Loblolly Manor: Changes in the Entry

We’ve been sharing changes in the entry at Loblolly this week. So, I wanted to wrap everything up with a before and after post.

Just to catch you up if you’re new here, I’ve been working alongside my parents to make my childhood home a retreat space for our entire family to enjoy.

Loblolly is a few hours from our primary homes. So, we’ve had to be really intentional about everything from the shopping trips we’ve planned to the furniture we’ve painted to the projects we’ve decided to tackle.

Every room is getting a fresh coat of Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore. It’s a subtle makeover but one that has made a big difference already.

Loblolly Changes in the Entry: Right Side

The entry opens up to the dining room.

This is a picture of what the entry looked like before the refresh.

It wasn’t bad at all.

It just felt a little too heavy for the light, bright and airy French Country feel my Mom envisioned.

So, we shopped the house and repurposed old French-inspired prints from IKEA which were in one of the guest bedrooms…

and painted a buffet we found at one of our favorite thrift stores to create a fresh feel in the entry at Loblolly.

Since the entry is parallel to the dining room, we also added a basket tray for texture and a few bottles of lemonade as this will become our new drink station.

My Mom immediately fell in love with this thrifted container on one of our many shopping trips and reimagined the moss ball topiary we already had on hand.

Loblolly Changes in the Entry: Left Side

Initially, we kept the farmhouse-style dresser that was on the left-hand side of the entry and changed out the artwork and accessories.

It fell really flat though.

So, we hung the other IKEA print above the dresser and my Mom made a creamy white floral arrangement.

Changing out poster-style picture frames for vintage-inspired picture frames is an easy and inexpensive way to update basic prints.

While this change in the entry lasted for several years, there was still something about it that didn’t wow my Mom.

The Most Recent Changes…

So, last week I repainted the top of the dresser, added a French Country-inspired planter, and a salvaged medallion we found at Renningers a few months ago for $10!

Truth be told, this is the change in the entry I thought would finally wow my Mom.

And at first, she loved it.

But then she painted the bedrooms.

And now she wants to try this dresser with a mirror over it in one of them.

I’m totally ok with that because we’ve made repurposing some of the existing furniture, wall art, and accessories that are already at Loblolly a priority.

Sometimes, it’s as simple as moving a piece from one room to another to give both spaces a fresh feel.

You just have to try it out!

A lot of people think you have to have a big budget to create a home you love.

And while you definitely need to invest in the projects you care about the most, you probably already have the makings of a refresh in your home right now.

So, don’t be afraid to change things up and move things around!

Furniture Makeovers Mentioned In This Post…

Pure White and French Linen Buffet

Three Drawer Dresser Makeover

Simple Ways to Decorate With White

Until next time, I’ll see you on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

Many blessings,

CoCo