Updated Entry Table

Waaaaay back in December when I took Christmas down, I decorated the table in our entry with mercury glass.  I just love that stuff. It goes with my lamps and I thought it would be a pretty transition from winter into spring.  Well, spring came and went and somehow my heart was just not into updating the entry table.

Every time I walked by it, I thought, “It sure is past transition time.”  Don’t you just have little things like that?  You want to get them done, but for some reason they seem so overwhelming.  Part of the problem too is that stores were not open, and when they did open, I didn’t have any desire to go shopping.  I still don’t, really.

But, the time finally came.  I found a look I really liked from Pottery Barn and used that inspiration to create a cheerful, citrusy entryway. I’m sure you can tell by all the yellow paint in my home that those colors make me happy.

First I want to address the challenges:

Niche

I know niches are no longer in style in newer homes, but our home is over 20 years old and it was all the rage apparently when it was built because we have them everywhere.  Architectural interest, anyone?  Last time we painted, we had the dark accent colors removed so as to not highlight the areas. 

The niche in our entry way is a perfect size for a large display cabinet (also no longer in style, I guess) or entry table.  We have a very rustic and eclectic table we purchased years ago from a Mexican importer.

Niche problem solved.  Without any drywall, I might add.

Twelve Foot Ceilings

We have crazy high ceilings – very dramatic.  When I answer the door I look like a hobbit misplaced in a regular home.  It’s nice having a home that looks big, but scale is always a problem.  When things are too short they look lost and when they’re too tall, they look like a giraffe in the room and they aren’t anchored to furniture.

I went for a taller look but still eye-level (ish).

I think I checked this box too.

Cost

Shopping  my home is a hobby and a necessity in saving money, but the look I found and LOVED was citrus.  Which I think IS in this year, BTW.  And I didn’t have any faux citrus.  Dang it.  I think Pottery Barn’s faux plants are really beautiful and in the scheme of things aren’t all that expensive, but my house is casual (and I’m cheap) so you’ll never find one of those $400 fake arrangements in my house.  Nope.

This is what I could do here to shop my house and to save a few bucks.

I have this beautiful Mexican bowl DF Chris bought me when she visited years ago (from the same Mexican shop the table came from, actually).  Bringing it back out made me think of her (SMILE!) and was the perfect container for loose fruit.

To make this bowl look full without breaking the bank, I lined the bottom with plastic bubbles and mixed real lemons and limes with faux lemons. The faux lemons look good, but the faux limes are a little too green. Real limes were used for this pic, but I don’t intend to leave real fruit out in my entryway permanently, so faux it will be.

I have several olive jars I’ve had for 15-20 years.  I use them all the time and never get tired of them.  Using just the green one here made perfect sense and is a look that’s new for me.

The topiary I’ve had for 100 years.  I have no idea where it came from. The baskets under the table are also around 100 years old. I have no idea where they came from either.

For my purchases, I ordered some really pretty plants from Pottery Barn (large lemon tree and orange branch) and mixed them with less expensive finds from Amazon (small lemon tree and lemon branches). I found this adorable lavender from Amazon as well.

Lighting

These two World Market lamps (I referenced here) normally live on this table but two were too much for this look.  I wanted to keep one because it’s plugged into a wifi smart plug and we can control it via phone when we’re not home.  I don’t think the lamp detracts from the look at all.

I am linking the plug here, but I’m not vouching for it. I’m sure all those “smart” things can spy on you and sell your secrets to nefarious foreign (or domestic) governments. And I don’t want to be responsible for that!

My sister Monique gave me the idea of using fairy lights.  I got these from Amazon around Christmas and have used them several times in different places in the house and yard.  Breaking them out last minute can really make a festive atmosphere and there are so many of them, I don’t have to skimp.

I am linking Pottery Barn and World Market for convenience; I am not an affiliate of either.

CorineAtoZ is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

I never really thought of myself as all that verbose, but my blog posts get really long before I say everything I want to say. In the spirit of keeping these readable (and hoping you’ll come back again), I’m signing off for now and will update you more about my week on Saturday.

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful week.