One Room Challenge Fall 2017 - WK 2

Welcome back to chez V for week two of The One Room Challenge™ as a guest participant.  Not only has my marriage survived week one, I have also made some  progress this week – which is major for me.  Normally I am sanding something for 5 weeks before I have any shred of progress, lick of paint, or purchases to discuss. #procrastinator.  First things first, thanks go out to Linda at Calling It Home for all the work that goes into ensuring things are seamless every week.  And a big thank you to House Beautiful for sponsoring this amazing biannual event. 

WK 1

In week one I covered the basics - the room, the plan, the precocious client, and my general inspiration. If you missed it, shame on you. Luckily you can click the link above to catch up. This week I will go into more detail about my overall process for a project and my progress for this room.

I should start by saying that I am not a decorator.  I have no formal training in interior design so the way I approach the design of a room likely flies in the face of conventional design wisdom.

Like Dorothy, I am an autodidact when it comes to decorating.  Having been raised by a house-proud mom and surrounded by beautiful things, my education started early.  My most treasured childhood toy was my wooden dollhouse!  Hours upon hours I spent redecorating that thing and envisioning the fabulous life my little dolls lived as a result.  By the age of five, I was a full-fledged devotee. As I got older I started reading my mother’s design, art and architecture books along with magazines as I lived through her decorating whims. To this day, I consume them voraciously in a continued effort to train my eye, find inspiration, and hone my distinctive style. 

I decorate instinctively.  I do not begin with a floor plan and then execute.  Instead, I begin with a feeling or an emotion.  An interesting piece or a dynamic color or pattern is often the touchstone for an entire room. Mixing color, pattern, and statement pieces, both high and low, are signatures of my style.  Minimalism is a dirty word in my house. I must confess that I don’t measure. The horror!  My eye can usually discern balance and scale.

With a vibe or piece as a starting point, my process begins with a visual board to give me a sense for the major elements and the color story.  In this case, it was the Carlton Varney Rhododendron fabric which was used to great effect in The Greenbrier – I have had it for a number of years having bought a bolt of it out of the Ficks Reed warehouse.

The elements on the visual board themselves may or may not be the final pieces but serve to give me inspiration so that when I am in shops, touching and feeling, I can make quick decisions as to whether a piece or pattern will work or not.  From there, I make a punch list and off I go.  Along the way, things are often tweaked but in general my first instinct about the overall feel of the space is pretty spot on.

As I mentioned earlier, lots of progress to report this week.  By that I mean I really just maxed my credit card.  Happy to report my room looks exactly the same as it did last week.  Wait, say what? In my book this is a great thing because usually my ORC spaces resemble a scene from Dexter at this point.  Praise all that is holy for no reno.  Although come to think of it, a 5’ and change shorty on a janky ladder trying to hang crown molding dripping with liquid nails might get sporty as was evidenced in my bathroom install. Cue the cursing and booze. You’d think the mister would account for my shortness and give me the taller ladder. Rude.  This time I might accidentally brad his right butt cheek to the wall.

With my vision board in hand, I hit the pavement this week, scouring many local places.  Totally counts as exercise too, according to my Fitbit. Nothing replaces seeing and touching things in person. I hit up my usual online haunts as well and sourced some of the foundation items on my checklist – I feel so totally out of sync.  I made major purchase decisions in week two.  

What will happen next?!  I might make actual dinner for my family in the next 5 weeks.

Let's not get carried away.

PURCHASED - headboard, bed frame, desk lamp, desk, desk chair, mirror, rug, more fabric. 

EARMARKED - reading chair, nightstand, sconce, sheets, overhead lighting, art, custom work.

TBD - bedskirt, duvet, closet storage, book storage, bedside lamp

Progress, people!

Come back next week, please! I might actually have moved something out of the room. I will cover a few of the projects we have in the works.  It is not a real Housewives of chez V ORC without some actual rehab theatrics or grandiose DIY gone wrong.  Like when Dorinda tries to speak or the Countess tries to walk after 50 cocktails.

Oh hey, are you following me yet on Instagram?  What’s taking you so long? Don't be scared.  I will be sharing all my juicy Kardashian booty behind-the-scenes stuff on Stories that won’t get covered here. Kim tells me selfies are soooo last year and that Stories/Snap is where it’s at. So that’s where I’ll be.  I totally get my real news from her and the housewives so it must be true.

Also, while I am badgering, would love to hear from you all.  You can leave me a comment at the bottom of my posts.  I respond directly to all comments as long as you aren’t a ‘No Reply’ weirdo.  Just kidding/not kidding about the weirdo part.  So leave me words and we can chat.  

As always, be sure to check out the 20 featured designers – there is some serious goodness happening. And be sure to check in on my fellow guest participants – over 200!

Layouts by Emily Vanderputten; Picture sources: 2 | 3