ORC Week 6: Reveal, Part 1

Did you check out the 20 official ORC bloggers big reveals?  So many impressive makeovers!  I'll share my favorites in the next few days, I think.

But you know I am among the many linking up to the ORC, and today I get to share the big After.

Yes, after, one, singular.  If you've been following along, you know I made over both of my girls' rooms, but today I am only sharing Clio's "after."  I waited too long on decisions for Eleri's art, which hasn't arrived (AND my mom found a second shelf for the matching vintage desks when she cleaned out her garage, so I spent Monday stripping the old finish and painting it to match the desk.  Not quite done with that project, either!)

I was feeling all whomp whomp whomp....until I realized that a) this is called the ONE room challenge, b) I have a totally finished room to share today and c) why not drag it out to week seven with a second reveal?

So that's what I am doing.

Do you remember in week 2 how I got cold feet about choosing to make over rooms that already looked pretty awesome?  Here's what I love about these makeovers:  the mood of the rooms completely changed, and they are so fitting for my girlies now.  So whether or not they are "better," they are BETTER!

The shared room before (pink walls) and Clio's room after (green walls):

I LOVE how the green walls (Benjamin Moore Lehigh Green) transformed this space from bright and cheerful to calm, peaceful, and a little bit moody.  Even though the floor plan didn't change and so many pieces stayed--the curtains, most of the bedding, the dresser and lamps--the room feels really, really different.

I also love how functional this room is for Clio.  She is a reader, and while she is happy to read in bed I love that the vintage chaise gives her another reading spot.  We really debated the lighting situation, but ultimately she decided that the eyeball sconces made most sense at her two reading perches (instead of illuminating the two beds), and the switch on the cord makes it really easy for her to use.

She also uses the desk ALL.  THE.  TIME.  She has one friend who is something of a pen-pal, and I love that Clio sits at this desk, which belonged to her Nonny (or maybe her Great-Aunt) and writes letters (and stories).  In case you've forgotten, here's a little before and after on the desk and chair:

So much better.  Thank you, Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint.


I also LOVE that vintage pink and white striped chaise.  It is definitely more girly than what I think Clio would normally go for, but when we spotted it antiquing over spring break she fell for the proportion and the potential for stretching out, and I think she was--gasp!--basing her interest on function, not look.

To balance out the supreme girliness, I wanted the art to feel more modern.  I have three abstracts that I picked up from a local artist at an open studio event last spring, and one of them--with yellow in the palette--was perfect by her bed.  Her wonderful portrait (read the story here) also got properly framed, and I love how the gold frame is so rich against the green walls.

Let's talk about the shelves, shall we?

Just to be clear, this is NOT what these shelves looked like before this photograph, or will ever look like again.  But I couldn't resist styling them up, especially since we happen to have a bunch of really pretty little things that were perfect in the color palette.

Among the treasures:  my mom gave me that awesome picture frame (with a baby picture of Clio) and that wooden egg on a stand (it's a kaleidoscope!), and she gave Clio the yellow butterfly tray; my in-laws gave her the wooden box with the brass corners (the top is carved); the "pencil cup" is a wood vase that Dave and I bought in Costa Rica before we were married (and yes, I color-coordinated the pencils to the room); and that is my set of Narnia chronicles from childhood.  The little stone box between the drawers is filled with stamps--and is, in fact, the box that I used for my foreign stamp collection in grade school.

My younger brother gave me the kaleidoscope with pressed leaves at the top left when we were in high school, the sea urchin is from the Bahamas, where my grandfather has a house, the yellow porcelein bird belonged to my grandmother, and the little bottle next to it is gold leaf in a tiny bottle with a tiny cork stopper, which my brother-in-law sent the girls when he lived in Japan.

The little painting I picked up while vintage shopping last week.  I didn't know where it would land (and was thinking for a client), but couldn't resist.  Clio LOVES it!  The little wood figure is from another local shop ($2!) and the box has an enamel lid with a butterfly on it--I've had it since my early days in NYC.

One last thing:

When I was choosing a color with Clio for this room, I was wary of anything that would require repainting the bathroom.  The huge bonus to this makeover is how much I love it with the ensuite bath:

This room was funny because it changed so much more than I intended it to, but once the changes were made I never looked back.  This room came together quickly and easily, I am super happy with how it looks, and it really feels suited to its occupant.

Eleri's room?  Not quite so easy.

More on that, soon.

All pink room photos, Melissa Oholendt.

All green room photos, me and my husband.  I think we did okay!