one room challenge

One Room Challenge – Modern Rustic Office – Week Four

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When I woke up this morning, I somehow convinced myself that it was week five instead of week four and almost started hyperventilating. So, instead of feeling panicking about only having two weeks left, I’m feeling good about these last two weeks…even though we have LOTS left to do. For those of you who are new here, I signed up for the One Room Challenge, a biannual, six week challenge in which you document the process of re-imagining a space from top to bottom. It’s hosted by Better Homes and Gardens and is loads of fun! If you would like to catch up, here are links to week one, week two, and week three.

Here is the mood board that I put together to help me visualize the space better. Although, lots has been happening this week, and some tweaks have been made to the original plan. But, I think I’m going to keep those changes a secret until the big reveal. A girl needs to keep a surprise or two up her sleeve, ya know?

The biggest accomplishment this week is that we HAVE FOUR WALLS! Yes, four walls! And I decided to stain those walls. I wanted to get some of the yellow and orange tones out of the wood and hopefully, keep it from darkening into a big orange mess. Here is what the walls were looking like before the stain.

And after the stain…

It might be hard to tell from these photos, but IRL this wood is looking WAY whiter, and WAY brighter! I’m really happy that it matches the floors now so it doesn’t feel visually overwhelming with multiple wood tones all happening in a small space.

Ok…so now down to business. Here is the to-do list so we can finish this sucker on time!

TO-DO

  1. Ceiling finished
  2. Install baseboards
  3. Install lighting – interior/exterior
  4. Paint touching up – interior/exterior
  5. Window boxes
  6. Install blinds
  7. Furniture install and figure out layout
  8. Decide on a coffee table

These are the big items but there are a few other odds and ends that I need to figure out as well. Lots of little details left! So that’s it for now! Until next week! And as always, if you have any questions, leave them below! XOXO

 

DIY, one room challenge

One Room Challenge – Rustic Modern Office Space – Week Three

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OK! Here we are again…week three is already upon us! If you’re new here, let me fill you in on what’s going on! I am totally redesigning an office space/outdoor shed for my husband, who works from home, as part of the One Room Challenge. If you would like to catch up in order, here’s a link to Week One and Week Two. Once again, here’s a looky at my vision or plan for the space.

So this week was all about paints and stains. I needed to make a choice for a treatment for the floors ( 1×6 pine boards) and I have been planning on a moody accent wall since we began envisioning the space. I needed a rich, dark color and after looking at 975,873,489 black(ish) paint swatches, I landed on Black Jack by Benjamin Moore. Here’s the wall for which the paint was intended.

The sofa that is going to be sitting against this wall is a butterscotch color and I’m so excited to see it just POP against this moody color. In fact, I just recieved word today that the sofa is shipping out in the next few days….someone pinch me!

I have painted lots of walls during the course of my diy adventures, but painting wood paneling is no joke. Getting the paint between the boards is a time sucker. Also, a tip that I thought I would share would be, that if you’re planning on painting paneling a dark color, paint the wall behind in a dark shade before you install the wood. This way, any cracks that are visible when you finish installing, are already dark in color. Mmmmmmkay??  Out of the three previous photos, the third one most accurately represents the color in real life. And of course, I went with a matte finish because I just can’t ever get enough of that velvety finish.

Next up was choosing the stain and polyurethane for the floors. I mentioned this in my last post but a very wise reader wrote and warned me that if I didn’t use some kind of stain, then the floors would eventually darken and yellow. A look that I am trying to avoid.

When I found this antique white by Varathane, I knew I had found what I was looking for. It gave the floors a very bright white look but didn’t cover any of the wood grain or knots.

I applied the first coat of polyurethane just this afternoon and am still undecided about how many coats I should do. I will probably do at least one more for good measure. It is pine which means it’s a very soft wood, so we need maximum protection.

Finally, I liked the color that I used on the accent wall inside so much, that I may just use it for the exterior too. I tested a spot and me likey…

But we’ll save that discussion for next week! See ya in a week! Oh…and if you have any questions for me….don’t be shy! Leave me a comment below! XO

Decorating, DIY, Home Improvement, one room challenge

One Room Challenge – Rustic Modern Office Space – Week Two

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Hi guys! It’s week two already, and things are happening over here! Last week, I let you in on my exciting plans to completely revamp my husbands shack of an office as part of the One Room Challenge. And just a refresher, here’s a look at the mood board from which I’m using to plan the space.

1./2./3./4./5./6.

So this week was all about the floors and walls…as in, we needed both. When the shed arrived, it had just plywood for both so I was excited to get started and get some walls and floors down. For the floors, we went with pine 1×6 boards. Originally, I was just going to leave them as-is, and add a poly for a protective coat, but then a reader informed me (you guys are SO helpful…keep sending me all your tips) that if I went that route, the floors would darken over time leaving us with a 1950’s cabin vibe (a look that I love, actually), but not the Scandi look I am going for for this project. So…in order to keep these floors from darkening, I am going to use a white stain that I’m hoping will keep them light and bright. I considered a lime wash, but was discouraged when I started researching the process. Seems so complicated! For now, the plan is to stain with a transparent white stain and then lots of poly to protect and seal them.

 

For the walls, we are going to use the same tongue and groove pine planking that we used for our stair well project that we completed this winter. I’m a big fan of the texture that it brings to a space. Also, it lends itself to a more casual look and I’m all about casual, comfortable spaces.

Because the floors are going to be so bright and natural light isn’t an issue for this office space, I am thinking about painting the long wall (the one that doesn’t have a window) a deep, matte black. Originally, I was contemplating trying the shou sugi ban technique, where you actually singe and burn the wood for a dark and dramatic effect. But, since the paneling is already installed and I don’t want to burn the shed down, paint will have to do!

See how much lighter the paneling is (on the left) versus the old plywood (on the right)??? The plywood has a lot of orange and pink undertones that I am just not feeling. This project is really making me get creative because I LOVE a rustic look, but for the shed, if I go too rustic, then it starts to resemble that murder shack look that I am desperately trying to avoid. So balance is the key here, folks.

So that’s the skinny on our progress for our second week! Guys, I cannot wait to get to the pretty stuff…furniture, lighting, accessories….ya know, the fun part! Have any questions for me? Hit me up! Until next week!

Decorating, DIY, Home Improvement, one room challenge

rustic modern office space – one room challenge: week one

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Well….here we go again! It’s time start another round of the One Room Challenge…only this time, spring edition 2019. Last fall, was my first stab at the ORC and I had so much fun transforming a boring little half bath into a rad, ostrich filled powder room. So, I’m back again, but with a whole new game plan! Here’s what I’m thinking!

1./2./3./4./5./6.

Now, as some of you know, my hubs works from home full-time. When we first moved into our house, we made the loft area at the top of the stairs (the space that I now lovingly refer to as the mom loft) into his office. Well, it didn’t take us long to figure out that that space was not going to work…think screaming toddlers, barking puppies, and a constant flow of kids coming and going with their friends. My hubs needed a quiet place to work so we had to come up with a solution that would better suit the needs of our very busy, and very LOUD family. After some research, we found a local place where you design your own shed online and they bring your designs to life and build it on site. The whole process only takes a few weeks and then they come and deliver your new shed in the spot of your choice. It took some convincing by the hubs, but eventually I caved and here we are!

THE BEFORE

Okay, here’s our starting point. A truly blank slate.

We added the window boxes that you see but they didn’t make it through the winter…but that’s another story (insert eye roll here). We also added electricity, cable/internet and have also wired it for two exterior lights that will flank the front door. The outside is cute….but wait until you see the inside…gulp.

GENERAL DIRECTION I’M HEADING

Ok…so the goal for this project is to transform this murder shack into a cozy, rustic office; heavy on the PNW vibes. The walls will be shiplap all the way around and the long wall without any windows is going to get the shou sugi ban treatment. Can’t wait to try that! If I can find one that is the right size, a wood stove for the corner and a built-in to house some stacked wood. His desk will stay in the same location but we have a new desk picked. There will also be a seating area to hang out for when one of the kids or myself go out to deliver a hot coffee or a sandwich for lunch. This is just a quick run-down and meant to give you an overall and very general idea of the direction that I’m heading. That’s it for now!

And stay tuned because I have a few surprises up my sleeve too! See ya next week!

 

DIY, Home Improvement, one room challenge, Renovating

one room challenge: week 5 – wainscoting

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It’s week Five of the One Room Challenge! This is also the week where I realize there is only one week left to finish up – everything! Well, you know what they say, time really does fly when you’re having fun…errrrrr renovating a bathroom. Last week, for Week Four, we finished the wallpaper but we still don’t have ya know, a toilet, a sink or anything else that makes this space a proper bathroom. And just in case you need to do some catching up, here are links to Week Three, Week Two, and Week One. Also, here is my mood board that has been serving as a blue print and as sort of my inspiration for the space.

And now that we’re on the subject of the moodboard, I have made a few modifications since we are so close to finishing this thing up! The first change is small but the light that I originally had picked was actually more of a bronze in color and after I saw the black, black faucet and some other finishes in person, I knew it needed to be black. So the new one is black and just a single light, instead of the double that is pictured above. The other change is the rug. I had been eyeing a vintage rug for weeks and I finally went ahead and pulled the trigger. I am so excited to show you guys but I think I am going to save it for the reveal. Gotta have a couple surprises, right? And the third and final change is the mirror. I started feeling like the space needed some warmth in all that matte black so I changed my mind and went with a wood mirror. Again, you’re gonna have to wait to see that until next week!

Ok – now back to business. This week we focused on the wainscoting! Remember the inspiration photo I showed you all a couple weeks ago?

We’ve made a few modifications to the design, mostly just with the angles of the wood and a few pieces of trim that we added. I’m really proud of this wainscoting and really think it’s going to give the space some serious pizzazz.

My husband and I both thought that this process was going to be a lot more difficult than it actually was. We found this material at Lowe’s and we love it! We are going to be using it for another project in the future, I’m just not sure what, yet.

The first thing we decided on was how high we wanted the wainscoting to go up the wall. For us, we wanted it a bit higher than traditional wainscoting and opted for 54″ from the floor. We snapped a horizontal chalk line around the room at that 54″ mark. Next, we snapped a vertical chalk line at the mid-point of each wall. This would mark where we wanted the planking to meet. After those two things were done, we had another decision to make: at what angle do we want the planks? Once we held a few pieces up on the wall so that I could visually see the angles (cause I’m a visual person and that’s what makes it easiest for me to make decisions) we pretty quickly landed on a good ol’45 degree angle for the win! And then it’s slow and steady progress from there…plank by plank and cut by cut.

Since the wainscoting was going up, this meant that it was time for us to make the plumbing modifications for our new wall mount faucet. But, we are the luckiest people around because our neighbor happens to be a plumber! I know, I know, don’t be jealous. So, he was nice enough to donate his time and showed my husband the ropes and they got that new faucet installed and looking GOOD. Thank you, Phil!!

The wainscoting is almost completely done and that means that I’m going to be filling ALL those nail holes and then painting it. I can’t wait to see this all painted! Here’s a progress shot so you can see exactly just how many nail holes are in the planks. Holy moly…there’s a lot.

Also, I found a paint color and here’s a sneak peak for ya!

So that’s our progress report for this week! Can you believe we only have one week left??? I’m so excited to finish this project and I’m also giddy to see some of the other makeovers. I’ve been poking around on some other blogs to see how the progress is coming along and it’s looking like some pretty fabulous projects are in the works. Can’t wait!

Oh and here’s my final to-do list so I can finish this baby up:

  1. trim out wainscoting
  2. fill all nail holes and caulk and sand wainscoting
  3. paint wainscoting
  4. install toilet
  5. install sink
  6. clean the whole space – all that construction dust and mess
  7. accessory time – install mirror, toilet paper holder, and towel hook. Hang art!

So much to do in so little time! Think I can do it???

 

DIY, one room challenge, Renovating

One Room Challenge: Week Four – Wallpaper

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Well…it’s that time again! It’s time for the weekly update for the One Room Challenge. Can you believe it’s already week four of my bathroom remodel? As a quick recap, I am redoing my bathroom over six weeks and am sharing the progress here, in real time, as part of the One Room Challenge. Here’s a link back to Week One, Week two, and Week Three. And just in case you need another refresh, here is the mood board that I put together as a sort of blue print and for inspiration.

This week was a fun one! We spent the last few days wallpapering the bathroom and although I was a little nervous about diving in, it was actually pretty fun once we got into a groove! When the wallpaper arrived, I was so delighted/excited that I couldn’t wait to get started.

I’ll give you the general rundown on the actual process of wallpapering so you can get the jist. The process is pretty simple and if I can do it, you can do it, too! It’s all about paying attention to details and making sure your lines are straight. Once you have straight lines, the process starts cruising. Measure first, and pre-cut your strips of wallpaper so that you aren’t measuring and trying to cut the paper when the adhesive is on the wall. Because we found that it starts drying really fast. We used a chalk line to mark straight lines and used that as a guide to line the individual pieces of paper to. The adhesive goes into the wall with a roller, and the sheet just sticks right onto the wall. Start smoothing with your flat edge to get all the bubbles out and use a SHARP razor to make your cuts at the ceiling. Done and done! Like I said, this is a very short summary of the process.

We decided we were going to st0p half way down the wall as we are installing wainscoting on the lower portion of the walls to really give this tiny space some pizzazz. The light fixture arrived yesterday and I’m smitten. It’s just perfect and looks so sharp next to all those black ostriches.

Now that the wallpaper is up, next on the to-do list is the plumbing. We are changing the plumbing so that it can accommodate a faucet that comes directly out of the wall. Once this is done, then we can start installing the wainscoting. My hubby started on one of the walls so I will give you a sneaky peaky. I will have to fill in all the knots and nail holes with wood filler and then all of the wood will be painted black. Or a color that’s very close to black.

So that’s where we’re at! What do you think of the ostriches? Do  you love them as much as I do? Anybody have any wallpapering horror stories they want to share? I sure read about some doozies online when I was doing research before we started. Only two weeks to go so I’ll be back next week with lots (hopefully) to report on!

 

 

DIY, one room challenge, Renovating

one room challenge: week three – DEMO!

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Hi all! It’s week three of our funky tiny half-bath remodel! Time is flying! As a quick catch up, I am redoing our half-bath as part of the One Room Challenge. If you need to refresh your memory or maybe you’re new here (WELCOME!), here is Week One with my mood board and Week Two with even more deets, and some very fancy wainscoting plans.

So the biggest change this week is that we finally have a freshly demo’d space! I love this part so much. Taking out all the old helps me envision the new! Goodbye tiny toilet! Goodbye boring sink!

The most exciting part of this process is that some of the items that we chose for the bathroom have started to arrive! My wallpaper came (it’s amazing) and it’s going in this weekend. My sister has graciously volunteered to come over for the weekend and we are gonna get our wallpaper ONNNNNN. Love you, Collin! Also, a few of the accessories have arrived and seeing them in person is an absolute delight!

Here’s the to-do list (in order):

  1. Decide whether or not to paint the ceiling
  2. Install wallpaper
  3. Change the plumbing to accomodate a wall mounted faucet
  4. Wainscoting construction and install
  5. New toilet install
  6. Sink install
  7. Light fixture, mirror and accessories

Now the fun really begins! I’ll be back next week with some good progress for ya! Now…does anyone have any wallpaper tips for me? Or maybe what NOT to do? This is my first time! Wish me luck!

Decorating, DIY, one room challenge, Renovating

one room challenge: week two

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Well that was fast! This week FLEW BY. I can’t believe we are already in the second week for the ORC. Last week, I let you in on my exciting plans to update our tiny powder room as a part of the One Room Challenge. Let’s have another looky at ye ol’moodboard:

1. // 2. // 3. // 4. // 5. // 6. //

This week is still slow moving and I am still finalizing all the plans and waiting for items to start arriving. The biggest change this week from last week is that I decided on a style of wainscoting that will go on the bottom half of the wall – underneath the most fabulous wallpaper that has ever existed. I was scrolling for inspiration for a modern style of wainscoting online because I was sure I didn’t want to go with the traditional look when I found this little beauty. I showed my husband and he is game (albeit a tincy bit scared) to give it a try! Wish us ALLLLLLLLL the luck.

Source Unknown – but if you know, let me know and I’d be happy to credit them. 

It will definitely be painted. I’m thinking somewhere in the neighborhood of a charcoal – but I will have to wait and see the wallpaper in person before I can make a final decision. We went toilet shopping this week (I know what you’re thinking…yes, we know how to have a good time) and selected a new toilet which is something that we have been wanting to replace in all of our bathrooms – the current ones are really small and low to the floor. Weird, right?

Our next mission is remove the current sink. We will have to move the plumbing to accommodate a wall mounted faucet because of the sink we chose. We originally found the sink with a navy border from Rejuvenation, but the navy was making things hard to coordinate. After a bit more googling, we ended up finding it in black at a few other spots, and for a bit cheaper, too. Easier to incorporate and less money? Sounds like a win-win to me! Here’s a little refresher in case you forgot what that looks like.

So that’s where we’re at after our first week. I know that’s not too much of an update, but just wait until next week after demo has been completed! That is going to be fun, but we will also be down one bathroom which I hadn’t really thought of until…..well, just now. The wallpaper, and a fun addition to be hung on the wall are both supposed to be arriving in the next week, so those will be fun to share as well. Hit me up with any questions! Until next week!

Decorating, DIY, Home Improvement, Renovating

tiny funky half bath – one room challenge: week one

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I’m coming at ya today with some very exciting news! I’m officially taking part in my first One Room Challenge! What’s that, you ask? Well….lemme fill you in. The One Room Challenge is a bi-annual design event where participants completely renovate a room in six weeks. Everyone checks in once a week with a progress report (or lack thereof) and spills the beans about the good, the bad, and the ugly. This event is designed to encourage and inspire, which is totally my cup of tea.

The space that I’m going to focus on is our teeny tiny downstairs half-bath. It’s small and since this is my first go-around with the ORC – I figured it was kinda the perfect fit. So, here’s my vision. And I’m going to give myself permission to change my mind at any point. Mmmmmmkay?

1. // 2. // 3. // 4. // 5. // 6.

This lil’baby of a bathroom is located just off of our front entrway. Soooooo, it makes sense to me that it should be pretty as guests see this room right as they walk into the house. Also, weighing in at just 23 square feet, I feel like I can manage her.

As far as the game plan goes, it’s pretty simple. The floors will stay the same as they are the same wood that carries throughout the entire lower level. I’m thinking about some kind of wainscoting to wrap around the entire room – but modern. Still working out the details on that so we’ll see what I can come up with. And then my crown jewel of the entire room is going to be my ostrich wallpaper from Milton & King. It’s so fun and quirky and I’m in love. I think I’m going to give it a big hug when it’s finally installed.

Alright!!! Here we go! I will be back next week with all the updates!!!!