Come on in, Have a Seat!

Whoever designed our little bungalow decided that any house with such a generous porch didn’t need much of an entryway on the inside. I’ve created a hall of sorts using the back line of the sofa, but the front door essentially opens right into the living room. I brought in a vintage piano bench and an inexpensive hook rail a while ago to add some storage and a little pizzazz.

Everything looked kinda dinky, though. The bench is a little too high to sit on comfortably and it’s so light that it moves really easily (awesome if it’s used as a piano bench, not awesome if you just wanna plop down for a second to put your shoes on). I hardly ever even used the storage area under the seat because everytime I lifted the lid the whole bench would move away from the wall, scraping my floors and threatening to topple over. Plus the whole operation is too narrow for the space.

So the other day I finally used a gift card I’ve had since my birthday in April and got this storage bench that I’ve been lusting after (from Target).

It was a little bit more expensive in the store (about $85 after tax), but I figured I probably would’ve have spent close to that after shipping had I bought it online. Plus I got the instant gratification of bringing it home that day. Side note: I couldn’t find it in my local Target even though the website said it was available, so I asked an employee and he got one for me from the back. Thanks Mr. Target Man! It never hurts to ask!

I added a yellow pillow I already had to give it a little “oomph.”

I like that it’s a lot more substantial than the piano bench and is definitely more functional for the space. It’s soooo comfy to sit on and everything from Nick’s tennis racket to my extra purses fits inside.

I moved a magazine basket I already had over here to corral catalogs and magazines for my perusing pleasure. Since these things both come in the mail and are often grabbed by me on my way to sit on the porch this is a great spot to store them.

I’m kind of thinking of adding an umbrella stand or a small basket for shoes on the other side, but I’m just not sure. I don’t want things to look too cluttered and in real life our wet shoes or umbrellas are usually left on the porch. It would be a cute spot for a houseplant if I wasn’t on a gardening strike. No more plants until I can keep the ones I’ve got alive.

Next step: replace that hook rail with a DIY solution that takes full advantage of the space. I’m on a hunt now for inexpensive double hooks. This, from Ikea, is the best deal that I’ve found so far, but I’m still searching.

P.S. Did I imagine it, or did Ikea used to sell a little hanging basket thingie that was perfect for gloves and dog leashes and whatnot in the entryway? Sorta like this but more basket like?