Westminster, Carroll County, Maryland

This entryway belongs to a 4‑bedroom home in an established Carroll County neighborhood. The house has a traditional layout with clear potential, but the homeowners needed the entry to feel calmer and more reflective of their future. The front of the house has an 8' ceiling (compared to 9' in the back), a 67" entry wall, and another 67" of clearance across from the built‑in closet — all of which shaped the parameters of the design.

I selected a 66" buffet to maximize the width. It’s a deeper piece at 20", but the craftsmanship, hidden storage, and warm wood tone make it the right anchor for the space. It visually connects the wood floors that flank the white tile and aligns with the home’s original finishes.

I explored several wallpaper directions (coastal, preppy, traditional, grasscloth), and while any of them would have created a dramatic moment, I ultimately chose Cloud White by Benjamin Moore in Eggshell and Semi‑Gloss. It gives the homeowners a clean, flexible backdrop as they continue updating the rest of the house.

The mirrors were originally beige; painting them in Cloud White shifted them from “aged” to “architectural,” helping them feel integrated rather than inherited. The entire accessory plan grew from the blue lamp. I replaced its oversized white drum shade with a pleated version that echoes the ribbing in the lamp base and overlaps just slightly with the mirrors. Blue repeats throughout — in the fringe ottoman, the glass object, and the bowl fillers — creating a soft coastal palette that still feels grounded in the home’s classic style.

The buffet, mirrors, lamp, and apothecary jar were all sourced secondhand, keeping the project budget‑friendly.

My favorite moment was inviting one of the homeowners to step outside and walk back in. They said they imagined “guests walking in for a dinner party” and their new emotional response— the entry is not just updated, but offers an entirely new first impression of their home.