Making an Entrance

Summer Joy captured in Kalk Bay, South Africa, looking up to the hills or down to the ocean.

We are almost into April. 2009
and spring has sprung, the grass is riz.


Goldie has been out in the yard, digging, rolling and keeping her eye out for other furry folk.
as you can see in this photo, Goldie is all about enjoying life, and wearing hats, or eating hats.

Since she is outdoors, and the sun is shinning, I decided to move on out and mow the lawn. It was getting pretty wild out there. So I was out cutting and mowing, and thinking about how lovely it is to entertain when the weather smiles.

Entertaining at home is the new IN place to be for meals. I read all about it, all over the big wide web. So I decided to explore ways to go about making an Entrance.

First impressions count, or so the cliche goes. and Cliche or not, its all true.
What better way to get people to sit up and notice your style, but with a brightly painted door,
a cool seat, or some wild art. Or all three.

None of these changes need to cost. Sometimes you just need to move things around.
A bit of paint can do wonders, and it is a cheap fix.
Fabric strips can make a colorful door curtain, old plaques or mirrors on the wall add interest.

And a couple of stylish items I ran into on my trip, down south, got me thinking.

Its all about the details.



How about fabulous eye candy for the soles ?
A new door mat - I spotted this one at Cost Plus Website.

and look what else there is to capture the imagination before crossing the Threshold :


another key element in making a statement is Numbering with style,

I spotted this on my way to the airport in my home town Pretoria:

make a statement by creating a colorful pathway, this one spotted in Kalk Bay, Cape Town

If you have gates, or if you have a place to hang gates,
look what fabulous things you can do with these:
a gate in Kalk Bay, captures my heart



and here is one that is pretty and functional in Fresnaye, Cape Town

a chair or some plants add whimsy and color, this one below I spotted in Del Mar, CA
what a clever way to repurpose a broken chair!

the simple folding chair below spotted in Mountain View, Pretoria

add some color with plants, spotted in Del Mar, California


or some fabulous art like these painted ostrich eggs

add some seating like this amazing grouping spotted in Johannesburg Airport, on my way out,
too bad I couldn't fit it on the plane, in my hand luggage:

There is a simple way to make your doorway charming and inviting:
Add some color and some items you love.
Group for effect.
Leave some empty spaces
Create a meandering path to wander down.
Add seating, lights, texture and art.
Then invite some friends over for fresh lemonade & cookies, or cocktails and nibbles, to admire your handiwork.


Below is an example from a client :

The before shows Safe & BORING

THE AFTER :
The front door is painted green to match the letters
The bench has acquired Red and green cushions (OSH), above the postbox we place a metal plant container with fake ivy (TJ Max)
The client; wrote to tell us how some blue birds had made a nest and were coming back and forth to feed their babies.
To break the window, a lovely white std Gardenia(OSH) in a red pot,(Target) with an inviting red green and orange mat(Target) to add some zing:

Write and tell me all about how you make an entrance and enjoy that wonderful moment when you step into your own oasis!