In previous posts we've covered the renovation effort we embarked on to drastically overhaul our entryway. Given our home's modest facade and shotgun layout, the entry to our home is the first opportunity we have to make an impression on our guests. And when we purchased our home back in 2003, our home was sending a message of "I'm tired, boring, and have seen better days."

Our entryway presents some unique decorating challenges, given that it's only 37" wide from shoe molding to shoe molding. And as much as I love the look of a credenza to throw your keys on when you arrive home, a warm bench to sit on while you take off your shoes, or an umbrella stand tucked neatly in a corner, unfortunately this wasn't an option for us.

The previous owner, a veritable bachelor, who could have benefitted from a designer's loving hand, attempted to furnish the space himself. As you can see from this photo taken during our home inspection, you could hardly walk through the hallway without knocking your knees on the awkwardly placed chairs.

Given our significant restrictions on furniture and accessories, I knew that the walls themselves were going to be the star in this room. In our minds, we quickly ruled out wallpaper for two reasons: 1) we couldn't afford it, and 2) at the time, it seemed like something only people our parents' age were doing. (Boy how decorating has changed in eight years.) That left us with one clear option -- an interesting paint treatment.

My inspiration came to me when reading a decorating magazine. I spotted a picture of a kitchen's dining nook with an interesting harlequin pattern on the walls. This paint treatment (below) immediately clicked as the answer to my design dilemma for many reasons. In addition to adding bold visual interest without impeding into the space, the paint colors themselves, taken from our living room, dining room, and stairwell, offered a way to tie the downstairs together. This approach meant we already had enough paint for this small space, so the only expense was for a few rolls of painters tape.

At first, Alex wasn't quite sure of the idea. I think he said something along the lines of "You want to paint what, where?" We needed an artists rendering to help him to understand my vision.

I have an artist's sketch book that has served us for years. Both Alex and I have used this book to jot down ideas, paste inspirational clippings, sketch out plans, and even to calculate room budgets. This helps me to not only think the idea through, but in many cases, it also helps me to get my sometimes skeptical dear husband on board with my crazy ideas. Below is my original concept rendering of the space that I made to help Alex "see" what I saw.