One Room Challenge – The Reveal

We have finally come to the end of the One Room Challenge and now is the time for the Reveal

Let’s start by saying, It’s my new favorite spot in the house.

Before

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The Room Challenges

Let’s recap what we didn’t like about the original space

• The space had several built-in which didn’t give much flexible floor space.
• Being in the North-West corner of the house, the room was dark and felt cold
• It needs to function as an Office/Den/Guest Room
• When I didn’t know what to do with something it got put in this space.
• Dark Green Sleeper-Sofa which is fairly new, functional, and barely fit into the room, had to stay.
• Both the windows in the room are offset from the center of the walls.

The Initial Design Plan

• Remove the built-in desk
• Wallpaper the room and inside the closet
• Find an old dresser and desk and refinish both
• Work with Boutique Rugs for a new rug
• Paint the built-in bookshelves white
• Replace the blinds with curtains
• Buy a new chair for the room
• Slipcover the sofa and make throw pillows

Actual Design Elements

When we removed the desk, we discovered that the hardwood floors weren’t refinished so we had to add that to our plan.

The wallpaper we wanted, had a lead time greater than 8 weeks so we decided to install vertical shiplap on one wall and paint the whole room white.

I did find wallpaper that I loved on Amazon and I wallpapered the inside of the closet. It was the old-fashioned paste wallpaper that I hadn’t done in years but it was like riding a bike. It was so easy to hang.

Once we took out the old closet organizer unit and put up the paper, Handy made two shelves for the upper part of the closet to house all of the things that I use as a home decor blogger.

I found an old desk that I painted white and dresser that after living with it for a while, we fell in love with it just the way it was. I initially had the dresser in the closet and the desk in the main space in the room but I ended up flip-flopping them and I’m much happier with it.

My rug from Boutique Rugs is absolutely perfect. It’s a white shag rug and it’s so soft and believe it or not you can’t see dirt and it vacuums up beautifully.

After getting a few bids on painting the bookshelves and then finding out they couldn’t finish it in a timely manner, “Handy” and I tackled it ourselves. We sanded it and painted it and it actually only took about a week to finish. It was easier than we thought and a real plus to our budget.

“Handy” was originally very opposed to painting the bookshelf white (What is it with men and wood?) He’ll never admit it but I think he actually likes it just fine.

The only architectural details in this room are the beams and we painted them white to highlight them. Casement molding and a sill were also added to the window frames to give them a more polished look.

Once our blinds arrived and we hung them, we both thought that curtains might darken up the space again and accentuate the fact that the windows aren’t centered on the walls.

I had a chair in our main living space that I’ve been wanting to recover for some time and when I couldn’t find a chair that I loved at a reasonable price, I decided to recover the chair. I took a course from Kim @chairwhimsy and I couldn’t be more proud of my beautiful chair.

By the time the slipcover arrived we really loved the green sofa in the space. It is a nice contrast to all of the white. I returned the slipcover without even taking it out of the box.

Cleaning out the clutter of the space has allowed for better use of what we already had available. The cabinet part of the built-in bookshelves now houses sheets, pillows, and blankets for the pull-out sofa when guests stay with us.

Truth be told I still have a few things that I need to find a home for but I’ve donated so much to Goodwill and I’ve also sold some of the items on FB Marketplace.

The Accessories

I styled the bookshelves with only the books and vintage finds that I love and want to keep

Things I Bought

• Two french country table lamps from Amazon
• A Blue & White throw
• An inexpensive white side table
• Fabric for the pillows and chair
• A mirror from Hobby Lobby
• A rolling cart for my closet office from Michaels
• I found some very inexpensive prints from Amazon and framed them with frames I already owned or new gold frames from Hobby Lobby.

DIY Projects

• I used rub n buff to transform an old mercury glass candle stick for the room
• I sewed two pillows
• I reupholstered a chair
• I made decoupage ornaments for my Christmas Tree

Partnerships

I’m so lucky to have a partnership with Boutique Rugs. They provided me with the White Judy Rug for this room and also a rug for my living room. They are both light and bright and completely transform both spaces. I couldn’t be happier with these rugs. You can enjoy an additional 5% off their already discounted prices by using code: LIVINGLARGE

King of Christmas gifted me a new Christmas Tree and it is in my One Room Challenge space. It definitely makes the space sparkle. The tree decor is inspired by my french country theme.

I’d like to thank these brands for helping make this room come alive. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Living Large in A Small House

A very Special Thanks to the One Room Challenge Team for keeping the guest participants motivated each week.

Also, thank you to Apartment Therapy for their support of this amazing event.

Recap

The room is bright and spacious. It’s inviting as both a den and an office space. We are looking forward to having our Daughter and Son-in-Law home in a few weeks and they can have a much more functional space to stay in.

As a Lifestyle Blogger and Podcaster, my office looks different than most. I have items that I use to stage my home on my shelves, pillow covers, and a basket full of throw blankets. I also have storage for photography equipment and podcasting equipment.

As a Den this space is comfortable, light, and airy. The sofa is directly across from the TV and the additional chair gives another option for seating.

We hope you enjoyed following along with our One Room Challenge adventure

Like all remodeling projects, our plans changed, and we ran into issues but we were able to pivot and make it all work. What we did made a huge difference and we couldn’t be happier.

Peace and Love

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