Designing A Modern Farmhouse Bench Entryway

For years I had a table in my entryway. It’s what everyone did when I was growing up and so I just repeated the tradition. 

I always found myself trying to find the “perfect” knickknacks to put on the table. Which amounted to a bunch of landfill I didn’t care anything about which is contrary to how I design.

I try to make the spaces in my home, and the ones I design for clients, meaningful and useful. Not a compilation of crap that goes out of style in a couple of years and gets thrown out or donated, but actual pieces that are sentimental and meaningful and provide life value. 

With that in mind I set out to recreate my entry area. 

Instead of a table, I decided to put a bench. This would give JJ a place to put his work boots on in the morning and take them off at the end of the day. It also provides a place for friends to drop their bags when they come to visit.

I found a bench online that I loved. It was outrageously overpriced, so I asked JJ build to build the base for me. I ordered faux leather fabric and a pillow insert and had a cover made for the bench top.

I also wanted a mirror that wasn’t a small circle (so trendy right now) up high where I could only check my hair and makeup. When I am on my way out the door, I want one last check of the head to toe version of what I have going on. 

I had JJ build a frame out of old wood siding from this house that we saved when we remodeled it (we have made so many amazing things out of the wood siding we saved) and I ordered a mirror from our local glass company.

Finally, I wanted it to be representative of our lives. My husband is from Texas and he wears his cowboy hat daily. He bought me my first one when we got married. Every morning I put on my cowboy hat and head out to my garden to water, weed and check in on the Henny and the Jets (our chickens). Every evening we both put our hats on and sit outside together for 30 minutes of catching up in the sun after our long days of work. 

I asked JJ (it’s what I do) to weld some original hooks that would hold our hats in that special prime real estate that sits by our front door.

I added a touch of greenery of course to cozy up the space. 

Now when you walk in our home you are greeted immediately with a sense of who we are. And if you stop by on the weekend, you’ll also be greeted with a shot of our favorite tequila.