Before and After: This Entryway Redo Features a Bold (and Controversial) Paint Choice

Having an entryway that makes you feel good is important — after all, it’s the last part of your home you see when you leave, and the first you see when you return. But it’s easy to let an entryway move to the bottom of your reno list, since it’s not a place where you spend a lot of hang time. Take it from renter Liz Brown (Liz Lovery), who had spent three years updating the 1,200-square-foot loft she shares with her fiancé before finally getting around to her entryway.

“I knew I had to do something bold in this space because it’s the first thing guests see when they’re welcomed by our golden retriever, Teddy,” Liz says. “The white walls and cement floors make the space look cold and empty.”

Liz also found that the 115-square-foot space had become a storage zone for things the couple wanted tucked away, rather than a stylish focal point. “It was uninspiring, and most of all, boring,” Liz says.

The redo options for the plain white space were limitless — and a little intimidating, says Liz. “The space was so boring and plain it was almost like there were so many possibilities I couldn’t focus on just one concept.” But she knew she wanted it to feel both warmer and more functional.

Liz started by painting one wall black (Behr’s Limousine Leather) and captured the move in a TikTok video. The dramatic paint color gave the small area an instant focal point. “My favorite part of this project is the black feature wall. It was a bold move, and although the internet had mixed opinions about my color choice after the video when viral, I love how it turned out,” she says.

Liz stuck to a white and black color scheme in the rest of the entryway, with pops of natural wood and straw colors to keep the space from feeling cold.

The new console table on the left side of the entryway offers both a display surface and a storage spot, thanks to roomy baskets underneath. The art above — which was also up pre-redo — is a DIY. Liz made it by stapling a favorite tapestry to a wood frame that she built and painted herself; it cost less than $100 all-in.

A black-and-white rug, a floor-length mirror, and a wicker display of boho-favorite pampas grass finished off the main entryway area.

Over in the small nook, Liz created an accent wall using vertical wood slats. With the black wall color showing between, the natural wood-toned slats generate plenty of texture and dimension in what could easily be a throwaway space. Once she added a black hall tree with shoe, coat, and hat storage, Liz was set.

“It looks like an entirely different space!” she says. “The entryway finally looks and feels like a part of the rest of the loft. Before, it felt like a transition space from the front door to the main living space. Now, you can feel immediately part of the loft the moment you enter.”

Inspired? Submit your own project here.