Spring Cleaning, Week 2: The Entranceway(s). The Plan

Like most in North America, I have two entrance ways to my home: the front door and the back door.

Is that the same everywhere?

Sarah Susanka in her crusade for the Not So Big House talks about designing houses with one main entrance way for both family and guests. I would love that even as I have no idea how one would design it given our North American preference for entering through our garages. Not that we do.

Although our entry ways, both front and back are teeny tiny and woefully inadequate, at least we don't enter the house through the laundry room. A long time ago, my husband and I would tour show homes: I thought it was insane how expensive home after expensive home we would enter through the laundry room. (Seriously, the sales people thought that setting up their sales centre in the garage was a good idea, so often you would enter the "grand" house like you would every day if you were living there. All I could think as that it as like being an indentured servant entering through the "service way.")

The entrance ways will include the immediate exterior, too.



It's too early to plant anything in these pots, but I think we could remove the "pumpkin" leaf bag and take down the Christmas lights, don't you?

As well:
Sweep the steps and landing
Wash down mail box and light fixture

I may do a few more things, but it is still rather brisk out there!

The Front Hall:



Wash down walls
Wash rug
Wash floor

Declutter:
White dresser, especially the top drawer
Yellow Cabinet



Coat Closet: (opposite the hite dresser above)



Declutter
Paint?
Figure out how to close up the back wall.



Figure out how to store the ruddy vaccuum.

Back Entry:
(Exterior)
Wash the doors.

Back (Interior)



VacuumWash the walls.
Paint them?
Wash the stairs.



What, if anything, should I do ith these stairs? Remove the tile and paint them?
Paint the floor?

Declutter:
the baskets leading to the basement
the pocket organizer

The problem with painting the stairs and the floor in the back entry is not having access to them while the paint dries. It is especially problematic with the dog who is driving me insane going in and out every 15 minutes. Oh the smells--so tempting! Oh the wind--so cold!