The Spring 2020 One Room Challenge is finally happening! So glad you joined us! If you’re unfamiliar with this event then you’re in for a treat. Each Spring and Fall, 20 Featured Designers are selected by Linda Weinstein and the ORC team for a 6-week challenge where they each take us along on their journey to an incredible room transformation! Feeling inspired? Guest Participants, like yours truly, with a blog or Instagram account can register and join in on the action. This year, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic the challenge includes an additional 2 weeks of work time. I started our Instagram account in September 2019, just in time to be introduced to the Fall ORC event. Inspiration and awe don’t fully explain the scope of emotions I felt while following along as so many talented designers took ordinary spaces and created extraordinary visions! Deep down I wanted so badly to be a part of this supportive community. At the time, Hubby and I had NEVER done a DIY project before, and looking back, it was my subconscious desire to one day participate in this event that sparked an interest and now our love of DIY, so thank you One Room Challenge!!
Ok so real talk, I’m kinda freaking out! To say I’m NERVOUS would be an understatement. How do I begin to explain what I’m feeling? I’m having some self-doubt in our ability to pull this off but I’m working past that as I type this post. Not to mention, the 8-week time frame seems much more doable for us NEWBIES. I also know that I don’t do very well with anything that’s timed. Back in school, I was THAT kid who stared at the clock while taking tests! Hubby and I do work full-time jobs as well and we have 2 little and very demanding humans who absorb most of our free time, as they should, right?
We’ve spent a great deal of time and energy updating and decorating our main living spaces, which brings me to the NUMBER 1 reason I registered for this round of the ORC – THE NEGLECT that is our MASTER BEDROOM! It’s time to give our space the attention and love it deserves and through the accountability of this event, it’s my goal to create a grown-up retreat reflective of our current home decor aesthetics. Did you notice the collage photo frames still contain the stock images?!
So I have just a few (wink) ideas on how to transform this space, starting with a dark, moody accent wall behind our king bed. We already have a vertical shiplap wall feature, painted in SW iron ore, in our loft space and now I’m hoping to recreate that wall on a much LARGER scale but with horizontal shiplap. Above our bed, I’m also envisioning a photo ledge with sleek, modern frames and prints! The addition of new bedding, window curtains, and nightstand decor will be the finishing touches to wrap up this particular corner of our master bedroom.
When Kaiyah (child number 2) was born, we moved this rocker into our bedroom for convenient nighttime feedings. The tray on top of the fridge was perfect for all her feeding essentials. Fast forward to a year and a half later, it’s time to reclaim our space and remove some of these items, i.e. the rocker and exercise bike. I mean, who am I kidding, I can count on both hands the number of times I’ve used that bike lately. The fridge will be relocated to another corner of the room because this mama doesn’t like to be too far away from her ice cream or wine! We have a gray modern sofa that will be moving into this spot and above it will be several wall cubbies, adorned with pretty things.
We will also be saying goodbye to our photo gallery wall, aka SHRINE of our firstborn, Neah. I’m thinking of a color block wall feature in its place. The specific pattern and colors are yet to be determined but that’s part of the fun, right?! There is still much to iron out but I think we’re off to a great start with this mood board!
So Here’s our 8-week ambitious list (in no particular order)!
- Install and paint shiplap accent wall
- Select paint colors and create a color block accent wall
- Hang curtains
- Build, stain and hang photo ledge
- Choose picture frames and prints for photo ledge
- Install wall cubbies
- Build, stain and hang framed wall shelves
- Decor, decor, decor
This Week’s Agenda
With so many delivery delays, we ordered our Shiplap from Home Depot about a month ago and have actually made a bit of progress on the accent wall. I’ve also ordered and received our new bedding, window curtains, and wall cubbies. I will be working on sourcing my home decor pieces and purchasing as many items as I can in hopes they all arrive in time to complete our project!
Am I overwhelmed? YES, but kinda excited to get started and really make this space our own. So here we go! Be sure to subscribe to our blog and follow us on Instagram to stay up to date on our personal journey in this event. You’ll also definitely want to follow along and see what the Featured Designers and other Guest Participants are working on! Anyone else participating in the ORC? Comment below to let me know so I can show my support and celebrate your transformations!
Aminah Chung