Fall 2020 One Room Challenge: The Reveal
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I have a confession: I have a really hard time finishing projects. I talked about this on my Instagram stories earlier this week, but getting to that last 5% of a project feels insurmountably difficult a lot of the time.
With that in mind (plus the added pressure of talking about the ORC publicly), I summoned the strength to muscle through my bedroom refresh project. It’s FINISHED!
(If you’re here for sources, you can scroll to the bottom of this post.)
Before we dig into more of the reveal photos, let’s of course not forget where things started. Here’s how the space looked at the start of Week 1. Apologies in advance for not taking more/better “before” shots.
I knew from the beginning that my room’s transformation would probably feel a little less like a spectacular renovation and a little more like we finally finished moving in.
And that’s okay! My partner Geoff and I bought our first home together earlier this year, and even though it’s a pretty small condo, it was the largest purchase either of us has ever made. Buying property is expensive, and I feel really grateful that we could afford to do it (through a combination of Geoff’s generational wealth and a loan from my retirement savings). That said, we’re being careful with how we spend money and a massive renovation just wasn’t in the cards.
Budget woes aside, I’m so happy with how our bedroom looks now!
You’ll notice that most of the furniture was already here. The only piece I actually brought in during my ORC project was the small chair I added in the corner. But the thing is… it’s the details that really make a difference. Since we moved in July, many of the pieces we have haven’t found their final home yet. Thus, I shopped in the random piles of stuff around my home and curated a lil collection of pieces to style in the space.
The framed print that’s hung above our bed used to be above the stove in our old apartment! I dug this linen body pillow out of a vacuum-sealed bag, where I’d stored it with our winter blankets. I had actually almost sold the pillow a few months ago, but now I’m glad I hung onto it.
I wanted the wardrobe to blend more seamlessly with the walls, so I primed and painted them with Clare Paint’s warm white, Whipped. I used their trim paint, which is great for high-touch surfaces. We used Clare’s trim paint on our kitchen cabinets too, and so far it’s held up beautifully. I probably should have used a different primer though. I used Zinnser Bulls Eye 1-2-3, which is supposed to be good for all surfaces, but I’ve heard that Zinneser’s B-I-N Primer (shellac-based) is that good-good.
In my quest to remove builder-grade anything from our home, I swapped out the existing shiny chrome hardware for gorgeous natural brass from Schoolhouse Electric. Schoolhouse gifted the hardware, but I reached out to them because we have been super pleased with our kitchen hardware, which is also from Schoolhouse. Plus, all of my customer service interactions with them have been wonderful.
On the doors of our wardrobe, we used the Radcliffe Knob, which is textbook midcentury. I love that they’re understated because I really did want the built-in to feel less like the key feature of the space. We struck the right chord! On the drawers, I went with the Edgecliffe Pull in the 4” size.
Both the pulls and the knobs are made from 95% recycled brass. They feel really substantial, and when I open the wardrobe to grab clothes for the day, I have this momentary experience that feels luxe. I know it’s a little weird, but I just love nice quality stuff.
I gave most of my energy in this project to maintaining the motivation to actually get through the project. Totally unrelated to home design, these last few months have been really hard for more reasons than I care to enumerate here. I knew the biggest portion of the project would be fixing the built-ins to my liking, and I also knew that I wanted to focus a lot of the details throughout.
I turned the window seat into a real window seat! I bought a custom-sized cushion from Etsy. I decided to go with Sunbrella fabric because it’s really durable and I know Geoff has plans to put his feet on it (lol). While we don’t have a private outdoor space in our unit, our lil’ window seat sort of feels like being outside.
I added this tray from Midwest Eclectic to the bench because I anticipated we’d need a place to set coffee. Upon first use, Geoff proclaimed that I am, in fact, a genius. Midwest Eclectic is my absolute favorite place to find vintage home decor. I found Heather via Etsy but immediately internet stalked her (okay, probably shouldn’t use that language. I followed her on Instagram and sent her the DM-equivalent of fan mail.) when I realized she lives just down the road from me in Virginia Beach.
The giant midcentury lamp on our bookcase is also from Midwest Eclectic — Heather actually DROVE the lamp to me! I’m so glad the internet brought us together. 🥺🥰 Anyway, if you’re in the market for a few finishing touches, definitely visit her Etsy shop and follow her on Instagram. Heather has a fantastic eye and her stuff sells FAST.
I traded in the blinds for cellular shades that open from both the top and bottom. I love them because they give us the flexibility to have sunlight and privacy at the same time. They were really easy to install — I did it by myself.
I wanted to create a serene space, but didn’t want it to feel like a hospital. That’s where texture comes in, and my new bedding from Parachute brings a whole lot of texture! Parachute gifted me their new Honeycomb Duvet cover set and y’all… it’s delightful. It’s a cotton-linen blend, and while I am very much a Top Sheet Person, I could see myself just using this duvet without one. It’s cozy but not hot, and even though Olive likes to sleep on the bed (sometimes), we haven’t had issues with it snagging. It’s been through the wash three times so far!
Like I said, I really honed in on details. I can’t hang with a room that smells stale, and while we’ll probably still have a few windows-wide-open fall days, it’s getting to that time of year where we have to keep the windows closed for warmth. When I can’t air out a room, a diffuser is my go-to. I had an ugly one that finally crapped out after a few years, so I reached out to Vitruvi and they kindly mailed me their terracotta stone diffuser and a set of oil blends.
Y’all… this thing is beautiful. I had been eyeing it for literal years, and my old one breaking felt like a stroke of luck (I try to keep using what I have until it doesn’t work anymore, or sell it). I’ll be honest — I was definitely sleepin’ on their oils. The fragrance is so complex and layered! Each one is distinct, and all have the power to set a vibe. Ceremony is my favorite and is the one I’m usually diffusing. Oh, and Vitruvi is having a sitewide 30% sale for Black Friday. If you’ve been eying their pieces, now is the time!
I’d be remiss if I didn’t write about the bedside sconces. First, how beautiful are they?? I’ve never been so obsessed with a light. And it’s in my house! I actually landed on these after I learned my original choice couldn’t be wired in the way I needed. I found these beauties via a Greece-based Etsy shop called Light Cookie, and they’ve completely exceeded my expectations.
Here’s the thing though. They use a different kind of plug in Greece, so I had to wire them myself. Had I done that before? Definitely not. Four YouTube videos and an online order from Home Depot and I was on my way. It was more simple than I thought, but if you’re feeling unsure, contact a professional. You don’t want to mess around with electrical work if you’re not sure what you’re doing.
And now, the sources!
- Bed frame
- Headboard
- Duvet
- Sheets
- Body pillow (no longer available — similar)
- Bench cushion
- Sconces
- Diffuser
- White lamp & wood tray — vintage from Midwest Eclectic on Etsy
- Wardrobe knobs & drawer pulls
- Wardrobe primer & paint
- Wall color
- Chair
- Rug
- Art, mirrors, side tables and bookshelf — vintage
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.
A big thank you to the ORC team and their media sponsor Better Homes & Gardens for putting together such a motivational challenge. I’ve learned a LOT about my project style and am looking forward to participating again soon. Maybe spring! Maybe I’ll tackle our ugly guest bathroom (iykyk).
