ORC Week 3: Decisions Decisions Decisions

Last week I previewed this week’s challenge would be a post about the lighting of the room… and then I changed my mind about the lighting I ordered. No lighting news here… yet. Instead, I decided to talk about the TRUE reality of the middle of a renovation or makeover…. decisions decisions decisions. What art, what textiles, what end tables, what styling… You know, all the personality of a room. The hardest part? the art above the bed and the side tables. I just can’t seem to make things work. Lets look at what I have to work with…

The above mood board is a reminder of the plan for my 100yr old house master bedroom. The plan above is overall look, but there are four  realities about having a plan….

1. A plan will keep you on track stylistically.
2. Every plan has a few items that anchor the plan. These rarely change. The items that anchor my space are the bed and my vintage dresser.
3. Not every decision made before the makeover will remain. To go even further, not every decision made on a computer SHOULD remain. Once you get off the computer and into the space there will be changes.
4. Some decisions cannot be made in the plan stage and they generally happen in the middle of the makeover.

Here we are at week three… the middle.

EVERYONE in a makeover, at some point, experiences the feeling for a change or a “tweak” in what they originally were thinking. The real world is not an HGTV makeover (sorry HGTV, I love you!). I love following the One Room Challenge Series because 6 weeks is more relatable.

About changes… In my design past, concerning changes, I would keep moving forward. Whether it was makeover weariness or the because I couldn’t return an item, I would keep moving forward in all decisions. Days, months or years later I wished I had taken the effort to switch it up.

I have learned the best designers are not perfect designers. They are the people who listen to the “this doesn’t feel right” intuition and pivot. I am NOT one of those “best designers” by any means, but I am hoping to be someone who can pivot,  edit it out, and also add in where needed.

Let’s start with the changes:

Change #1: The Mid-Century Sputnik Light.

The above light looks so amazing on the mood board. It looked even more amazing in my Amazon cart for $113. I put it together, and had my husband hold it up in place. Nope… it was too overwhelming. I realized then the light needed to have presence but didn’t need to make that much of a statement. I have a new plan, one I had initially thought until I was “woo’ed” by this pretty Amazon sputnik light. My new fixture is actually a non DIY… DIY project. Sound intriguing?

A better description of the project is a totally doable DIY Light for those who don’t do electrical. The post is coming next week. It will look something like this light from Rejuvenation, which is very characteristic of my 100 year old home. My version will have a brass base, is less expensive, and a little bit larger.

The Amazon light is on it’s way to the return center. If you follow the link you will see it is temporarily unavailable. That is because I bought the last fixture.  I can tell you it will be available in 5-7 business days if you want it!

Change #2 – The Nightstands.

The size is perfect, the style is wonderful, but the color is not right for my space. This night stand is from Target. The dark blue competes with the bed. The bed is definitely the star.

The dark colored night stand is wrong for the location in my room, especially on the left side of the bed. The nightstand just fades into the shadow. It needs to be complimentary to the bed but not be dark. This means a black night stand is a “no” as well.

I like the look of the above thrifted brass table but I only have one.

I thought about adding the above brass table on the left side of the bed. It’s the same finish and same height  as my thrifted end table so it fits a few of the guidelines for mismatched nightstands. I was going to press “checkout” and then my husband said… but I want a drawer. He is actually the dream husband for design. Whatever I want he wants. When he speaks up I know it’s important to him. Out of the shopping cart you go.

That’s okay because a soon found this little treasure at Target. The size is perfect, the wood is not too dark and not too rustic (I love rustic but not the look I am going for in this room), and it has a drawer. An added bonus is it has caning… I LOVE caning!

I love how Target has a new “see it in your space” option so I tried it out in my space. Sold… the nightstands are on their way.

Now, for the Mid-Makeover Decisions…

Decision #1: Wall Decor

I am leaning towards one large picture over my dresser and one photo/art over my bed with framed art/photo over my nightstands. I don’t want to count out a good gallery wall. Here is how I usually figure this out. It starts with a sketch and then turns into newspaper taped to my wall. Once the decision is made I choose the pieces for my walls.  I have in mind what I want for the large photo option. The gallery wall would need to be curated a little more. I am leaning towards no gallery wall because of decision #2…

Decision #2:  Curtains

I chose NOT to wallpaper the entire room. A full room wallpaper was an option at one point in the planning stage but I decided against it. The room is too small and I wanted the bulk of my budget to be in my bed. I need some fun pattern. I actually am a girl that loves 1-2 unexpected patterns. If the above wall paper from CB2 was a curtain it would already be on a UPS truck on it’s way to me. I know there are many fabric options I could turn into curtains. I do like to sew but I am knee deep in renovation projects for work so a more manageable DIY project is more appealing.

Palm leaf’s are classic mid-century but maybe I don’t want to be so exact. I am thinking more of a “nod” to mid-century but not exact. I really like this H&M Duvet used in an unexpected way.

Whew! Any thoughts or opinions? Comment away! All design eyes welcome (psst… that is everyone).

Here is what is left to do:

1. Paint Room
2. Re-size rug (more on this soon)
3. Place rugs in room
4. Install bed
5. Install wall sconces over bed
6. Install wall sconces over dresser
7. Install ceiling light
8. Put furniture into place (chair, nightstands, dresser)
9. Hang things on the wall
10. Buy Curtain Rods (brass or black… another decision)
11. Curtain DIY
12. Hang Curtains
13. Sew Pillow Shams
14. Paint Door
15. Figure out temporary yet stylish closet closure (another decision)
16. Style mantle
17. Style Room
18. Take a nap

Here are my previous Spring 2018 One Room Challenge Posts:

• Week 1
• Week 2

Make sure you check out the featured designers and the other guest participants!