Thursday, May 7, 2015

One Room Challenge, Week Six: the reveal



The One Room Challenge is done!  Thank goodness.  Three weeks for a makeover is not exactly a leisurely pace.






As for the dilemma about where to hang the curtains, I decided to hang the curtains above the fan window.  I like how it looks, and it provides coverage from the late afternoon sun.


The main challenge for this room was to spend as little as possible, and reuse as much already-owned decor as possible.  I think I succeeded, for the most part.  I bought a 10x13 rug on Craigslist for $200. I spent $4 on yarn-bombing a cardboard steer, $35 on a pair of Ritva curtains, $34 on Anthro pillow shams that didn't show up on time, $20 on a lucite tray, and $18 on a quart of paint. Everything else I already owned. I will consider $311 a successful room makeover.

So I opened my new sewing machine and attempted to make pillows.  Hahahahaha.  It took me four days to make the first pillow, and I finished it last night, mere hours before the linking party.  I did it all wrong in pretty much every way.  I couldn't get the bobbin thread to catch, I tangled the bobbin when winding it, I accidentally sewed the envelope opening closed, I lined everything up backwards....it was quite the exercise in frustration.  I kept giving myself the same pep talk I give to my kids: "why do you think you will be awesome at something the first time you try? You have to practice! You do it over and over again and then you get good at it! Of course you will be terrible at it the first time!"

No wonder my kids roll their eyes at me.

I comforted myself with the thought that at least I had ordered a pair of Anthro pillow shams that would look good---I could just skip the homemade pillows and finish them at my leisure.  Then the Anthro package showed up, and the packaging that said "PAIR of standard shams" contained only ONE sham.

Thanks for nothing, Anthropologie.  Back to the sewing machine.


They are ok, as pillows go.  They could be worse.  They look like a pillow, so I will take that as a victory.  I had big plans for fancy-shmancy pillows, with ribbon trim and pompoms, but this exercise showed me that fancy-shmancy is currently far above my skill set.  Be impressed that I managed to finish the second pillow in under three hours instead of the four days it took to do the first one.


I'll be honest, the king bed could use a third Euro sham (and a second standard sham, should it ever arrive)....but I need a rest from pillow making.

It isn't perfect, but this Challenge got me a master bedroom that is 99% done only a few weeks after moving in to our new house, so I'm pretty happy.  Thanks to Linda for running this party, and allowing me to party-crash halfway through!

Sources:
Headboard: west elm king matelasse headboard, discontinued
nightstands: HomeGoods bombe chest, painted BM Hale Navy
painting over nightstand: thrift store
orange lamps: HomeGoods
cobalt lamps: craigslist
blue diamond duvet cover: Nate Berkus Parker duvet from Target, discontinued
curtains: Ritva curtains
longhorn: Cardboard Safari
carpet: craigslist
dressers: Malm
Darth Vader art: Dave Pollot etsy store
blue/orange standard pillow sham: Anthropologie Florence sham
floral Euro sham: Pottery Barn Bettina print, discontinued
round  mirror: craigslist (I think it is Ikea)

See Week Three, Four and Five, and see the other linking participants herehttp://www.callingithome.com/2015/05/one-room-challenge-linking-event-spring.html!  I can't wait to see everyone's finished rooms!

23 comments:

  1. sooo good, lisa! i love the fun colors, love the bull head and love the rug! and great pattern mixing on the bed,t oo!

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    1. thanks Cassie! Playing with the fabrics is my favorite part.

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  2. Looks great! I love how everything is pulled together by the rug. Enjoy your bedroom.

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  3. So fresh and chic!! Amazing transformation...well done!!

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  4. I am nearly 4 years into our house, and our master bedroom is a horrible pit of awfulness. No hyperbole. So, I am very jealous. I love the way you've used color. It's bold and subtle at the same time. And that rug: serious envy there, too. It looks just like I wish mine felt: Serene and warm. I think you should come fix my room. :-)

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    1. thanks Rita :-) I have many rooms that just won't come together, no matter how much I try. (The guest bedroom, the family room, the boys' bedroom in the last house...)

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  5. Beautiful! Good call on getting the longer panels and hanging them above the fan window. Love the pillows, totally worth the effort.

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    1. thank you Margaret! I do like the curtains hung above the fan window--I think that really worked out.

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  6. How fun and fabulous is this. I love everything.

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  7. So simple yet stylish! Love the colour palette, well done!

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  8. Your pillow story is hilarious! I haven't attempted sewing since 7th grade home-ec. class. I don't even own a sewing machine, so kudos to you for trying! The room looks lovely. Love the nightstand and lamps. I'm impressed with this 3 week challenge!

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  9. Looks great, Lisa! I love it. And yay on your decision to put the curtain up above the arc window, it's a chic look, given the un-chic '80s window. And I love the blue bombe chests, should you ever decide to part with them, let me know & I'll buy them from you! ;) I'm going to be adding more blue into my own master, and they'd be perfect.

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  10. thanks, Kelly! I painted the bombe chests Hale Navy (had it colormatched at Home Depot), so you can have that blue in your bedroom anytime :-) I haven't seen you in forever--we should get together soon!

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  11. What an amazing transformation! A true job well done. I adore the color palette you selected. It feels fresh and fun. The six weeks went by so fast. I completed our entry, living and dining areas in a new to us 30 year old house. So, cheers to us! Have a wonderful week.

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  12. I love the way you always mix it up, Lisa. This is lovely and in 3 weeks....it's a perfect look for a crazy short time. Great job, you should feel really good.

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  13. I think it looks great - the pillow the room and how you hung the curtains too!

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  14. This is so pretty...perfect pops of colors. It's bright, airy, and very inviting :-).

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  15. LOL...the pillow episode is hilarious! It sounds like me and my sewing machine which I finally gave to my sister because I was afraid I would hurl it through a window or at anyone standing near:) Love your room and good Lord that rug was such a steel! It is perfect!

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  16. You do the BEST job with using lots of color without it ever getting overwhelming. I aspire to be you in my next decorating life. :) LOVE everything you've done - good choice with the curtains. Yarn-bombing the steer head is AWESOME. What a happy place to wake up! :)

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