Fall 2020 One Room Challenge, Week 2: Staying Accountable

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Hello and welcome back to my One Room Challenge series! In case you missed last week’s plan, read that first to get all of the details about my bedroom makeover.

It’s Week 2 and I’ve been loving all of my Instagram friends’ room transformations. One thing that’s been really wonderful about the (guilt-driven?) push to support Black creatives is that I, a mixed race Black creative, have been introduced to some really dope people who create interior design content on Instagram. Several of my new internet friends are doing the ORC too, and y’all… well, let’s just say they’re way ahead of me. I’d like to introduce you to a few of them before I dive into my own project.

Nēdra over at @brickendhaus is basically my neighbor. She lives in Price George’s County, MD, which is just across DC’s eastern border. Nēdra is turning her dark basement office into a bright space that’s heavy on the DIY. Watching her share the ups and downs of learning how to hang a door has been, in a word, inspiring. She’s stretching her skills seemingly without fear and frankly, that’s the kind of energy I need right now. Follow along with her design on Instagram.

Amanda aka @dwellaware lives in Texas, and for this season’s Challenge, she’s transforming her family’s sun room. This project is big time! I’m talking arched doorways, new tile, faux wood beams, the works! She makes it look almost easy, which says a lot given how complicated a lot of the project really is. If you love watching women fearlessly tackle DIY projects, Amanda is one to follow. You can read all about her ORC project on her blog, follow along on Instagram, and watch lots of behind-the-scenes footage on her YouTube channel.

Okay, let’s get back to my project.

I have done very little so far! Surprise! I haven’t shared much about this publicly yet, but I’m going through a pretty big professional life transition right now (more on that in the coming weeks), and honestly, life has just gotten in the way. But that’s okay—this is why I decided to pivot from my original ORC plan and instead take on a smaller project.

Here’s a quick outline of my plans.

I’m mostly listing them here to hold myself accountable.

• Week 2: Finish painting around window, replace blinds, order bench cushion fabric samples, order hardware for built-ins
• Week 3: Remove doors, prime and paint built-ins
• Week 4: Find homes for extra books, clutter, etc.
• Week 5: Final styling and install of new accessories
• Week 6: The reveal!

A lot of my project is about getting the room put together with little tweaks and changes, which I’m sure lots of you can relate to. I’m really excited to work with a few small businesses to bring it all together, too.

The only real change so far is that we got new bedding from Parachute! I’ve been a longtime lover of my cloud cotton robe in amber (is this the most popular robe on the internet? if so, it’s for good reason.) and classic bath towels in cream, but this was my first experience with the brand’s bedding.

I went with their new Honeycomb Duvet Cover Set and y’all… this was the right choice. What’s kind of hilarious is that it’s nearly the same color as the linen duvet I swapped it for. Somehow I convinced myself that I was branching out?! Turns out, I like what I like. I debated between this set and the cloud cotton duvet cover set for a while, but ultimately went with honeycomb since it’s a linen cotton blend. I figured it would be just a touch lighter, while still being a cozy fabric for winter.

It’s just as soft as it looks! This set was gifted to me by Parachute, but I’m in the business of honest reviews and I truly love this set. After night 1, my partner Geoff woke up and said, “This was a very nice blanket experience.” Coming from him, that speaks volumes. I also appreciate that the button closure has a deeper pocket—I don’t think my comforter will ever poke through. The buttons also seem spaced closer together than those on other duvets I’ve had, which is another testament to the quality of the set.

Nothing like starting a project with the details, am I right? If you don’t already, be sure to follow me on Instagram! I’ll be sharing behind-the-scenes updates throughout the coming weeks.

The ORC is a biannual design event. Over the course of six weeks, participants share their process as they transform a room. If you love home decor like I do, you’ll probably also love this season’s ORC featured designers. I’m excited to peruse the ORC’s blog page, where guest participants (like me!) will link to their projects.