The ORC Update

Hope everyone in the path of the storm is buttoned up and well provisioned. It's going to be a long weekend. Stay safe.

An update on my Spring 2014 One Room Challenge project. The transformation of my daughter's childhood/teenage bedroom into a Library Guest Room.

Here's how it looks today.

Before the headboard.

SherwinWilliams paint: Bosporus 6503 on walls, all trim in Westhighland White 7566,
back of bookcase in Jamaica Bay 6781.
Big empty space in the middle is reserved for the headboard.
Roman shades and bed skirt in Vientiane Ikat, Madam Wu applique on pillows and foot quilt in
Martin houndstooth, all from Schumacher.

Before. The high school and college years.

I defy you to find a crazier lamp -- that thing in front of the bookcase.

The desk moved to the wall opposite the windows.

Daughter's desk in the new spot.
Blanc de chine lamp from Horchow. Tang Horse and elephant from HomeGoods.
Princeville Taro Fields print: my sister found it at the GoodWill.

The One Room Challenge is the wildly successful biannual event hosted by Calling it Home. Participants makeover a room in 6 weeks. Weekly progress reports are posted on participants' blogs. (See links below.)

Our daughter's old room desperately needed to be redone. What better motivation than the ORC?

I wanted the room to have a library feel, mostly gender neutral, a room that our adult daughter and her beau, and other guests, will find comfortable.

After. The right side of the library holds grown-up books.
I'd like to say I stocked it with a variety of genres so guests have choices but in truth,
some books were selected for color.

The antique Staffordshire Dogs I gave our daughter when she started vet school.
From Meg Fairfax Fielding.

Cost containment was an evil necessity. New flooring was not an option. Beautiful fabrics were a given. I like to sew and would make all the soft goods (Roman shades, pillows, bed skirt, foot quilt: done, curtains not done).

And now, for your safety, please put your coffee down. I cannot be held responsible if you scald yourself while guffawing profusely.

Along the cost containment lines,

I, me, Linda, would personally do the painting, upholstery, and carpentry. 

And buy no new furniture. Or art.

Still laughing? Me too.

My upholstery job.

Paxton Stripe, a linen/cotton weave, by GP and J Baker from Lee Jofa.

Double piping from Houlès.

In the frames: iconic Tibet printed linen from Clarence House.

Looks simple, right?

No, nyet, nein, nej, neen. No. 

It was a humbling experience leaving me with a sore arm and renewed respect for my professional upholsterer. 

Here's the chair before.

I also recovered the seat of the desk chair which does not count as upholstery. More like wraping a gift using staples instead of tape.

Tip: next time you recover a chair seat, put the screws that hold the seat to the frame in a ziplock bag and tape it to the door, or someplace where you will see them.

I did not and am still looking for them.

A Schumacher crewel on the desk chair.

A total break with reality: carpentry. Take three stand-alone bookcases and make them one.

An amusing mid-process shot.

In Shambles. Shambilized. Shamberrific.
I swear I was not on drugs when I came up with this idea.

After, with new crown molding. Full disclosure: I had help with the crown molding.

Fuller disclosure: I had nothing to do with the installation of the crown molding except buy it and then stay out of the way.

Grown-up books are on the right, the empty middle will be taken up by the new upholstered headboard, and the left side holds best-beloved books from daughter's childhood.

You never know when we might host guests with a little one.

Orange. One of daughter's favorite colors.
The painting was hanging elsewhere in the house. This was the no new art vow.

The freebie table I cleaned up and painted. The pair of bedside lamps were HomeGoods finds.

Books are a great way to level a pair of lamps when the tables are differing heights.
The table it sits on was an acquisition but does not count against my goal of no new furniture
because it was a HomeGoods markdown.
I knew you would agree.

This room is still in process. The upholstered headboard and curtains are next. Also, need a little table for the pink chair and a proper coverlet and shams. But overall, a long way from its previous state.

Many thanks to Linda, the force behind the One Room Challenge and her blog Calling it Home. 

My ORC insanity is chronicled in the links below, in case you are bored. Or snowed in.

Have a safe weekend!

Thanks for reading,

Linda Pakravan

The Finished Pagoda Headboard!

ORC Week 1   Let the madness commence.

ORC Week 2   The Fu Dogs speak.

ORC Week 3   Trouble in Paradise, Linda contracts Lyme Disease, no post.

ORC Week 4   She lives!

ORC Week 5   Linda goes AWOL, found wandering in Savannah garden.

ORC Week 6   Lessons learned.