One Room Challenge Week 3: Minor Crises and Progress Updates

Welcome to ORC Week 3! Otherwise known as the fake half-way point. Because, let’s face it, you don’t really have until November 10th to finish your room – the zhushing, styling and photography (and then waiting for said images to come back from the photographer), and the reveal blog post all need to be locked and loaded by that date. Best case, it is often a 5-week challenge.

My first ORC in Spring 2015, I actually did it, in total, in four weeks, due to my photographer’s schedule. Like, decided I would throw my hat into the ring a couple of days before it started and had the photo shoot four weeks later. I am still not sure how I pulled it off. This time around, I actually started working on this room months ago with no thought about doing the One Room Challenge. But the repairs from the ice dam-related water damage languished, and I knew I needed that extra kick in the pants to get it done! I’m so glad I did. But somehow, here I am again doing an abbreviated schedule – believe it or not, my room has to be complete by next week. Gulp.

Now, some things are ready – the furniture, for one, is sitting in my receiver’s warehouse. The artwork is framed and ready to be hung. Oh, and the landing – it’s been plastered, primed and painted and looking soooo good (I think, even though my husband it a little bit skeptical right now…). My contractor’s painters got it done faster than I expected.

Here it is before plaster:

After plaster:

And after painting (sorry my pics are from different angles…I had some lighting challenges with my humble iPhone camera)!

 

Dark, moody and cozy for sure! I know I need to replace my outlet plates – I think they’ll mostly be obscured by furniture, though…

 

My beloved Rococo Revival radiators received a fresh coat of Townsend Harbor Brown, too, and are looking spectacular.

 

And I am really loving the antique chandelier’s copper finish against my newly Wythe Blue ceiling!

 

So the envelope is ready! Now what’s coming? Well, not too much fits in this space – it is 7′ deep, but that includes those pretty radiators; one on each side. With the 10′ of length, it’s just enough to fit a cut-and-bound area rug, a small-scale sofa, a coffee table, and a pair of lounge chairs. Oh, and some artwork. Here are some of the key pieces (catalog images I grayed out – not representative of my fabrics, colors, etc).

So that’s what I ordered, and kind of thought I was done – ha! Once the ORC officially started, I realized I needed to get going right away on window treatments (so hard with those radiators directly under the outside windows 🙁 ), pillows, and lamps! Oh geez, how did I not think of lighting until late last week? Thank goodness for those two magical little words “Quick Ship.” Like I said, I don’t have much room in here, but a little task lighting for those family reading sessions is needed. I went for this funky and highly patinated floor lamp from Currey & Company.

I’m not totally sold on the concrete base, but I don’t think it will be very visible tucked between the sofa and the back wall.

 

My final fabric scheme looks something like this.

Even though this is a family-oriented space for reading stories with the kids, and playing board games and cards, it’s still in a bit of a ‘formal’ public space in my house. It is wide open to our second floor hall, which has some pretty dramatic architectural features. It’s a room for playing, but it’s not a playroom. It’s a little more polished than a family room, but comfortable and cozy – at least, I hope I’ve struck that balance! I guess I will soon find out…

Now, I can’t wait to see how the other guest participants are doing at the fake halfway point (and I have a lot of catching up to do with the 20 featured bloggers who post their updates on Wednesdays, as well)! I’ll be back next week to share my styling ‘process’ (if you can call it that!) in preparation for the photo shoot. We are photographing a couple of other small projects next week, as well. But those projects already have furnishings in them…ahhh, the One Room Challenge!

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