Just a Gallon of Paint and Some Pennies...

What was above the ceiling in our entry?   I knew from the outside architecture that there was an arch up there, but I didn't know what it would look like.  So, being the impulsive nut that I am....I tore out a section of the ceiling (much to my husband's chagrin!).  And much to my delight, there was wonderful 100+ year old architecture up there!

*Yes, that is a large nest up there!  Yikes!  Luckily, there were no animals that came out to leap on my face!

Sadly, the realization set in that in order to expose that fabulous old arch I would have to spend a significant amount of money to make it happen.  And with a second daughter about to go to college, I knew that wasn't an option.  The hole got patched up and....I had an idea.  What if I use ship lap to cover the ceiling?  Brilliant!  I've been wanting to use shiplap again and this was the perfect application for it.  

Off to Lowes I went to purchase a $16 sheet of 1/4" 4'x8' plywood and I had them cut it into 5" strips for me.  And since I'm at fixing the ceiling, I might as well paint the walls and add my collection of hooks to the mix.  And with that,  A WEEK END PROJECT WAS BORN! I used my small nail gun to affix strips to ceiling and chop saw to cut to the right length.  If you don't have either, you could use liquid nails to adhere the strips and a hand saw to cut them to length.  

The mirror I hung I picked up at Home Goods for $20 because it was painted an ugly brown.  I could tell it was make out of metal, so I brought it home and stripped the paint off.  Voila!  A cool, industrial looking mirror!

The hand rail is a branch I sanded down and affixed to the wall like you would any other hand rail.  It's special because the branch is from my folks farm in Ohio.

I installed the penny floor when we first moved in and I love the way it has aged.  There are many great tutorials on how to install a penny floor, but this one is my favorite:  https://adetailedhouse.com/2012/07/28/cents-and-sensibility-how-to-make-a-penny-floor/.

The hooks I have collected over the years.  My dad carved one, I made one out of found objects, some are antiques, you see old shoe molds, branches, architectural moldings/door knobs, almost anything can be used to create a place to hang your coat!  

I'm pleased with the results.  I'm still on the hunt for an old mail slot to cover the hole under the window.  Originally, there was a mail slot there, but it had been covered up with a piece of trim that I removed during the project, but for under $50, I jazzed up the entry to our home in a way that is a good introduction to the rest of the house.  The dark, grey/green on the walls, the ship lap ceiling, the interesting hook collection and the penny floor are all a nod to the modern farmhouse feel I have running throughout our turn of the century home.