Week 6 / 7 - One Room Challenge - Reveal!

{{ catch up on past weeks }}

WEEK 1  //  WEEK 2  //  WEEK 3  //  WEEK 4 //  WEEK 5

past one room challenge reveals

SPRING 2016  //  FALL 2016

Seven weeks have come and gone, marking the very end of the Fall 2017 One Room Challenge! I'm not going to lie, I was concerned that my dad and I weren't going to finish on time, but this past weekend we finished all of our Dapp'ing (I think we counted 6 tubes) and painting and FINALLY got a chance to decorate! 

As always, a huge thank you goes out to Linda from Calling it Home. She's the mastermind behind the One Room Challenge, a massive blogging event that brings together almost 300 designers and bloggers. Twice a year she challenges everyone to redecorate a room in six short weeks, and share their progress/pain points in weekly posts. You can check out the featured designers' final spaces here and my fellow 200-and-something guest participants here.

This year my dad and I transformed a guest room into a second media/TV room. And with the help of Metrie, we were able to incorporate some beautiful mouldings into our space. Last year we had created a board and batten look in my bedroom, and the goal for this season's ORC space was to carry the theme of a cozy, modern-cottage into the new space. This time, we created a slightly more elaborate board and batten design, using Metrie's 6" MDF Stile Rail, and on either side of the 6" rail we placed Metrie's True Craft 1 5/8" Fingerjoint Poplar Applied Moulding. We spaced each rail 8" apart, and it created a really beautifully layered space with tons of dimension. 

On the ceilings we added Metrie's 11 1/2" MDF Shiplap, I chose shiplap in lieu of a tongue and groove paneling simply because the shiplap offered a wider panel and we really wanted something that was as minimal as possible. The shiplap was heavy to hang, and needed some serious drilling, but the results were worth it. 

To make the space feel as large as possible we painted the ceiling, walls and casings all in one colour, Benjamin Moore's Simply White in a flat finish. This was the same colour as my previous ORC room, and helped to tie the two spaces together.   

Okay, time for some pictures! But first, another goal I had set for myself was to shop my own stuff and use what I had. I stuck to that for the most part, aside from the buffet-turned-tv stand that I picked up at my local Habitat for Humanity ReStore and refinished with some chalk paint I purchased at Michael's. On Tuesday night I also managed to score a very last-minute side table off of Kijiji for $20, and it fits that little nook next to the sofa perfectly. 

Okay, now it's actually time for some Before and After pictures :) 

(Congrats to everyone for finishing their spaces!)

Week 5 - One Room Challenge - Shiplap Ceiling

{{ catch up on past weeks }}

WEEK 1  //  WEEK 2  //  WEEK 3  //  WEEK 4

past one room challenge reveals

SPRING 2016  //  FALL 2016

As it turns out, that phrase Beauty is pain also applies to home renovations. My learning from week 5: Shiplap is no joke. Clearly this is how Joanna Gaines stays in shape, because after 8 straight hours of holding 7-foot-something pieces over my head (yeah, you read that right) on Sunday, I had some sore pipes and a knot in my neck on Monday...

My mid-Sunday afternoon thought was that we should give up and move on to making up a Plan B. Because, shiplap was probably best saved for just walls and should not be placed on ceilings. It was much heavier than I had expected, and required some serious screws to hold. BUT, now that it is done and we've dapped those nails and rested those muscles, shiplap definitely needs to be on more ceilings. I love the wider panels (11 1/2" MDF primed boards from Metrie), it's clean and crisp and adds tons of character to an otherwise bland and often over-looked spot. 

To get this lovely shiplap onto the ceilings, we drew a leveled line on the angled wall where we wanted to start our 'ceiling'

We then drew pencil lines across the ceiling where our beams/studs were running. We needed to nail our shiplap planks horizontally onto the studs so they would all hold. The first few planks that went up the angled wall were by far the most difficult, and we had a few challenges to overcome--like our wonky, not-at-all-straight walls. We were constantly checking the level to make sure we were keeping a straight line, and now that we're done, the shiplap actually did a great job at hiding the imperfections and creating a straight slope. I regret not taking a picture of how 'off' our ceiling was, but at the time I was too nervous it was all going to be a giant disaster.

Once the ceiling was finished we sanded and Dapp'd over the sunken screw nails, and I had waaaaay too much fun on Instagram stories playing around with filters and doodling on pics. I was off Instagram for a while, but am back to being obsessed.

What else happened this week? 

Well, I picked a paint colour and prepped my new TV stand (which was a dining room buffet in a former life). I had had some good success painting furniture in my Spring 2016 ORC room, when I refinished my Bubi's nightstands. At the time, I was worried I would be ruining them, but I am SO happy with how they've held up this past year. I think the trick was giving them a heavy wash with TSP  and water (check carton for exact measurements). I let them dry for 24 hours, and then washed once more. Once dry you'll see that the texture and colour of your furniture is a little dulled and matte. I haven't needed to sand any of the pieces I have painted, but you can if you feel you need to. 

This year I picked up a furniture paint from Michaels. It is their Americana Decor Chalky Finish in Primitive. I haven't used this before, but loved the colour, and think it will bring out some of the pretty details in my new TV stand. Once the second coat dries I will be buffing it with bee's wax. 

The plan for week 6? 

- paint TV stand

- prime walls

- hang the rest of our trim

- paint walls and ceiling 

- clean cabinet hardware 

The plan for week 7? 

- clean

- move in furniture and accessories 

- DECORATE :) 

- photograph 

That finish line is almost in sight! As always, a massive 'thank you' goes out to Linda of Calling it Home and her amazing creation that is The One Room Challenge. Twice a year, Linda brings together bloggers, decorators, designers, and enthusiasts and challenges us to redecorate a room in six short and sweet weeks (this year we have an extra week due to the number of natural disasters or fellow ORC pals in the States are having to deal with). 

I also am forever grateful to Metrie for sponsoring my room for this challenge. Their products can truly transform a space the way no other accessory can. You can click here to find a Metrie dealer in your area.  

Week 4 - One Room Challenge - Metrie Pick Up!

(need to play catch-up?)
WEEK 1 // WEEK 2 // WEEK 3

past one room challenge reveals

SPRING 2016 // FALL 2016

Welcome to week 4 of the One Room Challenge! A biannual blogging event hosted by the lovely Linda of Calling it Home. She has challenged 20 designers and 200+ guest participants (bloggers, designers, design-lovers, etc) to redecorate one room (or more if they're feeling ambitious) in six short and sweet weeks. AND it has been announced that the deadline has been extended by one week due to the outrageous number of natural disasters our pals in the States have had to endure.

Week 4 was a big week for us. The wonderful people at Metrie are huge supporters of bloggers and the One Room Challenge, and they have partnered with me (and my dad!) on this challenge. We took a little trek down to their office / warehouse in Milton, Ontario to pick up a few key pieces for our project (also snagged that pretty little buffet I posted about last week!)  

I'm not exactly sure when or how I first learned about Metrie, from a kid my mom and dad were always huge DIY-ers and constantly fixing up our 'builder-grade' homes, and transforming them into spaces that felt custom and very personalized. My dad completely changed our housing standards when he started tinkering with wainscoting and learned how to cut a miter joint. Three houses later, and a whooole lot of sawdust, we've all become a bit obsessed with how we can use zush a space up with a little bit of trim. Here's our last house, where my dad worked some magic (you can also see our Billy Bookcases that we turned into built-ins)

Three years ago, when I returned to school for Interior Decorating at Georgian College, Metrie was part of our school's Decorating and Design Expo, with probably the biggest booth at the expo and a series of presentations. Throughout my three years at Georgian, Metrie representatives had visited our classroom with presentations and tons of product knowledge, assisting with project-based questions and recommendations.

Beginning in 1926 as a small family-owned business, Metrie has grown to become the largest supplier and manufacturer of solid wood and composite mouldings in North America (to be honest, I don't even know any other moulding brands...). And you would not believe the amount of product we saw in their Milton warehouse on Monday. It was PACKED. 

In week two I shared a little picture that outlined where I was planning to put my moulding, and now that we have officially started to hang the product, I feel comfortable sharing our plan, since I don't think it will change too much:

The room has an angled ceiling, which makes it look smaller than it actually is. The plan is to cover the ceiling and those awkward angles in 11-1/2" MDF Shiplap. I think this will help to make the ceiling feel taller, because we will be differentiating it from the walls. Does that make sense? Hope so. 

The walls will have 6" MDF Stile/Rails spaced evenly around the room (we're aiming for 6"), and then the True Craft 1 5/8" Fingerjoint Poplar Applied Mouldings will be placed on either side of the rails. The Rails and Applied Mouldings can be found on Metrie's website, under Wainscot Mouldings. I wanted to create a look that complimented my bedroom from last year's challenge since they are fairly close to each other, but I didn't want to make it a carbon copy. The wider panels and applied mouldings will hopefully give it an slightly more unique board and batten look.

We've started laying out the placement of the panels and it is looking better than I had imagined. I'm happy I went with the very linear pieces, as it will keep the space feeling more casual and slightly rustic, which lends nicely to the modern-farmhouse feel I had aimed for last season. 

SO excited for this weekend to hit, and for this room to take shape!

PS. Ditched that DIY light sconce idea, since it was looking like trash. Instead I made an impulse purchase at homedepot.ca on two of these little babies. Much better... 

And while we're on the topic of makeovers, this little lady came home unrecognizable :)
There's something about this new hair that makes her look 10 years older....

Week 3 - One Room Challenge - DIY-ing + Potential TV Stand

Guys, I would be lying if I said I wasn't stressing about the ORC...

On Monday my dad and I will be heading up to Milton to pick up the trim and moulding Metrie has graciously given us for this challenge. And I am hopeful that once we start to hang the trim, the space will come together quickly...wishful thinking?

For this space, I don't feel as though I need to purchase too much new stuff. I have a MILLION pillows to choose from and some artwork and accessories that will lend themselves nicely to this new space. One thing I have been on the hunt for is a new TV stand. This morning I was perusing my local Habitat for Humanity ReStore and found exactly what I was envisioning (rare!). I took the measurements, since the TV wall is sloped and this buffet was much taller than my ikea unit, I was pretty doubtful it would fit, BUT IT DID! The only problem is now I have to wait until Monday for them to reopen and hope that it is still there. Fingers are crossed!

See how pretty?

I am also experimenting with a DIY wall sconce kit that I picked up at Michaels this week. I'm struggling to make it look pretty and not like a Pinterest fail. The lamp shad is a metal cage that I plan to spray white, and string with wooden beads and then spray the entire thing white again. Seems pretty easy and basic, but it's looking a little messy at the moment. The ingredients are below, but the step by step directions are heading back to the drawing board. I am determined this will work, because it looks fab in my mind, but we shall see!

I'm looking forward to heading into week 4 and hopefully sharing some trim pics and doing some paint tester pots!

Thank you again to our lovely host Linda of Calling it Home, for hosting the ORC and bringing together 200+ bloggers, design pros and design enthusiasts. 

One Room Challenge - Week Two - Before Pics & Plans

Hi Friends! Last week I shared my hopes and dreams for the future of this room with a few gorgeous inspiration pictures (you can see that post here--pretty, right?). And explained how my dad and I are teaming up again to add some character to an otherwise 'blah' room. It was a good post.

This week, with the help of Ashley from Metrie, I managed to nail down some trim and moulding selections. Typically my dad and I will make a couple hundred trips down to our local hardware store to peruse the sales, comapre the mouldings and trim available and design as we go, but now that we are working with Metrie, we had to make some tough decisions early on (and by tough, I mean choosing a rail size and then going back and choosing a different one because the original one didn't work with our applied moulding. And then hoping math was right and we ordered enough. It got intense.)

I'm not going to share what we chose just yet, but here's an idea of where it will be going:

As mentioned before, I'm going to try really hard to avoid purchasing anything new for this space. I'm going to shop what I've got as much as possible, but will likely make some impulse purchases somewhere along the way.

Things I am definitely in the market for: New TV unit - hopefully something second-hand that could be refinished, an area rug, and possibly some wall sconces.

I'm also in the market for a new paint colour. I think I'm going to break from my usual go-to, Benjamin Moore, and try out Canadian Tire's Premier Paint collection. They've got some pretty options, one in particular is called Cakepop. I like it mostly for its name, but also because I'm really into nude nailpolish and it kind of reminds me of it. Just hoping it isn't too pink...

 Regardless, Canadian Tire has lots to choose from...

I'm also going to share some pretty ugly before pictures. Normally I would tidy up and style things a little more when taking pictures, but there's no time for that. They aren't horrible, but not great...

 

One Room Challenge - Week One - Inspiration & Planning

Here goes another One Room Challenge!

This session I will be redecorating our upstairs guestroom, and reconfiguring it into our second media / living room. The room gets tons of natural light, and is a very cozy and welcoming space. Since we're entering into the winter months, we don't get many house guests, and for those who will be coming up north for a winter getaway, will have two other alterative rooms for them use (one being this past ORC post).

My first One Room Challenge was my bedroom, and (when clean) is still my all-time favourite bedroom that I've ever had. I love the mix of colours, textures, traditional and modern elements, and especially the Metrie mouldings. My dad has transformed our family's past three homes with mouldings, mitre saws and elbow grease, and it is definitely one of my favourite ways to personalize and add character to a space. We used Metire mouldings in my bedroom, a simple 3" rail, and created an improvised board and batten look that has continued to influence and inspire the remaining rooms in our current house.

In addition to all of the positive feedback I've had on my bedroom, the icing on the cake was when Metrie included it in their list of Top 25 Rooms from the 2016 Every Room Tells a Story contest. It was definitely a proud moment for my dad and I :)

This season of the One Room Challenge we've been fortunate enough to partner with Metrie to create something that will push my dad's carpentry skills a little further and cross off another room reno on our to-do list.

The goal for this space is to transform the room using Metrie moulding, paint (I've been itching to try Canadian Tire's Premier Paint...), a new rug (loving this one from Rugs USA), a new media stand....and that's pretty much it! The goal is to shop my home as much as possible and use furniture and accessories that I've already got on-hand.

What I'm re-using: My Kivik Ikea couch from my first apartment, my steamer trunk coffee table, my TV, existing linen drapes, Hemnes Night Stand from Ikea, table lamps and art work that have been otherwise collecting dust. I may cave and purchase something fun along the way, but otherwise I'm hoping to stick to my plan as much as possible!

I've got a pretty solid idea as to what I'm hoping to do with the Metrie mouldings, as you can kind of gather from my above concept board, and below inspiration pictures. But we're going once again for a cottage-vibe with some softer lines, which will be better explained in the upcoming weeks.

Best of luck to all of my ORC participants, and a huge thank you to Linda of Calling it Home for once again challenging all 200+ guest participants.

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Urban Barn's Summer 2017 Collection

Ontario’s spring weather is leaving much to be desired. We’ve had a pretty consistent drizzle of rain throughout the past week, and the only break in sight is Sunday’s morning forecast of flurries. Needless to say, the days are pretty grey and summer weather feels far away.

I recently popped into my local Urban Barn to peruse the summer collection, and despite the weather, I left feeling pretty amped about summer BBQ’s, boat trips, afternoon swims and lounging around. And even if our weekend weather isn’t consistently hitting those high temperatures, there are a few things we can do to make the indoors feel cheerful and relaxing, (with the help of a few essentials from UB’s summer collection!):

1. PILLOW REFRESH: Urban Barn’s selection of pillows has something to suit pretty much everyone’s tastes. From tropical florals, to beautiful blues, colourful geometric prints and everything in between. You can easily liven up a gloomy sofa with a few new pillows sporting a summery palette.

2. NEW ART: A new piece of artwork will easily breathe new life into a room. Urban Barn has lots to choose from, but for summer my eye is on those over-sized ocean landscapes, but also partial to those Just Docked row boats.

3. NAUTICAL NECESSITIES: It’s no secret that anything nautical will instantly make a space feel beachy. Urban Barn has TONS of options that are quirky and fun, without feeling cheesy (as nautical can easily become). Choose one or two to add to your summer space for a touch of whimsy.

4. POPS OF COLOUR: Summer is the best time of year to add colour to your space. Blues, corals and yellows are all over the summery vignettes at UB, and although we usually look to pillows to add these pops, it’s just as easy to add a new pair of brightly coloured drapes, a new table or floor lamp or a foot stool as colourful accents.

And for the record, I've managed to narrow down my shopping list to these guys featured below :)

Breaker Wall Art  |  Sammy Shark Wall Decor  |  Sammy Shark Wall Decor Large  |  Santella Toss 20x20 Turquoise Throw Pillow  |  Shane Toss 20x20 Sea Throw Pillow  |  Go Jump in the Lake  |  Ariel Mermaid Bottle Opener  |  Party Napkins Set of 8  |  Varsity Canadian Flag Toss 12x22 Throw Pillow  |  Compass Outdoor Wall Decor  |  Miami Outdoor Rug - Tile Steel
** A special thank you to Urban Barn for sponsoring this post

One Room Challenge: Living Room Makeover

My mind is boggled for two reasons: 

1. It has been six months since the last round of ORC madness has ended

2. My parents and I have been in our new place one full year! 

My mind is boggled for another two reasons: 

1. Time flies. 

2. We've only completely finished two rooms since moving in. And BOTH of those rooms were done via the One Room Challenge. So, why not take on another challenge and earn my keep here at hotel Mom and Dad :) 

For those who are new to the One Room Challenge, you'll need to click here and meet Linda, the host/master-mind of the ORC. Over the last six years she has challenged bloggers and designers to choose a room of their choice and decorate it in six short weeks. To date, over 1,250 rooms have been transformed, and each season 20 designers and 200+ bloggers share their progress, motivate one another and inspire with some pretty brilliant before and after pics. 

If you'd like to check back on the last two rooms my dad and I revamped you can see the final reveal of my bedroom (also featured as one of Metrie's Top 25 rooms in their 2016 Every Room Tells a Story designer challenge). 

And our second room was the guest room, she's pretty, but just doesn't photography very well, due to some shady lighting...so you'll have to trust. 

This round, my dad and I will be taking on the living room. This is the spot where our family spends the most amount of time, watching TV, entertaining family/friends, or just hanging out. This space gets quite a bit of foot-traffic as those two garden doors are our main entrance/exit into the backyard. 

We're aiming for a modern-farmhouse-cottage style, lots of natural textures, a neutral colour palette with splashes of blues. 

   

  

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Inspiration: 5 Times Over-sized Art Trumped the Gallery Wall

I love a good gallery wall, but I'm thinking 2017 will be the year I begin thinking about investing in some large-scale artwork. Not necessarily anything that breaks the bank, but a piece that can help to give interest and depth to an otherwise neutral space and really make a statement. Not to knock the gallery wall, but there is a fine line between clean and cluttered, and a gallery wall can easily become the latter if not careful. With one large piece of artwork, you'll be less likely to make a design faux-pas and instead make the chicest of statements.

Although I'm usually drawn to those vintage landscapes with big (borderline gaudy) frames you find at thrift shops, I'm loving the way these abstract prints bring a little unexpected edge to an otherwise tame vignette.

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