One Room Challenge – Week 5: The Final Sprint

Last time I took the One Room Challenge, back in the spring of this year, I had finished before the end of Week 5, and dedicated that week’s post to a “behind the scenes” of my photo shoot for the Week 6 reveal. I was done, in just about four weeks.

This round looks a little different right now…

Yeah, not quite camera ready (the paint is not showing well here, but turned out amazing!).

[Get caught up on prior weeks’ posts: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4]

In fact, at this very moment, I can’t even go into the Manbrary. The plasterers are finishing up their repairs on the ceiling, and have done a great job containing the mess and limiting the disruption. Which reminds me, I thought I’d share the interesting process of restoring the ornamental plaster.

They identified the most pristine (relatively speaking…at 119 years old, nothing is pristine!) areas and used them to make molds for casting new plaster forms. The first step is pictured – a putty-like substance is applied to the decorative motif (bellflowers around the oval, and ribbons at each end) and carefully molded around it and into all the nooks and crannies. After awhile, they encase the putty in plaster in order to stabilize it so it doesn’t lose its shape when they remove it. Once the new plaster pieces are cast from the mold, the suspect areas are removed and replaced with the new. And after my painter returns on Friday afternoon to tackle the ceiling, it’ll be nearly impossible to tell what’s old and what’s new.

Now getting back to the larger project. Although the above pictures strongly suggest otherwise, it does appear that I will finish the challenge in time for reveal next week. I got a lot of much-needed good news this week on vital deliveries I’d been biting my nails over. The club chairs arrived at my receiver on Tuesday, and were delivered Wednesday. My new light fixture is scheduled to arrive on Friday (but what time??? Oy…). Oh, I ended up going with this one…

It’s the Dover Ball from Urban Electric Co. and I am SO excited to get this baby installed! Please cross your fingers for no broken glass!!

I also ordered a new bed for our dog, Harrison, who likes to hang out with my husband pretty much wherever he is. Daddy’s boy :). The dog bed is a Joe Ruggiero design for The MT Company, one of my go-to upholstery vendors for client projects. I customized it with three Sunbrella fabrics, also designed by Joe. Those of you who have dogs know there’s no guarantee a new bed will be accepted – sometimes they just don’t look, feel or smell quite right. So I was relieved when our little buddy cozied up in his new nest literally moments after I unboxed it.

Side note: There is one delivery that may not make it in time. The pillow forms I ordered just shipped today, and aren’t scheduled to arrive until the day of the photo shoot. I’m going to have to get creative – maybe I can borrow from myself (throw pillows in another room) or a friend.

Tomorrow (Friday) is THE day, for just about everything. As I mentioned before, the long plastering and painting process will finally be complete – as of mid-day. Around noon, the cut-and-bound rug will be installed. During the same timeframe, my drapery workroom will sneak in to install the plaid wool Roman shades. Then my electrician will pop by to hang the light fixture, and I’ll begin to move everything back into the room again. I’m not quite sure how everything came down to this one big day of installations, but it did.

My weekend will be spent trolling a local antique/vintage market for art and accessories, and then styling the built-ins, hanging the art, and generally working to get the Manbrary ready for its close-up on Tuesday morning. My husband has agreed to a reveal right before the photo shoot – which means those massive pocket doors will remain closed until then, while I attempt to conjure some ever-so-masculine decorating magic inside. I had to keep a few surprises for him under wraps – I sure hope he likes everything in the end!

 

Please visit Calling it Home to see how the 20 invited/sponsored participants, and the guest participants linking up each Thursday, are doing as they approach the finish line. And don’t forget – next week (Wednesday 11/11 and Thursday 11/12) brings all of the exciting project reveals – not to be missed!

Until then, follow Project Manbrary here and on…

1. Facebook (Interiors for Families)

2. Instagram (#KRIProjectManbrary, #oneroomchallenge)

See you next week for the Manbrary reveal! I may just have a surprise or two up my sleeve for you all, too!

 

P.S. In the meantime, if you’re hungry for more masculine design inspiration, check out the new Manbrary Style board I created on Pinterest this past week.