Remember when I shared that we nearly bought an alpaca farm? The idea of waking up to those soft, curious faces every morning was irresistible. In reality, running a farm wasn’t practical for our family, so we chose city life instead. Still, those farm-inspired dreams live on in our decor and small, practical touches around our cottage.
We may not have alpacas in our Seattle backyard, but our pups—who are pretty alpaca-like—fill the yard with playful energy every day. To bring a bit of the farm home without the full commitment, I’m planning vegetable and herb beds next season so we can enjoy fresh produce close to the house.
For now, I’ve used subtle farmhouse details in our architecture and decor to capture that relaxed, white farmhouse look. When we first moved in I gathered inspiration for the small hallway entry, imagining a practical mudroom-style space that could handle daily traffic between the front and kitchen doors. We don’t need anything formal—just hooks for leashes, baskets for daily items, and a cozy, lived-in feel.
Progress has been slower than I hoped, but the hall has come a long way. We’re still planning to add Dutch doors, which will change the look dramatically, but several smaller updates have already improved the space in meaningful ways.
I think it’s important to celebrate progress—those incremental changes add up. Today I want to share what we’ve done so far in the hallway and what’s still on the to-do list.
The hallway is a T-shaped path: you enter and can continue to the dining room, go left to the master, or right toward the kitchen. Here are the updates we’ve made.
Outside the kitchen we kept the built-in as it was and removed the sliding doors. Replacing the doors with baskets instantly made the space feel larger and more inviting. We also swapped out the hardware for new black pulls on the drawers and cabinets, which provided a clean, modern contrast to the white paint and slate floors.
The hanging sign outside the kitchen is a favorite from our previous house. I love the simple message and its placement makes the entry feel personal and warm.
We made the most of the narrow stretch of wall outside the kitchen by adding a farmhouse chalkboard, a memo board, and a mail holder. In this area the kitchen door is to the right, the basement door to the left, and the built-in baskets are just behind you. Soon we’ll remove the doorway on the right and replace it with an archway to open the flow.
Zinc message board and metal mail holder
Right inside the front door we installed a cast iron row of hooks. It’s a simple, functional feature—perfect for leashes, jackets, and bags—and it suits our casual farmhouse vibe.
At the front entry, which will eventually become a Dutch door, the hooks are on the right and a doorway leads into the dining room. We refreshed a mirror with Annie Sloan Paris Grey Chalk Paint and added a chevron wood cabinet for texture and storage.
A coat of white paint (Swan White by Glidden) transformed the narrow space, brightening it and creating a crisp contrast with the slate floors. The farmhouse-style porcelain flush mounts from Barn Light Electric tie the look together and add charm.
We’ll likely add painted paneling at some point, but for now the fresh paint and small updates make the hall feel cleaner and more welcoming.
Above is a photo of this section of hall before the updates.
The short corridor that leads to the master bedroom and bathroom also benefited from fresh paint and new dark hardware. We haven’t decided whether to close it off from the entry yet—perhaps when a powder room is added—but the space already feels more polished and cohesive with the black-and-white details.
We replaced the doorknobs with an affordable dark finish that was simple to install ourselves. The change is subtle but reinforces the farmhouse palette without being fussy.
This is how that small hall looked before—definitely a big change from then to now.
Tobacco baskets on the wall for texture and interest
Another angle of the hallway leading to the master bedroom after the updates.
One last look back at the before shot from the kitchen door toward the bedroom. I’m excited to share the full transformation once the Dutch doors and kitchen updates are in place—there’s more to come.
Did you catch my fall house tour? You can see that tour to get more ideas and context.
Thanks for following along with this small hallway makeover—small changes really do make a big impact.
SOURCES:
White Barn lights: Barn Light Electric / Benjamin® Union Porcelain Stem Mount Light / White finish / Flush mount
Black drawer pulls and black doorknobs
Proverbs sign from a small decor maker
Baskets for the built-in storage
Topiary (similar available)
Zinc wire message board card holder
Wood farmhouse chalkboard
Metal mail holder
White paint color: Swan White by Glidden
Sources may include affiliate links
