Before and After: A 3-Hour Project Gives This “Snoozefest” Entryway a Whole Lot of Character

The smallest of projects can have a deceptively big effect on how you feel about your home. Replacing cabinet knobs, changing out switch plates, swapping out your curtains — all of these easy tasks can instantly breathe a little life into a space.

This redo from DIYer Jennifer Loucks is a prime example. Before, she says, this entryway — with its plain white door and plain white hooks — was a “snoozefest.”

“It was one of those times like when you realize your kid is wearing pants that are too short and you wonder how long it’s been since you’ve noticed,” Jennifer says. “I walked by the door one day and woke up to the fact that it was dull and colorless. It was time for a glow up.”

Fortunately, it didn’t take much to perk it up. Jennifer grabbed paints she already had on hand, plus some painter’s tape, and gave her door a unique pop of color.

To make it, Jennifer sectioned off stripes at an angle at the bottom of the door, creating a cool pattern with lines of multiple thicknesses in three colors (mustard yellow, jade green, and deep red).

Jennifer also refreshed her coat rack with a fresh shade of mustard yellow, which matches her stripes and helps make the whole space feel cohesive. She also added a couple plant hangers she scored at the thrift shop to the mix, plus a rug that features all of her chosen paint colors. The whole project, Jennifer says, was a breeze: “It took me about three hours total if I added up the breaks in between coats to play Candy Crush,” she says.

Even better? It was cheap, too, since Jennifer was able to use much of what she already had — the whole project rang in at under $20.

“It’s just a hallway, but now it’s my favorite spot in the house!” Jennifer says. “It’s so warm and pretty and different. I’d change nothing until I get my next inspiration.”

Inspired? Submit your own project here.