Every home has that one space that just defeated you every single time you walked past it.
For us, it was the entryway.
Cracked tile. A builder-grade light fixture that flickered if you looked at it wrong. A coat closet that was somehow both enormous and completely unusable. It was the first thing we saw when we came home and the last thing we saw before we left — and for two years, it whispered “you should have bought a newer house” every single day.
The Before
I wish I had taken better before photos. The lighting was bad (see: flickering fixture), I was embarrassed, and honestly I just didn’t think anyone would care.
If I could go back and tell past-me one thing: take the ugly photos. Take all of them. The transformation means nothing without the before.
What I can tell you: the floor was a 12×12 beige ceramic tile — the kind that was in literally every spec home built between 1998 and 2012. The grout had been recolored (badly) by a previous owner. There was a half-wall that served no purpose and blocked the natural light from the sidelight windows flanking the front door.
The Plan (And The Budget)
We had $800. That sounds like a lot until you price tile.
Here’s how we spent it:
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Cement board + thinset | $65 |
| 12×24 matte white porcelain tile (Home Depot) | $220 |
| Grout + sealer | $45 |
| New light fixture (Amazon) | $89 |
| Paint (Sherwin-Williams Accessible Beige) | $58 |
| Removing the half-wall (just our labor + a demo day) | $0 |
| Hooks, mirror, small bench (thrifted + Amazon) | $180 |
| Total | $657 |
We came in under budget, which basically never happens.
What I’d Do Differently
The tile layout. I went straight grid, no offset, because I was intimidated by layout math. An offset (brick pattern) would have looked more intentional and actually hidden the slight-out-of-square walls better.
Also: prime your walls before painting, especially if there’s any texture work or patching involved. I learned this the hard way after two extra coats.
The After
Walking in now feels like coming home to a house that was meant to be ours. The light bounces differently. The white tile makes the space feel twice as big. The bench actually gets used.
More importantly — this project taught me that I could do this. We could do this.
That’s really what Bones & Builds is about. Not perfect renovations. Not magazine spreads. Real houses, real budgets, and the confidence that grows with every project you finish.
Stay tuned — the kitchen is next, and it’s a journey.
— Haley