyer.

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      March 31, 2017 at 11:55 am

      thank you so much, heather! just saw your ole-miss address- my sis-in-law and brother-in-law went there for undergrad! 🙂

      Reply
  23. Stephanie @ Casa Watkins Living says

    March 29, 2017 at 2:25 am

    I dont think I’ve seen this angle before. Love it and the fixture!!!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      March 31, 2017 at 11:53 am

      thank you, steph!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. One Room Challenge Plans: Black & White Hallway and Staircase - Cassie Bustamante says:
    April 5, 2017 at 5:01 am

    […] Now let’s take a look at the staircase which leads to this hallway as it’s part of this makeover, too.  I haven’e shown it often, because like the hallway, it’s not in great shape or aesthetically pleasing.  You can see a little peek of it here (from the post on our new entry lighting). […]

    Reply
  2. One Room Challenge Week 5: DIY Rope Stair Railing, Painted High Stairwell Walls, and When to Call the Pros - Cassie Bustamante says:
    May 3, 2017 at 5:00 am

    […] (Still loving our entry light.  You can read about it here.) […]

    Reply
  3. One Room Challenge Reveal: Our Black & White Stairway and Hallway Makeover - Cassie Bustamante says:
    May 10, 2017 at 5:01 am

    […]  hallway that needs every corner lit at night.I selected the ORB finish to be cohesive with our downstairs hallway lights, as well as the ceiling fan and curtain hardware in our […]

    Reply
  4. Highlights To Update Your Entry/Foyer says:
    September 12, 2017 at 10:58 pm

    […] Becky and her husband have two young children.  She has a timeless, uncluttered style.  I like how she has a simple but classic gold mirror in her foyer (good for last minute checks, and it expands the space) and the pretty baskets.  She lists the sources, too. This is Happiness Cassie also has two young children and positive outlook.  She is a DIYer… and since I am not much of one…I am impressed!   I love her new light fixture with the school house feel and the way she painted her door a refreshing pale blue gray. cassie bustamante […]

    Reply
  5. Project Design: Simple Ideas to Update Your Entry says:
    September 12, 2017 at 10:58 pm

    […] these ladies’ creative ideas… cassie bustamante claire brody designs Dixie Delights Maison de Cinq Northern California Style Our […]

    Reply

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Hi, I’m Cassie!

I believe that you don't have to spend a lot of money to live a beautiful life and be your best self.  Here you will find budget friendly ideas to live happily, healthily, sustainably, and most importantly authentically.  We all get one chance at this life, and this ordinary girl plans to make hers extraordinary. How about you? Read more...
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Hi! I'm Cassie.

Mother, wife, shop owner, blogger, writer, incurable diy-er, furniture painter, coffee and wine drinker, friend. Seeking happiness and passing it on. Read More…

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