Dude, things just got real in the foyer.
We found this light at the local lighting outlet here in Richmond called The Decorating Outlet for $135 (down from $455 at Shades of Light, just because it had been returned). I had always pictured something big and architectural in there – most likely in an oil-rubbed bronze finish because there are a bunch of ORB doorknobs going on in the foyer and I thought it would look nice. Thankfully John was game too since the guy’s down with geometry and shapes and stuff. UPDATE: Here’s an incredibly similar moravian star pendant on Amazon since the Shades of Light version is currently out of stock.
Boom. The foyer is now my favorite room ever in the history of rooms. I want to sleep in there and eat in there and braid its hair and tell it all of my secrets.
In keeping it real news, it took us forever to hang. Like the longest it has ever taken two adults to hang a single light fixture. Someone call the Guinness Book Of World Records, for real.
That’s the only shot I got of the process (snapped one minute into things, before this turned into the longest lighting installation known to man) but picture both of us on different ladders next to each other trading off on holding the weight of the light and messing with wires. The hanging hang-up (har-har) had to do with being sure to hang it high enough for my tall hubby to have clearance under it, while still being sure the canopy would thread (if we made it too short, the canopy had nothing to catch on, and if we made it too long, John would graze his head on it). Ten hours later – ok, that’s a slight exaggeration – we’re high fiving under it while holding one arm up with the other one because they were so tired.
I also hung some art and a mirror (the mirror’s heavy so it got 2″ anchors and screws while the art just got a few nails each). This mirror used to hang in our guest room at the last house (from Joss & Main a while back).
Gotta love when a detail shot reminds you to go dust the mirror.
I hung an Ikea Ribba frame with some linen-ish fabric and a favorite instagram picture next to the coat closet door.
Eight of these were over the sofa in our last house, so I let John pick the one he liked best for the foyer. Turns out it’s me in a bathing suit. Men.
I also hung our favorite swimmer girl next to the door (that’s a print we bought for our last house’s kitchen).
We also have two favorite paintings by our friend Lesli (one of Burger and one of John’s Granny’s house) that we hung next to the bathroom door.
And with that, the foyer makes every other room in our house look a whole lot worse by comparison (why do pretty rooms do that to the other ones nearby?!). But we can’t even stay mad. Oh foyer, thank you for making me see stars. Literally. You are the Hershey’s bar to my s’more. I can hardly remember when you looked like this…
Love you. Mean it.
UPDATE: We’ve finally transitioned our entire house to LED lights (they save tons of energy & money, and they’re a lazy person’s best friend because you never have to change them). For anyone wondering, these are our favorite interior LEDs. Their glow is warm & natural (not weird/blue like some of the others we’ve tried) and they use around 90% less energy.
* This post contains affiliate links
lesli devito says
Hey you two!!!
Okay so here is a WEIRD coinkiedink…today, one year ago…August 27…you were HERE crashing my Pad …and NOW today, I see that you have featured your beautiful entryway which includes the paintings!!!
I am so touched, seriously, and I hereby declare today..AUGUST 27 as John and Sherry and Clara and Lesli day!!! Forever more! amen!!
love you guys!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, you’re the best Lesli! It shall be known as JSCL Day forevermore. We just stop and smile at your paintings all the time.
xo
s
Renee says
I tried to search the site first, but I can’t find info on your entry table. I’m looking for something similar for under the TV. Any info on it?
YoungHouseLove says
That’s from target about 5 years ago. I think it’s called Metropolitan or Manhattan console? Not sure they still sell it.
xo
s
Annie says
True love!
How do you guys feel about the slate? I grew up with a slate foyer so it always feels not-so-good-retro to me. Do you like it? Will you change it? Will you cover it? Just curious. :)
The foyer is a supermodel!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Annie! It’s a total pain to clean (we haven’t figured out how to get the grout to not look terrible yet) but we’re trying to work with it – although if we can’t restore it and get it to look nice we’re going to bag it and redo the floor (and have the same new floor run into the kitchen, so that could be fun). We’ll have to see where we end up!
xo
s
Renee says
Would you sell the light you took down? If so, how much? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Renee! It sounds like a few folks are interested so we’ll have to put it on craigslist and post the link so everyone has a fair shot at it!
xo
s
Celia says
Wow, love it! Happy for you that you are so happy about it and also that you got a deal on that light :)
Alison says
Just curious, Is the mirror off centered with the wall? And if so why?
YoungHouseLove says
That angle does make it look off in that pic (wish I could stand directly in front of it, but I’d be standing in a closet) but we centered the mirror on the console table (the crack between the drawers to be exact). We tried it both ways, and when it was centered on the wall but not on the console table it just looked wonky, and the console table looks best cheated a bit to the right, so we lined the mirror up with that.
xo,
s
Robyn says
Ohmygosh lurrrrve that light!!!! Want!! And I love how all the little touches of blue in the art are made brighter by your blue door. /swoon
Suzy B says
the foyer is getting the YHL look with each change you are making….looking good! Love the swim suit pic!;)
Liza says
Love the foyer! Love your blog!
I’m currently styling out new coffee table (with my new copy of Young House Love, of course) and have considered succulents. Are yours living? I have one small dark nook that called for some artificial succulents, but I’m hesitant to put them on prominent display AND I’m hesitant to commit to the live version!
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
I love them! They’re pretty easy to take care of (just don’t over-water them and give them some light). We have luck with burro tails, although in the move we sort of accidentally neglected a few…
xo
s
Ashley J. says
Great job guys.. It looks like something from a dream! Honestly, you two ALWAYS do such a great job!
Do you ever feel guilty or sad to paint wood doorways and chair rails? I need help getti over this guilt, because I love the crispy clean looks y’all do too well!
YoungHouseLove says
I have a theory that you shouldn’t paint wood or brick until you’re dyyyying to do it (like you can’t wait one more day) since it can be very hard to undo, so you don’t want to regret the choice!
xo
s
Annika says
Ooo, I like! Now I got inspired to try to do something fun with our hallway… Personalized art is just so great!
Megan @ The Brick Bungalow says
I love that light! To me, that foyer is the perfect mix of your last two houses – light and bright and neutral (like the first house) but with a fun punch of color (like your last house). It’s beautiful! I agree on how pretty rooms make others seem even worse. My whole house seems to be that way as we redo various rooms (most recently my daughter’s room that got a complete gut job all the way down to the studs and then built back up with brand new everything!).
Erika says
So. Much. Better!!!!!!!!!
LOVE the star light! Or is that starlight, no space? *ponder*
:-D
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, now I’m pondering…
xo
s
Francine M says
For some reason, the painting of John’s Granny’s house reminds me of the house in “The Napping Book.” :) It looks like a happy home.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, I love that book!
xo
s
anon a mus says
LOVE seeing the Moravian star in an entryway. Received mine as a wedding gift from a cute little shop in Bethlehem PA! When my covered patio is complete, mine will finally have it’s permanent home.
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds so pretty! Love that it was a wedding gift.
xo
s
Katie Brown says
Wow, the foyer is looking so beautiful! I have a question that’s slightly off topic about the paint color. I’m looking to repaint my living room, and I really like Edgecomb Gray, but I also like the Alaskan Skies color you used in Clara’s big girl room at your past house. When I looked at the colors on the Benjamin Moore website, they appeared exactly the same! Having seen them both in person yourself, are there any real differences between the two or are they the same color pretty much?
YoungHouseLove says
I think lighting has so much to do with things, so I’d bring both swatches home and one will probably look lighter or yellower and then you can choose the one that looks the best to you. It’s amazing how we hated how Edgecomb Gray looked in our last house but loved Alaskan Skies and then here we loved how EG looked better!
xo
s
Krystle @ Color Transformed Family says
Gotta love returns! That light looks great. I bet it fells wonderful to have so much of that room finished. If you ever get frustrated with the rest of your house just go stand in the foyer for a while.
YoungHouseLove says
Totally! Sometimes when I’m in the kitchen or the dining room surrounded by wallpaper, I run to the foyer so I can “gulp” some fresh air. Haha!
xo
s
Koliti says
one thing you will never hear a short person say…
“I’m in danger of hitting my head on the ceiling light fixture”.
Your foyer certainly does say, “Welcome home Petersiks!”
and “Welcome friends and family!” :)
Alicia says
Looks lovely! I bet you smile every time you walk in the door :) I just love seeing what you’re doing with the new place.
Kari says
I never comment, but had to this time because I literally gasped when I saw your fixture. I’ve been stalking a morovian star fixture at a local store for over a year – I love it, and just can’t bring myself to spend so much on a light! But yours looks gorgeous – the work was well worth it!!
Jamie B. says
I cannot get over how much better the floor colour looks now. I had faith you’d find some way to make it work but it’s like you didn’t have to “make it” work (if that makes sense) once you neutralized the walls and trim.
And I like how all the art has similar colours and “light” that go with the door to just make everything feel so bright and aaaahhh, no wonder you love it. :)
Lisa in Seattle says
Oh, it’s perfect! I can’t wait to see a pic of it turned on at night. I have often admired these lamps but wonder if they throw enough light to really illuminate our foyer (bi-level house, thus the storey-and-a-half height) so I can easily see the stairs (which are trying to kill me), lurking spiders (ditto), etc.
Dumbest question ever: How do you change the bulb in it? It looks like it’s completely enclosed, but that can’t be right…? What kind of bulb do you have in it now?
I also love the art in your foyer. Before I was all “man, that is certainly a BLUE DOOR” and now it’s more like “ahh, it’s Swimmer Girl and her trusty sidekick, Blue Door.” It’s all coming together so beautifully!
YoungHouseLove says
I wondered that too! Turns out you pull a little hidden pin and the whole bottom opens like a secret hatch so you can change the light. It’s pretty fun, like I’m a spy or something…
xo
s
Angela says
Lisa your “swimmer girl” paragraph made me smile! Exactly what I was thinking. I love the way you worded it. Although I liked Blue Door as a solo act also!
Kat@DesignLively says
Woo hoo!!! Looks so airy and lovely! I want to braid it’s hair too! :p
Darcey says
Your foyer is fabulous! That star-light fixture is dreamy- I wish we could find something like that in Texas.
I hate to admit it, but my foyer is the most neglected area in the house we moved into this summer… but this is inspirational. Maybe if I send the link to my husband, he may be inspired to move quicker on that area…!
Margaret says
First – love the fixture! Second – odd factoid – Today I won tickets to see Don McClean who sings “Starry Starry Night” about VVG! That is just weird. Cool, but weird. :)
YoungHouseLove says
No way! That’s so funny! Congrats, girl!
xo
s
Rebecca says
I love the painting of the woman swimming. The link to Etsy on your piece about the painting is no longer working though. https://www.younghouselove.com/2012/02/its-a-lady/.
Who is the artist?
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
So sorry! The artist is Samantha French! We’re huge fans of hers, and you can just google her name and her shop should come up.
xo
s
Jake's a Girl says
I Love That Light! Perfect in that space.
Leah says
WOW. JUST WOWZERS…I’ve always loved those star pendant lights.
LOVE the idea of painting the ceiling too!!!!!!!!
Leah: )
Abby J. says
OH EM GEE! I love love love love Moravian star light fixtures. I want one for our house so bad. The foyer is gorgeous and amazing with it!
tammylee says
art work, light, door….simply LOVELY. Great job as usual you all!
Sue VanParys says
You guys are the Stars here !!! Great job, as usual !!! LOVE IT !!!!!!!!
susan says
Always LOVED ‘Swimmer Girl”!
Jennifer@The Chronicles of Home says
Moravian star pendants are my FAVORITE favorite. I found one at Target years ago, that holds a candle, and am convinced I will eventually turn it into a hardwired light. I adore this in your hallway. Pretty dramatic before and after, there. Well done!
Cassie @ LittleRedWindow says
Looks awesome! Are you thinking about putting a rug in the foyer?
YoungHouseLove says
I’d love one! I think jute could be a fun texture to add, but we’ll have to see what we find!
xo
s
Ashley Parrish says
Love that light AND your blog so very much! My husband and I are about to start looking for our first house (beyond excited) and you guys give me a lot of hope when I nsee all the cool things that can be done! Looking forward to seeing what else you do!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Ashley! All the best with your hunt!
xo
s
Rachael says
Looks really nice:) I am so jealous of the light you scored! I have been wanting the pottery barn one FOREVER!:) Eventually I will splurge!
Amy W. says
Shery,
Just wanted to know where you got that awesome foyer table?? It is exactly what I want. Love the light. Been wanting to get the one from pottery barn for my foyer!!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Amy! It’s from Target a while back! I think it was called the Metropolitan Console or the Manhattan Console? Hope they still sell it.
xo
s
Amy says
Love that light! The whole area is coming together beautifully. You guys got vision!
Margaret says
I bought a light like that several years ago on e-bay. The seller got them in Mexico, brought them to the U.S. and sold them. It was a very good price. I was nervous about the wiring not being UL, so I re-wired it. Warning, mine is a pain to dust.
mp says
“You are the Hershey’s bar to my s’more.”
PERFECT.
Tarnya Cook says
Love it Sherry, looks amazing, so pretty! xx
LARY@Inspiration Nook says
Love it. I haven’t been able to read your posts as often and I feel like I’m still getting to know the new house. Love how we get to see the whole renovation process on yet another home all over again. Love the foyer, so inviting!
Josh R says
So jealous! Love it! And one quick question.. Did you guys happen to get to meet the last owners? I’m curious if they would like to see what you guys do to the new house once you’re finished? ?
YoungHouseLove says
Through blogging over time we heard from the first owners of our first house and the longtime previous owners of our last house, so we hope to somehow get connected with the previous owners of this house too (all transactions were done through agents, but our agent did tell their agent about our blog, so our fingers are crossed).
xo
s
Jennifer says
funny I had that thought the other day, wonder if they are following your blog…like dang it we should have done that :) you guys are doing an awesome job!!!
Anna says
Hi! Let me first say that I am a HUGE fan of your site, and I love your taste. But, something feels a little off about the space this time. Maybe because the light and the door aren’t lined up, or there are too many angles on that light, whereas everything else is at right angles? Maybe the floor is looking too empty? I dunno what it is… Anyways, I don’t mean to be a debby downer and critique your decisions. Either ways I still think you guys are awesome! :D
Angela says
Oh how I’ve coveted a Moravian Star pendant light forever. Not easy to come by at a reasonable price here in Australia!! All the good deals are overseas and when you combine shipping, bam-bam not so good deal anymore. I see why you love your foyer so. It’s gorgeous. The artwork looks great. Swimmer girl fits right in with the blue door. I would love to see that ceiling painted a colour and the remaining old blue on the staircase taken care of. I love watching how much you guys can achieve, while I sit back and procrastinate on my to-do list! Ha Ha.
Boulder Painting says
It looks fantastic! Absolutely in love with your chandelier!
Lisa says
Hi Sherry,
Sorry if this is too big a q for you to tackle in the comments, but I’m planning to get a subway tile backsplash and Corian countertops for the kitchen. How do you go about finding good deals on these sorts of things? I have no idea where to start, and it seems like you guys are the experts!
Lisa
YoungHouseLove says
We just spend a few hours pricing them out in a bunch of places (Home Depot, Lowe’s, a local kitchen store, online, etc). Usually big box stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s have the best prices but it depends what promotions are running, etc. In our last kitchen we found that Home Depot had the cheapest marble subway tile (we used that for a fireplace makeover) but Lowe’s had the cheapest Corian counters thanks to a promotion they were running. Good luck!
xo
s
Ranald Kogan says
The white paint and the pastel tones that you have selected have done a remarkable job of making your house look chic and contemporary.
Autumn Beach says
Loooooooooove.
Julia @ Cuckoo4Design says
I love how bright it looks and the light is perfect. One of my favorite things are the paintings. Perfect! I first thought that they were from Kim&Scott at “Yellow Brick Home”. Your friend Leslie has a similar style.