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!

Moving my daughter into the guest room

Working with parents on their children's rooms, I've noticed a wide spread in attitude about involving the child.  Some basically feel that it is their house and their money and therefore they need to love the room, too.  Others believe that their child should have free reign--after all, it is their room.

There is no "right" or "wrong" on this.  Like I wrote about here, it's all about being honest with what works for you.  But in this case I do believe there is a happy medium.  It's called "presenting options."  If you gather your child's input (what colors they like, patterns that make them happy, what kinds of activities they most want to do in their rooms), and then present them with choices that meet their needs and your own, everyone wins.

My two girls have shared a room for as long as they can remember.  Lately my 5 year old has been struggling with bedtime and keeps my 7 year old awake, so we are considering moving the older one to the guest room in the hopes of creating smoother nighttime routines.  The room is "finished," and while it is colorful enough for a kid, it is a bit grown up, and it seems wrong to move her in there without making any changes.  While I do not want to spend much money in there, I would want it to feel a bit more like "her" room.

There are some parameters, naturally.  I would not like to paint, though of course that would be the lowest-cost way to make a big change in the room.  The furnishings and new bedding would stay.  So, I like the idea of swapping out some of the textiles and/ or art (currently this, this and this) to make the space more fit for a going-on-8-year old.

I've been playing around with the idea so that, if we decide to move her, I'll be ready to talk through her input and present some choices.

I like the idea of connecting to the orange in the girls' existing room down the hall.  These two schemes would swap out rugs and pillows and use some extra white Ritva curtains panels with tassel trim added like I did here (scroll down).

These two actually get MORE colorful and push the eclectic bohemian feel even farther.

But, knowing my daughter, who will only ever wear monochromtic outfits, I have a feeling we would hone in on the blue and white palette and keep things very focused with either the existing red (curtains), or a focus on yellow (from the wood tone of the desk in there).

This last one feels most like her.  It is fairly monochromatic, she adores stripes, and the girl on that pillow has glasses just like hers.

While I actually hope we can keep her where she is, I look forward to transforming the space together eventually (even though my 5 year old will want equal treatment in her room.)

Is't it amazing how much you can change the vibe of the room by changing just the textiles?

Occupational Hazard: Starting Over at All Times

My love of wicker and rattan knows no bounds.  Seriously, I should live in Florida.  From my wicker shelves in my college dorm room (so cool, friends, so very very cool) to my ongoing obsession with Peter Dunham's Marilyn chair, I just can't get enough.

Occupational hazard: I am constantly finding great pieces that tempt me to start over (before I have even finished in the first place.)  Whilst searching for a Queen size (and budget friendly) replacement for the Land of Nod headboard in my last post, I came across a number of darling pairs of bamboo, rattan, or wicker headboards.  where were these when I was doing my girls' room?

here

here

here

here

here

I want them all.  If I wasn't already on the second iteration of my girls room in 4 years (including building and then reupholstering the headboards) I would consider one of these sets for sure.

I guess I need a beach house to furnish on the cheap.

Progress

You know how sometimes people say that everyone should work in food service if they are to be allowed to eat in restaurants?  Well, something similar could be said about services like re-upholstery and furniture refinishing.  Until you have done it yourself, it can be difficult to appreciate the labor that goes into it, or price tag associated with the work.

Remember when I started refinishing a desk?  It is harder than it looks.  But progress has been made, folks, and there's something to that.

I stalled out when the temps dropped, and this project has been taking over the garage, filling up the rightful place of the CAR these last few months, until finally the polar vortex kindly delivered an exploded tire and my husband brought the desk inside when the weather was frightful -45 or so.  And now it is sitting in my kitchen where I can admire the progress but I can't access the tupperware.

Anyway, the before:

And the Progress shots:

Yup, there it is in my kitchen.

SO much prettier, right?

Now, the hard part: make a mess of sawdust in my basement, or wait until spring to finish it up.

The girls, of course, think it is just fine like this and are trying to convince me to put it back in their room.

Have you gotten in over your head on any projects as of late?

Do tell: misery loves company.

Thinking about headboard fabric

I recently came across photos of the girls' room nearly finished in the old scheme, and found myself wondering why on earth I went and changed it all up.  (I mean, I know why--I wanted to move the orange rug out of the living room and it worked with the pink walls and some vintage fabric I had for curtains.)

But now, as the room sits pretty unfinished again, I am asking myself why.

As in: "why, why, WHY?!"

It would be nice if something was just finished.

So.  What's left to do?

- strip and stain the desk and chair (ugh!)
- possibly paint the dresser
- find bedframes (preferably for free) to raise up the beds.
- make or buy bedskirts (or buy and modify with some vintage trim I seem to be hoarding)
- add wall lights to give much-needed task lighting to the beds and desk
- make new bolster covers
- re-make the headboards

That's all.  (yes: sarcasm.)

Right now, fabric for the headboards is torturing me.  The room looks like this:

Those are swatches of this:

Thibault Rinca in Coral, available locally through A.J. Maison

Which I LOVE.  Except for this room I wish it was blush pink, with an orange border around the white pattern.

I was also in love with these, but don't think I can justify the price point.

Amy Karyn, available locally through Tapis Decor

So there I go, thinking out loud again, and showing you very messy and unfinished photos of a room that changes constantly.

If you want to continue to tune in to the messy rumblings of my brain, and currently read on google reader, please follow me on blog lovin'.  Google reader is going away as of Monday!  I'll post more details tomorrow on where else (and how) to keep following this blog. 

I hope you'll stick around!

What I Got

Not long ago, I wrote, partially joking, about what I would like to inherit from my mother.  (Hint: she didn't own it yet.)  In all seriousness, I have been very lucky in the items that have been passed down to me.  The list is very long and very wonderful, and I am thrilled to have such personal items as my grandmother's gold leaf sconces and my husband's grandmother's quilts and cedar chest, not to mention a veritable treasure trove of my mother's castoffs.

There was one item I always adored as a child that actually went to my brother--the nerve!  It was a sweet little desk that was my mom's growing up.  I always loved it because of the small scale and eight little drawers atop the desk surface--perfect for stashing tiny treasures of all kinds.

Turns out, there were at least three of these desks, with the other two belonging to my mom's sister and cousin, and one just came home to roost.  I had been looking for a desk to put between the beds in my girl's room, (see the small-scale desk round up here).  and after almost buying two different options off craigslist, I am so much happier with this little heirloom!

The finish is pretty banged up so of course the question is, what to do?  The headboard need to be re-done, so I am thinking white desk and chair (chalk paint for that Swedish, not a glossy finish), with more orange and pink on the headboards.  OR neutral headboards and a limed finish, using this.  

And sure enough: the girls love those little drawers as much as I did at their age.  The 6 year old is stashing her glasses in one overnight, and the others are already stashed full of untold treasures.

Tell me: do you have pieces that have been handed down to you?

And more importantly: what would you do with this little desk?

Of course, it is STILL too cold here for painting and stripping and all those good projects, so I have some time to think on it.....

Tall headboard plus netting canopy equals bliss

In my (over-documented) girlie's room, I vascillate about going back to tall headboards with the existing "bed curtains."

Sometimes you see an image that sways you.  Hard.

via MFAMB

Of course, it doesn't hurt that I love almost every little thing in this fabulous room.  I'll take it!  Hold the small round rug and stark black and white photo, please.

On a side note, don't you love the restraint of just one perfect accent pillow?  Unfussy perfection.

Also.  (You know I can't write such a short post, right?)  Looking back at posts of the girls room, I am having this moment where I go "what are you THINKING?  It was basically FINISHED.  TWICE."  And then I sigh, and understand my husband's point of view a little bit better.

Triumph!

Once daylight savings set in, and before Minnesota returned to a state of perpetual winter (a winter storm warning is in effect and another 4-6 inches of snow is predicted as I write this, on APRIL TWENTY-SECOND), there was a brief moment of evening sunshine.  This was so very lovely, with one little problem: my children would not go to sleep because their in-progress window treatments let in all that light.

And so, last weekend, I finally made a pair of light-blocking draperies.  People, let me tell you, if you have ever been knocked over in shock at the price of custom draperies, you just need to make yourself a pair to understand, and you will never complain again.  Promise.  (Well, you might complain, but you will know you are not being ripped off.)

Mine are only a single fabric width, only because I bought this fabric a dozen years ago and I didn't have any more.  I used black-out liner, and that business is HEAVY.  I used this tutorial for lining, but made my own pinch pleats instead of using pleat tape.  As it turns out, pleat tape is basically useless if you want any control over the spacing of your pleats--which you do if you want them to fit the window properly.  And if you're going to all this trouble, you definitely want them to fit your window properly.

What this means is that when the draperies are closed, they overlap about 2 inches in the middle, and the return at the outside ends is the right size to actually wrap around the side of the window and touch the wall.

I chose a butterfly pleat, which seems sweet for a girls' room, don't you think?

For the drapery rod, I used this one from Allen + Roth at Lowes, which I blogged about here.  I love the look, and it was very easy to customize the length--my husband just cut off about a foot section and drilled a new hole for the finial.  My big complaint is that the rings do not maneuver smoothly on the rod, and for curtains that get opened and closed daily, this is a problem.  That said, I got the rod, rings, brackets, and finials for $50, about 1/4 to 1/8 of the price of something similar from a higher-end custom line.  So in the future, I would consider using the slightly narrower pole with these rings.

Noe I jut need to revisit the beds.  I've been thinking about tufted headboards in white, natural, or blush pink linen.  But then today I saw these.

Love the shape.  Painted white, I think.

What say you?