Creating a Welcoming and Functional Front Entryway
When I decided to redo our front entryway, my main goal was to make it a more welcoming and functional space in our home. The area was previously a dumping ground for random school projects, tools, mail, and my blog things, which wasn’t exactly what you want to see when you walk in the front door.
The First Step: Adding Warmth and Color
The first step was to add some warmth and color to the space with a board and batten wall in the most beautiful soft green color, SW Evergreen Fog. The height and the dramatic color tone drew your eyes to this room and welcomed you in. To contrast, I repainted the circular table a soft pink shade, SW Sashay Sands.
Welcoming, CHECK! This room draws you in instantly! However, I needed it to be more than just a pretty wall. I needed storage and a seat for us to use as an extension to our kitchen. Somewhere where family and friends can have a cup of coffee together, eat a meal when there’s not enough room at our kitchen island, do homework while I’m cooking dinner, or put together a puzzle and play games.
The Solution: A Storage Bench
I wanted a place to gather beyond just our kitchen island. Chairs wouldn’t cut it, as I wouldn’t get the necessary storage that way. That’s when I decided that I needed a storage bench to wrap the wall that could hide (I mean hold!) all my office supplies, the kids’ schoolwork they bring home, and even maybe some of the extra kitchen items that can’t fit in the kitchen drawers.
To achieve this, I found IKEA BESTA units that were exactly what I was searching for. The units I used were:
- 47 1/4 x 16 1/2 x 15 BESTA Shelf Unit with Doors
- 23 5/8 x 16 1/2 x 15 BESTA Shelf Unit with Doors
- Soft Close Door Hardware
- Leather Pulls
- Minnesund Twin Foam Mattress
After assembling the cabinets and placing them around the wall, I had to add a seat to the corner of the boxes so someone can sit in the corner, as well as allow all the doors to open properly.
Creating a Makeshift Seat
There was a 16 x 16 square right in the corner of the formation that I had to create a makeshift seat. To do so, I attached boards horizontally to the walls, placed a vertical brace for each one, and then finally placed boards across the top and secured. It doesn’t have to look pretty; it just has to hold!
Boosting the Weight Limit
According to IKEA, these BESTA units can only hold a maximum of 44 pounds. So, to boost the weight limit and allow this to be a strong, sturdy bench, I added 3/4 MDF to the top of all of the benches and secured it through the top of each cabinet using cabinet screws.
Important Note: After the holidays, I had at one point, 5 grown men sitting around this cabinet, and there wasn’t any issue whatsoever. No bowing, no bending, no cracking. The weight was held with zero issue.
Making it Comfy and Cute
A typical chair is between 18-20 inches off the ground. The BESTA units are 15 inches high, so I had some wiggle room to add cushions and legs to these to make them comfy and cute. I found this great Magnolia Home fabric that brings in the navy blue from my adjacent front room chairs, as well as the whites and soft creams in the paint colors.
Instead of buying bulk foam, which can get so pricey, I did the math and determined that one foam twin mattress at IKEA is only $99 and is the perfect amount of foam needed. Plus, it’s much more firm than anything you can buy for that price online.
To form the cushions, I used scrap plywood from our garage and cut to fit right on top of my benches. Then, I cut the foam to match. I used construction adhesive to attach the foam to the plywood and placed it all on top of my fabric laying upside down. Then, it’s just a pull and staple to my fabric on all sides and fold the corners like a package and staple.
Adding the Finishing Touches
To make this a seamless one piece, I attached everything using wood screws – cabinets to cabinets, cabinets to the wall, and finally the top of the cabinets to the plywood.
I also added some natural wood legs to the base of these cabinets, as the holes are already predrilled in the base of the cabinets, so it’s a simple screw-in. I purchased 3 sets of these on Amazon, and they finish it off so well.
For additional seating, I added 2 Natural Seagrass Foot Stools to flank the bench seating. These can be used as additional tables to set down drinks or can be pulled around to the table to be used as two additional seats.
The Result: A Gathering Space
This is now our gathering space. Our place of conversation, of homework, of writing this exact blog post. I have the capability to store all of my office supplies, a great file bin that I snagged from Amazon recently, extra entertaining serving dishes that were jammed into my kitchen cabinets, and even have a cabinet that remains empty, just waiting for what it can hold.
This is no longer a drop zone. It’s no longer a space we simply walk through. This is a place that screams home, and that’s all I ever want – my house to be a beautiful, well-intentioned home.
Adding the Pillows
Part of what makes this space so comfortable are the pillows that bring a space to lounge while also bringing in such great color to this white bench. Here are some of my favorite pillows, inserts, and covers right now:
- Pack of 2 24 x 24 Inches Bed and Couch Pillows
- Patterned Cotton Cushion Cover
- Washed Linen Cushion Cover
- Modern Tufted Square Throw Pillow
- 3-pack Cushion Covers
- Oversize Teddy Sherpa Lux Throw Pillow
- Woven Boucle Square Throw Pillow with Exposed Zipper
- Light gray-turquoise Cushion Cover
- SOLMOTT Cushion cover, pink multicolor stripe
- GYLLENLACK Cushion cover, handmade-light green
- TIMJANSMOTT Cushion cover, off-white-floral pattern
These inserts last, making it so easy to switch out your pillow covers through the seasons or just when you’re looking for a little change. An inexpensive way to liven up a room!
Frequently Asked Questions
- What was the main goal of redoing the front entryway?
- To make it a more welcoming and functional space in the home.
- What was used to add warmth and color to the space?
- A board and batten wall in SW Evergreen Fog color.
- What type of units were used for storage?
- IKEA BESTA units.
- How was the weight limit of the BESTA units boosted?
- By adding 3/4 MDF to the top of the benches and securing it through the top of each cabinet.
- What was used to make the bench comfy and cute?
- Magnolia Home fabric, Minnesund Twin Foam Mattress, and natural wood legs.
- What was added for additional seating?
- 2 Natural Seagrass Foot Stools.
- What type of pillows were used?
- A variety of pillows with different covers and inserts, including Pack of 2 24 x 24 Inches Bed and Couch Pillows.
