One Room Challenge Week 5: Progress! and One Last ?

If Week 4 of the ORC is crunch time then Week 5 is "Am I really going to publicly humiliate myself?" time.   I'm happy to say that a number of things have been accomplished and am pretty hopeful sure that I won't be cringing as I hit the publish button next Wednesday*.  (Although I really have to be finished and taking pictures on Monday since I've got an early flight to Atlanta early Tue morning.)

So here is an overview of what's been done for my Master Bedroom makeover since last week: (go here for the previous weeks.)

- headboard recovered
- grasscloth put up in Pax unit and adjoining wall area
- Pax doors installed ( two of them cut down to size) and painted
- drapes sewn and pelmut almost finished
- knobs ordered for new closet doors
- bought nightstand/dresser for my husband's side of the bed
- installed new flush mount ceiling light

Here's the recovered headboard in the gray velvet and I am in love with it!

Every picture I took of it made the top ends look wonky - which they really aren't when you look at them in person.  Anyways… The shutter screen is back over the awkward small window over the bed.  The middle slats can be opened to let light in.

Here are the new 14" deep Pax closets.  I chose the wood doors which made it easier for painting. Still need to trim the edges along the wall, add in molding and eventually shelves on either side to create a built-in appearance.   In all honesty, the shelves phase will most likely happen after the ORC.  I will be painting the vent so it's not so prominent. (sorry for the awful photos, it's very rainy and gloomy here.)

To attach the grasscloth, I used both the regular and the Outdoor double-sided Mounting tape.  It was so easy to do.

Ordered these Alno hexagon knobs from ebay, 10 for $19.50.   They retail for $11 - 12 a piece so that feels good.  It will feel even better if they get here by Saturday!
They may stay silver but most likely they'll get the gold treatment.

Dan replaced the 1950's light cover - it looked alot like this one,

 with the  Oxnard 2 Light Ceiling Brushed 5"x13"x13" Brshd Nickel Fn, which is under $40.  I spray painted it gold and then went over that with Rub n' Buff Grecian Gold.

NOW for my question. The walls and trim/Pax closet doors  are painted in BM Ancient Ivory, flat and semi-gloss respectively.   I know that I should also probably paint these closet doors Ancient Ivory too.  It's a small room and painting the doors Ancient Ivory would allow the eye to travel, not break-up the look, etc…BUT I just don't feel like it.

What do you think if I paint these closet doors in BM Dior Gray in Gloss or Semi-gloss? (The opposite wall with the window will have a pelmut in the same velvet as the headboard and the gold fabric drapes.)

Am I crazy?
Do you need to save me from myself?     Let me know, I'd love to hear your advice.

Now be sure to head over to check out what my fellow ORC bloggers have accomplished.  There are some amazing and inspiring things going on in the other 19 spaces!

Abby M. Interiors 

Because it’s Awesome 

Bijou & Boheme 

Calling It Home 

Chez V 

Chinoiserie Chic 

Copy Cat Chic 

The Decorista 

Design Crisis 

Design Indulgence 

Design Manifest 

The English Room

The Glam Pad 

Little Black Door 

Mimosa Lane 

My Notting Hill 

The Pink Pagoda 

Simple Details 

My Sweet Savannah 

Verandah House

Can Not Wait to Go: 2014 ASO Show House!

Have you seen the photos coming out of press day for the 2014 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Show House?   Gorgeous.  Luckily for me I have work in Atlanta next week so I'm going to go!   This will be  my second ASO show house and I can't wait.   The first two images are from Sherry of Design Indulgence of the Grand Salon designed by Barbara Westbrook.   Sherry said it best - jaw dropping.

Here's just a glimpse into the fabulous Family Living Room by Tim Corrigan Inc. via Lori May Interiors.

The show house is open April 26 - May 18th.  Have you gone or will you be?

You are Not Special

You may remember David McCullough, Jr., the high school teacher whose 2012 commencement speech to the students of Wellesley high school went viral.  He now has a book out that expands on the ideas in his speech and I found the the full title, You Are Not Special: ... And Other Encouragements, well, for want of a better word -  encouraging.    Yesterday on the Diane Rehm Show, he said something that I think might capture his main point.   (You can listen to the full show on WAMU here.)

"Everyone is special, everyone is important.  If you think of it that way then, it kind of nullifies the concept of "specialness".  It's a statistical inevitability that most of us are kind of average and there's nothing wrong with that.  That's really a big part of my point...Let's get past that. One will be judged on who you are and what you do.  And, one should not assume that every success and accolade will fall into one's lap simply because you're a good person. Life just doesn't work that way…"


While the book is arguably targeted towards parents and teenagers, it seems there could be a message for all of us.

Cultivating a culture of specialness can lead to feelings of entitlement and privilege.  While that's true and a bit unseemly, there's another cost.   Specialness can become debilitating, fostering fear of failure and feelings of inadequacy.

Which makes me wonder,  how many of us aren't pursuing our real dreams because we're not feeling  "the right kind of special" ?

OK, that's my philosophical moment for this Friday.  Hope you have a wonderfully ordinary weekend!

One Room Challenge Week 4: Pillow, Art & Rum...

This past week my Master Bedroom makeover was at a  bit of stand still since we went to our favorite place for spring break, St John USVI.  This was the view from the bedroom there - makes me wish it was my view all the time.  Every time I thought about the loss of  1/6 of the time for the ORC, I just drank a little bit lot more rum… So now I'm back to reality with two weeks left to go!

I did make some progress on the fun side of things.  My sponsor, the fabulous Charlotte & Ivy, is providing a beautiful Greek Key pillow for the bed.  I think the 15" x 23" size will be perfect for a center pillow and the gray and gold ribbon will tie in nicely with the gray velvet headboard.

I also found two pieces of art for the room from ORC sponsor, Minted, who offer limited edition prints from independent artists. They have a really interesting model to bring art to their customers - they sponsor ongoing design competitions where designers submit works and the Minted community votes to tell them what to sell.  The works are available on museum quality cotton rag archival paper with archival ink or acid and lignin-free paper with deluxe pigment ink.  I chose two beautiful abstract pieces.   Below Ravello, a limited edition print by Kelli Hall (pictured above)

and  Painted Grunge, a limited edition print by Aticnomar.  This 30" x 40"  piece will be hung vertically in the entry area of the bedroom, replacing the current  smaller landscape.  I think that vertical placement will create a better feel to this small space.

As a reminder,  this is the bedroom back on  Week 1.  (you can also check out the decisions/progress of Week 2 and Week 3)

Next week, I'll be showing you:

-  the new drapes and pelmut
-  progress with the grasscloth on the Ikea Pax closets
-  the newly upholstered headboard

Now be sure to head over to check out what my fellow bloggers have accomplished - which I'm certain is going to light a fire under me to make up for that lost week!

Abby M. Interiors 

Because it’s Awesome 

Bijou & Boheme 

Calling It Home 

Chez V 

Chinoiserie Chic 

Copy Cat Chic 

The Decorista 

Design Crisis 

Design Indulgence 

Design Manifest 

The English Room

The Glam Pad 

Little Black Door 

Mimosa Lane 

My Notting Hill 

The Pink Pagoda 

Simple Details 

My Sweet Savannah 

Verandah House

DC Design House 2014 Part 2

Remember in my first post about the DC Design House, I mentioned there's something for everybody? First up, a bit of fun.  Forget safe subway tile, instead Christopher Cahill and Kerry Ann Rodriquez of Cahill Design Build added whimsy with these amazing sea life tiles in the pool area bath.

Notice the illuminated glass in the changing room?  It was created with a salvaged shower door from the upstairs bathroom.

The family room off the pool is a realizing neutral space with an amazing wood textured wallpaper.  Design by Jeff Akseizer and Jamie Brown of the Akseizer Design Group. 

Katherine Vernot-Jones created a fun and inventive playroom space where there's space for wall-climbing or reading a book.  I have to think anyone looking to create a fun space for their kids that's more than just a pile of toys lined up against the wall will find alot of inspiration here.

The smallest space in the house now is a jewel box with a space enhancing glass countertop and shimmering wallpaper and tile.  Design by Joanne Fitzgerald.

Susan Donelson and Sharen Bubenhofer of Cleveland Hall Design created a  pretty guest room with flanking twin beds that took advantage of the rooms layout and window placement.  

  

All traces of this ensuite bathroom's bad encounter with the 70's was erased with with this clean, streamlined design by TJ Monahan of ibby/Case Design/Remodeling Inc.   

Last up - the front.  David Benton and Jim Rill of Architects made the front door a star with  a beautiful glossy C2 paint from the Barry Dixon Collection.   Love this!

For more, check out Part 1.  If you haven't gone yet, there's still time.  

 DC Design House 

April 13 - May 11, 2014

$25 per ticket, Benefitting Children's National Health System

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!

Isle of Lismore, Scotland - Easter 2013

One Room Challenge Week 3: Furniture & Storage

OK, Week 3.  Things are getting serious, time to make things happen.  Can you believe I've never had a bench at the foot of my bed?  Well, I have been missing out the last couple of decades! So let me introduce you to my new  Sinclair Wood Bench* from Lamps Plus, one of the sponsors of the One Room Challenge.  I LOVE this bench.  It's 51" wide, 19" high and 16" deep; the perfect size for our 13' 6" x 13" bedroom with king size bed.  It's solid wood construction with a lovely distressed finish and firm seat covered in a nice neutral weave fabric.  (*the link is to the Walnut version)  Life is so much easier when you have someplace to put the extra pillows!  Like I said, I can't believe I've waited this long to have one.

The other accomplishment was the installation of two 14" deep pax cabinets.  There's still more to do here - grasscloth for the left unit, shelves, drawers and doors to be added (half doors on the Left unit, full doors on the Right Unit.)  I really like the 14" depth - nothing ends up at the back like with our previous dresser drawers.

We raised the units up slightly so we can add baseboards and molding at the top.  I have a plan for the two open areas on either side of the units but I'll save that for  later - still need to work it out a bit.

ALSO, thank you to everyone for the great encouragement last week on the window treatments.  A pelmut came in as the winner.  

If you're new to my blog, Week 1 and Week 2 will catch you up on the plans for this master bedroom makeover. Now be sure to head over to check out what my fellow bloggers are up to!

Abby M. Interiors 

Because it’s Awesome 

Bijou & Boheme 

Calling It Home 

Chez V 

Chinoiserie Chic 

Copy Cat Chic 

The Decorista 

Design Crisis 

Design Indulgence 

Design Manifest 

The English Room

The Glam Pad 

Little Black Door 

Mimosa Lane 

My Notting Hill 

The Pink Pagoda 

Simple Details 

My Sweet Savannah 

Verandah House

A Subtle Leopard Rug on Sale & more!

I love leopard in all forms but I'm really struck when its comes in subtle, soft designs like this 

Colefax Subtle Leopard Plush Wool Rug  from my sponsor Charlotte & Ivy.  It's 7 x 9  and happens to be on clearance, marked down to $719 from $1798

They have the best eye for wonderful finds - here are just a few more for your Monday morning!

Hand tufted Poeme Orleans Rug Blue

Nantucket Wool Rug Subtle Stripe Blue

Coral Fixation Fusion Plush Rug Green Blue

Fabric SALE: Haute Marshall Location 4/12 - 26

Haute Fabrics is having a sale in the original MARSHALL only location - all fabric only $18 a yard!   All sales final. In stock merchandise only.  The sale takes place April 12th - 26th (2014).  While the Arlington location is in my backyard, I'm always up for a road trip out to the Marshall store.  You can make a fun day out of it with stops in Middleburg and Warrenton too.

Haute Fabrics 8393 West Main Street - Marshall, VA 20115 - (540) 364-1221