One Room Challenge – Fall 2016 – Week 1

One Room Challenge – Fall 2016 – Week 1

Here we are again!  It is One Room Challenge time.  I am really excited to be participating again!  It will be difficult to top my Boys Bunk Room from the last One Room Challenge since that was such a dramatic before and after in six weeks (technically 5 weeks!), but now that I have completed one season of the ORC, I think I have more of a feel for how it should go.  I definitely hope I will not be up painting three nights in a row like last year.  OY!

In case you missed it, here is the Before…

boys jumping on beds

And this is the After…

bunk roomimage by brian mcweeney photography

Here are all of the links if you want to go back and read about this makeover:

Boys Bunk Room – Week 1

Boys Bunk Room – Week 2

Boys Bunk Room – Weeks 3 & 4

Boys Bunk Room – Week 5

Boys Bunk Room REVEAL!! – Week 6

I am so glad we did it because it has been wonderful for the boys and all of our kids in general.  All four of our children love to be in there together, and it has been fun. It is such a vibrant, happy room!  This past summer during our vacation at the beach, the one thing the boys talked about missing was their bunks.  It makes Kent and I feel good that they love their space so much.

Speaking of Kent, he was really the motivation behind the room I decided to transform.  Our bedroom has never been totally put together since we moved in, and we have both expressed a desire to have a “retreat” for both he and I.  (Kent has especially been wanting to work on our room for the past year or so)  Through all of the construction we have had for the past nearly six years, furniture has shifted in and out of our Master, and it has served as a catch-all depending on what space we have been working on.  I felt it appropriate to show you where we started.

This is what the bedroom looked like when we moved in.

bedroom before

It had a really thick texture on the walls, and it had been sponge painted a cornflower blue color.  It was ridiculously difficult to get the texture off, and I have to say removing texture from walls and ceilings is one of my least favorite jobs ever.  It just makes me upset because all I can think of is why, Why, WHYYYYYYYYYY???!!!

Little PSA: If you have the option, make your walls and ceiling smooth, it looks so much better, and it will not look dated in the future.  Your builder or contractor will not like this option, and will probably try to talk you out of it.  The reason?  Texturing is cheap, and much much less work.  It takes more time and energy to get a smooth wall.

Once we had the texture off the walls, we painted it white, and it looked like this.  This picture is circa 2011.  We still had a long way to go though.  (i.e. fan)  You can see the original 1919 sconces on the wall, too.  Although I love old things, and we have kept 98% of the old lights in this house, these did not stay.

master bedroom before

We eventually covered the walls in a beautiful grasscloth wallpaper that I love.  Even though I did not think the rest of the room was right, I do like the grasscloth.  This room has been tricky to get right because of the size (not big), the shape (rectangular), and the issue of where to put the bed.

bedroom before

I like the bed to be in front of you when you walk into the bedroom, but I also like to look out the window from my bed.  As you can see in the above photo, we tried the bed on the right wall for awhile, but that did not feel right to me, and this setup seemed to shrink the room even more.  We eventually moved the bed in front of the windows, but the sills are really deep so the bed sticks out.  This bothered me for awhile, but I have since embraced the window sills as a small nightstand.

There is some definite “old house character” I like in this room such as the original blue opaline doorknob, and the arched nook for books.  I picked up this old porter chair at an estate sale years ago, and it is getting a makeover, too.

bedroom before

Some old house character I am not so thrilled about are the majorly cracked ceiling (we are addressing this) and the different sized windows.  I wrote about the windows and the cornice boards (which are getting a new home) in this post long ago.

AStoriedStyle.com

The element I am most excited about bringing in for this room makeover are these pair of doors I found at my favorite local salvage yard.  They are nine feet of glorious, and yes, they need some TLC, but in my mind, their makeover will look amazing!

P.S.  I have a predilection for old doors – read this post and this post to see how I have used them in my home

salvage doors

Probably the biggest challenge in this transformation will be matching my husband and I’s views of what a Master Bedroom should feel like.  If it were up to me, it would be all white and airy and light.  : )  My husband wants it to feel cozy and warm and intimate.  I love the use of natural materials in a bedroom and in any space for that matter – raw wood, linen, silk, etc.  So definitely expect those elements, plus see how I meld my husband and I’s styles together next week when I reveal the design plan for our Master Bedroom.

Thank you for following along!

Follow me on Instagram for sneak peeks as we move forward.

Until the next story.

xo, G

Be sure to check out all of the One Room Challenge participants by clicking here.

18 Comments
  • Jeanne
    Posted at 09:53h, 06 October Reply

    I’m excited to see how you handle the master bedroom – loved what you did with your boys’ room for the last challenge. I am also trying the master…here’s to inspiration and drive!

    • Grace
      Posted at 08:01h, 07 October Reply

      Thank you so much! I’m excited to check out your progress! xo, G

  • Emily Henderson
    Posted at 09:54h, 06 October Reply

    So glad you are participating again because I love everything you do!
    Good luck and I know your master is going to be fantastic!

    • Grace
      Posted at 08:01h, 07 October Reply

      Sweet Emily, thank you! I’m excited!

  • My Life From Home (Amy)
    Posted at 10:31h, 06 October Reply

    I can’t wait to see what you do with the space! Your boy’s bedroom was my favorite from last round. Whatever you do will be great.

    • Grace
      Posted at 08:11h, 07 October Reply

      Awww thank you, I’m so happy to hear that. I’m excited and nervous. 🙂 xo, G

  • Ellie
    Posted at 12:22h, 06 October Reply

    You ROCKED last season! I’m looking forward to your design.

    • Grace
      Posted at 08:12h, 07 October Reply

      Thank you, Ellie! I was so proud of it, hope I can bring it this season, too. 🙂

  • Kelly Rogers
    Posted at 21:49h, 06 October Reply

    Wow – what a stunning bunk room you created last time! How great that this time around you get to do something for yourself. Good luck with all of the negotiations and compromises ahead; I’m looking forward to following along!

    • Grace
      Posted at 08:14h, 07 October Reply

      Hi Kelly, thank you! Yes, my husband is especially excited! 🙂 There has definitely been a good bit of compromise already, but I think we are getting to an agreement. xo, G

  • Samantha Bell
    Posted at 06:11h, 07 October Reply

    You are my favorite from last year of anyone! i am xcited to see what you do! I also have a husband with a different style than mine, so I’m interested to see how you pull this together.

    • Grace
      Posted at 08:14h, 07 October Reply

      Thanks Samantha! What a compliment!

  • Jillian
    Posted at 09:02h, 07 October Reply

    I can’t wait to see it! I know the magic that you can weave in designing master bedrooms! It will be phenomenal!

    • Grace
      Posted at 21:08h, 13 October Reply

      Ha! 😉 Thank you, Jillian!! xoxoxo

  • Heather
    Posted at 20:13h, 09 October Reply

    I am SO in love with that chair, and your whole vision!! And honestly after your kiddos space, I don’t think you could EVER do anything less than amazing in my eyes!!!

    • Grace
      Posted at 21:08h, 13 October Reply

      Heather, that is the sweetest! Thank you! I’m excited about it, the chair makeover is going to be fab, I think! xoxo

  • Carrie
    Posted at 07:43h, 11 October Reply

    I’m so excited to watch you work. No judgement, I get how busy life is, but I have MISSED your blog posts. I’m excited that ORC can bring you back.

    • Grace
      Posted at 21:09h, 13 October Reply

      Awwww thank you, Carrie. That really means more than you know. I think I will be back more when my new site is up. I REALLY appreciate your comment. xo, G

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