A Layered Retreat - My ORC Room Now

Hello!  Boy have I been going through ORC withdrawal.  I was pumped when Linda suggested that we do a 'where are they now?' type of linking party for the One Room Challenge Now.  Can not wait to see how everyone's spaces have evolved since we have last seen them. As for my bedroom, I am happy to report that it has remained much the same since the big reveal in November with only a few tweaks here and there.

If you will recall, I chose our master bedroom for the makeover.  It had been woefully ignored in the design hierarchy of our home and I decided it was high time to have a refuge in which to retire at days end - one that appealed to both my girly girl magpie sensibilities and those minimalist contemporary leanings of my mister.  Oh who was I kidding?!  I do not do minimal.  Armed with a vision of an adventurer's British Colonial-style retreat that skillfully juxtaposes the traditional with the exotic, shiny with muted, and masculine with glam set against a theatrical backdrop of layered pattern and color along with collected things, my goal was to create a cocooning space. With absolutely zilcho redeeming architectural interest, I decided to go totally dark and glossy resulting in paintmaggedon that threatened to end in divorce. #jokingnotjoking.  For that sob story, go here and click through WK1 through WK5 links.  Because seriously, I did not have paint on my walls until 3 days before the reveal and it was getting sporty.

What is new in this shot is that you can actually see the true color of the walls which is a deep green.  It was raining cats and dogs the day I shot for the reveal so a lot of folks thought the walls were black.

wall color - Ralph Lauren Deep Pool VM120 mixed in Benjamin Moore Aura semi-gloss | trim - Benjamin Moore White Down OC131 mixed in Aura semi-gloss |vintage chandelier - Vintage 937 | jute rug - Rugs USA | persian area rug - Home Emporium | chintz curtains - IKEA | woven blinds - Home Depot | abstract art - Jenny Andrews-Anderson

New here is my vintage ceramic Italian cheetah.  I am quite smitten. After lamenting over a missed zebra last year, I swooped him up like he was the last loaf of bread at Publix during a polar vortex.

ceramic Italian cheetah - Pedigree Consigments | dresser (old) - mine from childhood | knobs (old) - Anthropology | vase turned lamp base - Pedigree Consignments | lamp parts - Grand Brass

headboard - Tuesday Morning | foo dog lamps - Jonathan Adler for JC Penny | lampshades - IKEA | Ranarp sconces - IKEA | etchings (old) - Brass Armadillo | sidetable - Target | diamond matelasse duvet & bedskirt (old) - Target | mirror (old) - Home Goods

Looky loo.  After fawning over the abstract portraits that Kerry Steele whipped up for her gallery wall during the last ORC, I am over the moon to now have one for myself. Seriously. Sort of in love with how the modern abstract lines play against that old ornate frame that I picked up years ago.  Hording has its privileges.  And for those that follow along on Insta - you will recognize my busted bust that I smashed while trying to shoot this reveal in November.  I could not bare to part with her so she has assumed a ravished Juliet vigil under her modern day Romeo.

vintage chair (old) - Brass Armadillo | pillow (old) - custom | ceramic elephant (old) - from my childhood home | floor lamp (old) - Ballard Designs

compote - vintage | tray & teal stack bracelets (old) - Furbish Studio | candle - Diptyque | all other jewelry - vintage

euro pillows - custom | dragon tassel lumbars - handblocked by me | needlepoint pillow (old) - custom | coral shams - Stein Mart and monogrammed by me | crewel throw (old) - custom

stool - Home Goods | DVF tray - TJ Maxx | candle - Heyland & Whittle

The mister thought I was bonkers throughout the whole process but in the end, all the disparate pieces came together and totally work for us. In spite of all the layers, he loves it as much as I, and convincing him of the dark color, let alone the chintz curtains, was no small feat!  In fact, he thinks the rest of the house now looks like a dump.  Wha wha wha…

Head over to Calling it Home to see what's new with everyone on the One Room Challenge Now.

All photos and styling by Emily Vanderputten

kisses,  mrs. V

My Favorite Corner

Do you have a favorite corner or spot in your house?  When the sun  unexpectedly showed her face this morning in spite of the frigid negative degree temps, I was struck by the beauty of this spot in my bedroom and decided then and there that it was my favorite – which, not surprisingly, happens to be in my favorite room in the house thanks to the One Room Challenge.  But this particular corner, on this particular day just seems so warm and so right.  This spot contains some of the things that I super love:  animal print, pattern, color, art, greenery, sparkling jewelry, and Chinoiserie. Oh, and one quirky element.  It is quite simply SO me.  Which is to say, that in collecting things that I truly love no matter how disparate they may seem, they come together and just work.  At least, for me.  And that is what is important.  

I have found that when I stay true to my own aesthetic rather than following trends, the pieces I select and those that I have chosen to hold on to throughout the years stand the test of time.  To be sure, I am an incurable magpie and switch things up constantly but most pieces can move anywhere in my house and work.  As a matter of fact, my lovely Italian cheetah has already laid claim to another warm spot in the house. And while we are being quite frank, I will likely have a new favorite spot tomorrow.

What corner of your house is SO you?

All photos and styling by mrs. V

kisses,  mrs. V

Chez V Mini Home Tour - Inside

Let's take the Chez V mini holiday at home party inside.  Welcome to Chez V.  Grab yourself a bevy of choice and make yourself at home.   Really, I wish I could entertain you in real life, as few things bring me more joy than opening my home and table to others.  So this virtual peek will have to suffice.  Just imagine music, aromas from the kitchen, and copious amounts of adult beverages intermingled with laughter and perhaps even some inappropriate topics, all of which devolves into an impromptu kitchen dance party and you’ve just about got the real deal.

Happiest of holidays to all of you, my dear friends!

All photos and styling by mrs. V

kisses,  mrs. V

ORC Reveal Part Deux

Well gee whiz, thank you all so much for the incredible feedback on my ORC room.  What a whirlwind!  To be completely honest, there were many moments when I doubted whether I could pull it all together in time.  Staring down the barrel of WK5 with no paint yet on the walls put a serious hitch in my optimistic giddyup.    But in the end, the room exceeded even my expectations.  I am so so in love with the way everything came together - which is a great thing since I happen to be the client in this case.

 

As a matter of fact, I am having ORC withdrawal.  I have forgotten how much I thrive when working on a deadline.  I might be a procrastinator extraordinaire in many areas but throw a challenge and a deadline at me and I will attempt to run through brick walls to find a solution.  The experience and lessons learned during my corporate days in lean manufacturing as a problem-solving expert come in handy every now and again.

But back to the room.  I promised to share sources and stories about the pieces with you, and so I shall soon enough.  But first, some more vignette shots that did not make it in on reveal day as well as some sunny ones I took today because last Wednesday was raining cats and dogs when I shot the reveal pics.  So the room was not captured in its best light, so to speak.

  

Tomorrow we will take a look back at the BEFORES and my original design plan compared with the finished result as well as covering the sources in the room.  Thank you again for the overwhelming support!  Love ya, mean it!

kisses,  mrs. V