10.16.2014

One Room Challenge Linking Event - Week 3 - in which the heroine calls upon Mame Dennis





Patrick Dennis:  Is the English lady sick, Auntie Mame?
MameShe’s not English, darling…she’s from Pittsburgh.
Patrick Dennis:  She sounded English.
MameWell, when you’re from Pittsburgh, you have to do something.


And when it's week 3 of the One Room Challengelinking event, you have to do something too.  Welcome back and thank you to Linda for hosting this shindig and to you folks for tuning in and speaking up.  You can binge read weeks 1 & 2 by clicking the links below, if you are just tuning in to the action.





WEEK 1:  Plan + Space - a moody bathroom refresh
WEEK 2:  Process - where indecision reigns supreme
WEEK 3:  Progress + Setbacks - in which the heroine calls upon Mame Dennis
WEEK 4:  Lighting + Paint
WEEK 5:  Plan Revisions
WEEK 6:  Reveal

Last week I was sort of a mess of indecision and my focus got derailed for various reasons unrelated to the ORC. But thankfully I’ve got you folks to carry my baggage.  Because, sheesh, boy did y’all come to the rescue.  Seriously, thank you from the bottom of my procrastinatin’ heart for the suggestions and such.  This room is getting back on track with a quickness.  Honestly, I really just needed to stew in my own juices for a minute before following through with my original instinct, plus a few tweaks. Most of you will be happy to know that the vintage Chinoiserie fabric is back in play in a major way. This fabric was the hands down favorite with my IG (@chezviviv) tribe.





I switched gears on the paint.  The BM 2109-40 Smoked Oyster was too fleshy and reading a little purplish.  The BM 2152-70 Mayonnaise was too, well, mayonnaisey. That's what I get for selecting colors from memory.  I visited my other favorite paint folks at Sherwin Williams and bothered them for an afternoon with my search for the right dark brown.  I assure you Mame Dennis would rather go 2 days without bathtub gin than have a booger presley color on her walls.  I dragged my fabric in with me this time and it was much easier to narrow the brown options down to two. I will tell you next week how I landed on my final choice because there is a practical lesson to be learned.  You can see the wall color and trim color a bit in the background below...along with some pretty fantastic passementerie that I intend to use to take my bespoke shower curtain to a whole other crazy glam next level shizznizzy.





So Week 3.  What did I promise?  Progress.  What’s that?  Setbacks.  No shortage of those.  While physical progress may be on the lean side, mental progress has been made in spades. As indicated, I’ve committed to a direction.   In the interest of time, I had to compromise on a few dream scenarios which included many pretties like Andrea’s too-die-for wallpaper and textile designs.  Note to self, next project plan ahead so that goodness becomes reality.  But I think the end result will be equally smashing and channel the fabulously flamboyant glam vibe for which I am known.  Now, if I was advising someone else, I would make the case for the long game dream scenario.  Be patient about long lead times, invest in the good stuff, let the room evolve, yada yada yada 

But this is the ORC folks and you have ordered up some dramatical cliff-hanging turn arounds and I aim to please.  So rather than do the prudent thing, I am going full boogie in the direction of my Auntie Mame dreams with confidence that I can still pull this off in 3 weeks.  Because let’s face it, if left to my own devices, the room, even in it’s dream state, would never get finished.  A deadline is a necessary bedfellow in the home of two incurable procrastinatorsKnow thyself, as another smart participant advised!

Where were we?  Ah, setbacks.  My indecision has caused me no end of headaches but I think we’ve pretty well covered that.  Suffice it to say, I am forced to reinvent the wheel because now, having finally committed, the things I want have lead times that extend well past reveal day.  See above.  The exhaust fan/light combo continues to be a thorn.  I may or may not have a trim issue.  We have yet to tackle the electricity but I can pretty much predict the usual pyrotechnic chicanery that this money pit tees up every time we visit it’s under belly.  I am sure I will be dog cussing an ill-placed wall stud.  Stay tuned for that one.

To be determined/done:  overhead light, shower curtain rod, mirror (the one I purchased may be too wide), sink faucet, framing, wall patching, electricity, painting, and sewing.




On the upside, here is what I have nailed down:  vanity lighting, towel bar, vintage brass hardware, towels, fabric and trim, wall color, trim color, artwork, and a lion’s head brass cache pot, because in the parlance of Mame Dennis, whether you are from Pittsburgh or as in my case, from Cincinnati dealing with a tiny space and budget, ‘…you have to do something’…something that is ridiculously incongruent and fabulous, that is.




If this thing shapes up like I envision, I will be taking all my social calls in the loo.  Along with a stiff Sidecar delivered on a tray by my house mister.

That's it for me for week 3.  This next week is shaping up to be a busy one.  Be sure to check in over at Calling It Home to find the other 90+ linking participants.

All designs, layouts, and photos by Emily Vanderputten


kisses,  mrs. V

28 comments:

Improvement List said...

Glad to see you are using the fabric. Can't wait to see how you put it all together.

Ange said...

It's all looking fabulous! Who knew there was a color of paint called mayonnaise? ! Week 3 is tough, I am sure you will have much to blog about next week! I love what I see so far!

Decor To Adore said...

I absolutely love where the room is going! I too had a few setbacks but hope to be on track this next week. :)

Krystine @ www.KrystineEdwards.com said...

That fabric is awesome!

House of Pemberley said...

I have faith you will knock it out of the park. And you make me laugh to boot. Keep your chin up girlie!

MFAMB said...

this bathroom reminds me of my grandma's bathroom growing up...and let me tell you how that is a good thing. well, my grandma had awesome taste for one thing...her whole house was a chinoiserie dream and i wish that i could have had the foresight to claim at least half of the stuff she collected, we're talking embroidered silk wall hangings from her days living in korea, blanc de chine lamps, pagoda everything and all of it mixed with a healthy dose of MCM. i did manage to get her vogue collection. but i digress...all of this to say...you're bathroom is going to kill it.

Anonymous said...

Love it, all of it! Brown is a hard one, can't wait to see what you went with. I am right there with you on lead times. Must pre-plan!!!

Unknown said...

yep, laughing again. there is a reason why i read your posts first thing in the morning, it really gets my day going right. love where you are at and where you are heading....can't wait for next week!

SHERRY HART said...

Boom....and decisions were made. That is how you gotta roll when deadlines are in place. I think you did good and that shower curtain fabric is sweet!

Unknown said...

I know I'm going to love this space already. You have an amazing eye for mixing pattern and paying attention to the details. Carry on with it!!

kate@willowinteriors said...

I always know I'm going to laugh my ass off when I get to you! And it also makes me feel a little better that I'm not the only procrastinator in the bunch! ;) But all you have to do is show me that fabric and I go weak in the knees every time!! I know you r going to kill this!! :)

Kerry Steele- Design du Monde said...

Don't get me started on Pittsburgh...! That fabric is bananas!

Anonymous said...

You've got this! It's going to be goood. Also, can I admit something embarrassing? I've never had a sidecar.

Carrie said...

Hooray for that fabric!! And I learned a new word today: "passementerie." :)

Anonymous said...

You are freaking hilarious. Love your posts. Wow, I love the final direction you are going in. And love the Pitt reference. If I had a bathroom like that, I'd take my calls there too.

Unknown said...

I saw MFAMB do a brown wall a few weeks ago and have been lusting over such things ever since. SOOOOO excited about your new direction- the brown is perfect and don't get me started on the curtain zhush that's happening on already spectacular fabric. And then the brass and lions and coral...it's all just an ice cream sunday with gummy bears to boot.

My most loved part of this post though, as always, was your voice...I read every single word. You need to write a book- for realz.

Vanessa@decor happy said...

So happy that you are using the fabric! It is going to look amazing with everything else you have planned. Cheers to no more indecision (I'm the same!) And thanks for quoting me - so cool that someone actually remembered what I wrote!

Mary Meyer said...

Awesome fabric. Love everything together. And seriously you brightened up my so- so day! Thanks for the laughs-- mayonnaisey. *giggle*

Sam | Away She Went said...

I love that lion's head pot!

Linda {Calling it Home} said...

You will kill this, I know it. Nobody rocks fabric selection like you. Oh, and will your husband be sewing :).

alison giese Interiors said...

I really should consider holding off on reading your updates until Friday evening, when I can curl up for proper enjoyment with wine, fire and such. I think more design-confidently with a good buzz, anyway.

I'm so with you on the dark walls. Wish I had your sewing skills, too. Glad you got your mojo on with the decision-making.
Now, let there be light (right?)

xo,
ag

Kim said...

Gorgeously Gorgeous fabric and rich paint colors ... How many of us do you think can get in there to have a SideCar with you?

Erin @ Suburban Bitches said...

My next career is going to be naming paint colors. I really think I can do better than Mayonnaise- because not one person ever said, hmm- sure would like mayonnaise on my walls. Good luck over the next three weeks!

Kris @ Driven by Décor said...

You are the master of fabrics - LOVE what you chose and all of the fun stuff that goes with it. This is going to be one killer bathroom!

C a i t l i n said...

This is going to be a very proper loo. As always I love your writing. And...Passmenterie. I din't even know that word existed -had to google it. To think I've been calling that stuff "notions" all this time :)

The Pink Pagoda said...

Had a great laugh at your opening comment :) I absolutely love the fabric you have decided on! Can't wait to see it all come together!

Sienna said...

that fabric is sooo unique. i love the colors in it

Elizabeth @ The Little Black Door said...

Shut up with that trim. Dude, you've got this. Now hurry up because I wanna see more. Now.