What Have I Done? One Room Challenge Week 4

One Room Challenge

May 26

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Past posts: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3

If you've ever DIY'd something, you've probably had at least a few "oh sh*t" moments–the part in your process where you start to really doubt yourself. For me, UNFORTUNATELY, that self-doubt seems to be part of my creative process for everything, from writing to choosing window treatments. It's Week 4 (out of 8!) of the One Room Challenge, and you can bet I'm in the thick of that self doubt.

I'm going to keep it on the short side today because I have so much work to do! Thank goodness I have a 4-day weekend coming up.

It's at this point in my process that I like to revisit my purpose and my plans.

Looking at this mood board, which includes many of my project sources, makes me feel at ease. Revisiting why I chose the items I did (it was a combination of months of deliberation and snap decisions because that's who I am as a person) and looking at them all together (thank you, Spoak!) tends to put my mind at ease. If you ever find yourself in that what-have-I-done place, take a breath and go back to your why.

Last week I talked about what I did when I felt in over my head with demo. If you find yourself feeling afraid to take something on, try answering "what's the worst that can happen?" For me, the worst meant I would need to hire someone, which would shrink my workable budget. But after getting a couple of quotes, I decided that was worthwhile.

Okay, now for my can't-fail design process tip.

I probably shouldn't be sharing this Vizi (what my friends at Spoak call a mockup). It probably reveals more of my design plans than I should share at this point, but I'm going to do it anyway!

It goes like this: if you're not sure where to begin, choose a piece that you love, then design around it! Pretty simple, right? Take the entryway portion of my Vizi above. The hero piece is hands down the STUNNING rug that I picked up from my friends at District Loom. It can sometimes be a bit challenging to find the perfect vintage rug for your space, and for that reason I actually prefer to start with a rug that I like and design around it. The dL rug I chose has lots of rust and blue, which play very well with all of the unlaquered brass I've carried through the kitchen, as well as the brass accents on the entryway light fixture.

PS– you can use code DOMMDOTCOM for 15% off at District Loom! Their collection is thoughtfully curated, so you don't have to spend hours sifting through pages and pages of lackluster rugs.

In the dining space, I'm letting the striped linen roman shades be the star.

The shades were made custom and generously gifted to me by one of my One Room Challenge sponsors, Calico. My experience working with Calico has been nothing shy of incredible. When I first met with Jane, the manager at the Arlington, VA shop, I felt a little nervous. Would she think my ideas are crazy? (Lol why am I like this??) Jane helped me choose fabric samples to take home (always look at samples in your home's light!), and I'm so excited to pick up my shades. The thick blue and white stripe make me think of a pool cabana, which is (weirdly, absolutely) the vibe that I want in my house. Being among the bolts of fabric in their shop brought back lots of fond memories of visiting the fabric store with my grandma, so that was an unexpected plus. :) Calico also does upholstery and offers free design services, so if you're looking for a non-cookie-cutter option for a project, don't sleep on Calico. I'll pick up the shades later this week, but won't install them yet because there's lots of dusty work remaining (here's looking at you, drywall).

I chose a simple-yet-stunning light fixture from Hudson Valley Lighting's Mitzi line (the Brigitte) that won't compete too much with the thick stripe.

The kitchen, which is the primary focus for this ORC project, is filled with neutral tones that will help create a clean backdrop. If there's a hero piece in the space, it's probably the wood-toned island (which I'm working on now!). Because the whole space is open concept, I decided to keep things simple in the kitchen.

And with that, I'm going to wrap this up! My to-do list is still scary long! I'm including links below to all of the other featured designers who are working on seriously cool projects, from outdoor spaces and kitchens to basement speakeasies and more. Also a big thanks to Linda at One Room Challenge and to our media sponsor, Better Homes and Gardens.