Our Sustainably Sourced Entrance Way
We have finally completed our entrance way! We finished our renovation on our 50’s home three years ago and this space has been empty ever since. I was so happy to finally include an entrance area into the design (if you’ve ever been in a 50’s home, you know everything is small and chopped up). It took me so long to think about what I wanted to put in here because we have a front closet, so how can we maximize the purpose of this area? A bench to sit and put shoes on was a must, to have a little shelf for things like keys & wallet and to not fill it with STUFF!
My goal was to reuse, repurpose, salvage and source locally as much as possible. We hired Hayley from Drift Refresh Living to help us achieve this goal. She’s such an amazing person inside and out and it was so lovely to work with her. So…Let’s dive into how we made this space sustainable and beautiful at the same time.
The vision
Hayley put together a mood board with my branding colours and Pinterest photos. I was looking for a modern farmhouse vibe that matched our house, but comfortable & simple too. I love natural tones and our whole home is white, black and wood, so I wanted it to fit, but to also have a special element (hint hint, the custom mirror!). Here’s the vision board for the space:
The bench
We had the piece of fir left over from an off cut of our fireplace surround. We kept it knowing we could never throw it away as it’s way too beautiful. Our intention was to repurpose for another project. Once we measured it, we realized it was the perfect fit for the area and we didn’t have to make any cuts, wahoo no waste! Hayley gave it some love by sanding it smooth and adding a clear finish to compliment our floors. Our initial thought for the legs was going to be repurposed wood, but it just didn’t look right. The fir piece was too thick and stunning on it’s own and we didn’t want to take away from that. Sometimes you have visions and then they don’t come together, so we had to pivot! My next vision was simple black modern legs, so Hayley hired out Bronte from Freeman Fabrications to complete the bench. A female owned and operated, custom fabrication and furniture design business located in Victoria, BC. It turned out perfect and I am so happy with the final look.
The rug & accessories
Hello rug I found on the side of the road... YUP, I feel so lucky I found this rug that matched perfectly with our home, plus it’s washable. I added a slip mat underneath and tucked it under the bench ever so slightly. The pillow and basket were repurposed from another room in our home and I borrowed my sister in laws plant for the photo. I’m just being real here!! We may or may not have a plant there because of the traffic with a child and dog, but it’s an option to add greenery to the space for anyone thinking about this look.
Overall, we are so happy with the space and it truly makes me smile when I walk by. It was a reminder to get those little projects done because the space or area can bring so much joy. Finishing a space can be done with intention and sourced sustainably with the right help. I am so happy with the final result thanks to Hayley from Drift Refreshed. I hope this blog post can inspire you to think outside the box of ordering online from someone you don’t know and perhaps choose a more local and sustainable route. It feels so amazing knowing we kept items out of the landfill and used wood from fallen trees on Vancouver Island.
PS - Hayley named the mirror “The Purposeful Mirror” and added it to her online shop. You can custom make it with a black or gold background and use different types of reclaimed wood. Click here to send her an inquiry.
