Small Foyer, Big Plans – Week One Spring 2023 One Room Challenge

  • Week One – Small Foyer Inspiration

I’m really excited to take on our foyer for this One Room Challenge. It’s the first space you see coming into the house, and it’s visible from our living room, so I wanted to give it some style! This is a small area – basically a hallway and a closet, so the project feels very doable, but as the title says, I have big plans!

The biggest part of this challenge will be converting our closet to a “mini mudroom.” I’m also sharing our flooring, which always gets lots of comments, a fabulous free furniture makeover, and a new ceiling light fixture. Here are some inspiration pictures for our “new” foyer. I’m so excited to share the process and results!

I knew I wanted to transform our hall closet into some kind of attractive open storage, and it took me a while to land on a design. The closet conversion that best matched my vision is this gem by designer Jessica D’Itri Marés of Renovate 108 featured on Real Simple.

“California Mudroom” Jessica D’Itri Marés

I also love this closet makeover by Jeweled Interiors.

Closet conversion by Jeweled Interiors
However, it turns out, we can all be assured it is better than the starting point!

Definitely go back to the One Room Challenge page to see all the other participants’ projects!

I’m looking forward to sharing this project! Here we go!

Julie AKA “Jewels”

Making a Spring Floral Wreath

I don’t do that much seasonal decorating (except for my very over-the-top Christmas decorating, of course!). Maybe, it is because San Francisco does not have traditional seasons? Anyway, after our cool and wet winter, I really felt like celebrating Spring … Continue reading

Five Tricks for Making Realistic Silk Floral Arrangements

I love treating myself to real fresh flowers, but sometimes, we all need the low-maintenance burst of color that comes from “silk” flowers. I have a few favorite tips to create arrangements that look almost as good as the real … Continue reading

Quick, Easy, No-Sew(!) Ways to Add Room-Darkening Lining to Your Curtains

I wish I were a better sleeper. Trust me, I really do. I’m sensitive to light when sleeping, so room-darkening window coverings are a must! I’ve found some quick tricks that I’m excited to share for adding lining to existing … Continue reading

Customizing an IKEA Hemnes China Cabinet

You know how much I love a good furniture makeover! Sometimes, it’s about a dramatic transformation, like this mid-century dresser, these stenciled nightstands, or my Thomasville faux bamboo bar cabinet. Other times, you just need a few changes to transform … Continue reading

How to Hang a Mirror or Art on a Bookcase

So, my weakness (talent?!) for finding home decor on the street is well-established. Remember when I made over this cute Chinese end table? Well, I was walking over to meet a friend for lunch today, and I saw this mirror … Continue reading

The Cutest and Handiest Zipper Pouches

YEARS ago, I bought a cute zipper pouch ages ago at a Signatures craft fair in Toronto. The size is perfect for sunglasses, lip gloss, hair ties, ear buds, or other little items you want to corral in your purse. Since I recently conquered my fear of zippers when I made the box cushion covers for my new chairs, I decided to try making some of these little pouches myself. It’s such a fun project to use small scraps of fabric and combine colors and patterns.

I followed the instructions from icansewthis, which lays out the steps very clearly. The dimensions for this pouch use 4.5″x9″ rectangles to make a finished size of approximately 4″ x 8.5″

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 2x Outside fabric pieces: 4.5″x9″ each
  • 2x Lining fabric pieces: 4.5″x9″ each
  • 2x zipper tab fabric: 1.5″x2″ each
  • zipper
  • Optional: fusible interfacing for outside pieces, if you are using a lighter weight fabric

I made pouches from vintage kimonos, favorite scraps, and also some of fabrics I designed myself. If you want to check out my fabric collection, here’s my shop on Spoonflower. You can have have fun mixing and matching zipper colors and linings!

Happy sewing !

Julie AKA “Jewels”

DIY Tiered Cake Stands From Vintage Plates

My collection of plates and tea cups started when I threw a tea party baby shower for my friend, Nicola, a whole decade ago! Over the years, I have added more treasures to my collection, and I love the stories … Continue reading

Your Home is Your Canvas – Inspirations for Custom Art

I want each item in my home to be meaningful, and custom canvas art is a wonderful way to personalize a space. I’m sharing four custom canvas ideas that I’ve used in my home. This includes several original projects as … Continue reading