One Room Challenge: Week 2

This, week two of the One Room Challenge, has been a week of deliveries, paint samples, and heartbreak. Yes. Heartbreak.

I am a girl who knows better than to fall in love with something vintage and NOT PULL THE TRIGGER IMMEDIATELY. I should have known that this bonkers-good light fixture wouldn't last long. To be honest, the price was a bit steep for my budget, so I was trying to justify it in my head. I think the real justification is that it was unique, one-of-a-kind, and when something is amazeballs you should really just get it. As the wise Miled Redd once said, "Buy the best and you only cry once." My sentiments exactly. Now I'll cry every. Single. Day. (Or at least until I find another hot Italian fixture for the ceiling in this space.) Sigh.

So, here are the bones of my plan for Mini Mister's bedroom. (And here is last week's post, if you need to catch up: Week 1)

Darth? Why is Darth on the board? Well, Superhubs has seen this plan, and is a bit worried that I have mistaken our ten-year-old for a grown man. Maybe I have, a little. This guy isn't a big "toy kid" - he's never really played with toys. He's mostly a sporty person and likes to be active and ride bikes and play any sport that uses a ball. We have lots of books, but not lots of "kid" things. So, as I pulled the plan together, I thought I'd put that Darth mask on the board to remind me he's still a little guy for a bit longer. (That, and because Superhubs instructed "the Darth mask STAYS.")

That desk may be the score of the room. I went with my girlfriend to a giant clearance sale that an auction house in town was having. She found this puppy (for $125!!!) and I bit! I have been looking for a small desk for a couple of years, and this was just the thing. It has Transformer qualities that I think MM will appreciate; ie the roll-top and the pull-out workspace... The storage with a LOCK/KEY is something he'll surely use when trying to keep things away from the nosy little Smallest Assistant.

Speaking of... I put Smallest Assistant in charge of unpacking and placing the rug... She likes to fancy herself an "excellent helper." Mmmmhmmm... Anyway, the rug was my springboard for the space. MM loves him some blue-and-orange, and so when I saw this vintage Turkish number on Etsy, I knew it was the start of something good. It, too, cost a bit more than I meant to spend, but I really think he will have this to take with him when he moves off to college. It is that classic.

Now I am trying to figure out the walls. The board shows some lovely grasscloth which I would love to do, but the walls are textured, and between skimming and buying/hanging wallpaper, it would cost about $2500.00 to do it in here. Superhubs and I agreed that this investment might be lost on a small guy who doesn't think twice about playing catch with himself by bouncing rubber balls off of the walls.

Then I had this terrible idea... (I say terrible, because of the faux-finish PTSD that I still suffer from, the likes of which stems from the '90s era of sponge and feather duster painting. I actively detest faux finishes unless done by highly skilled artisans, and those folks cost far more than the wallpaper ever could.) 

This Ralph Lauren texture looks a lot like grasscloth. However, I fear the reality would be disappointing, also because the walls are textured and the lines wouldn't probably stay straight. This stupid wall texture is ruining my vision. Meanwhile, I have 5 patches of blue paint on the walls as I try to find a blue paint that is somehow bright and not brash. I'm pretty sick of the grey-ed out blue that is on the walls. (I'm tiring of grey, in general.) But blue can be bossy if bright, baby if light, and blah if browned. It's a tough one to get right without going deep indigo/navy, which is going against my dream of a brighter, less depressing space.

The duvet cover arrived too. I really love the simplicity of it, and I love that it's made of organic cotton. We sleep with our duvets "European style" and don't use top sheets, but rather just use the duvet cover as our top sheet. It makes bed-making a breeze, and prevents claustrophobic tangling situations from happening while we sleep... So that this soft, organic fabric is against the skin - well that's a good situation.

So that's the stats, friends. Next week at this time I hope to have the walls all figured out, and maybe even executed... I will update you on the lighting search, the window, art, decor etc. and hopefully I will have found an equally amazeballs light to replace the (RIP) one I missed. * boo hoo *  #firstworldproblems

 

Click this link to see all of the other linking participants in the ORC!

 

 

Comments

[Kate Collins]

I love the rug! That and the desk were both huge wins!! Sorry about the light fixture. It's always so hard with the ones that get away. I hear ya on the wallpaper - we have plaster walls - it's such a pain.

[Sharon]

Of course as soon as you said textured walls I checked to see if you were in Texas. Which you are. The textured walls make decorating really difficult. Really like the plan for your son's room, and Darth brings in a little black, which all rooms need. Happy to be following along.

[Emilie]

Thank you for your sweet comment, Stephanie! I love your design board and it really seems to be coming to life! I am so sorry for your loss--I would have the same reaction. Did you check out Lucent Light Shop? I found an awesome fixture from them for my last ORC! Only wish I had known about Gypsy Rugs a few weeks ago (side eyes), although I like my rug...just not as much as the photo of it on Etsy, ha! Anyway, good luck with the walls--I feel your pain, but it sounds like you have some good ideas! Don't overthink it (like I did!). See you next week!

[Laura Ingalls Gunn]

Stephanie I adore the direction that your room is headed towards! You did SO much better than I did in my room this week.

I would love for you to share this post at Thoughts of Home on Thursday. I think our readers would really enjoy it!

Good luck in the upcoming week!

[Lizzie @ Living Pretty]

Love your plan! That rug is gorgeous...and the desk. Hope you can find an equally awesome light again. I'm doing my kids' room for the ORC too. Can't wait to see how yours comes together - I'll be following along!

[Linda]

Nice ideas, and lovely rug!