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.  

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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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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ikea hacks: billy bookcase built-ins

One of my favourite decor features are built-ins. Not only are they multi-functional—offering precious storage and space to display your favourite books, family photos, souvenirs, etc.—but they can add value to your home, giving it the look of a custom build. If you don't have a carpenter in the family, built-ins may seem like an expensive and daunting task, however, one of my favourite Ikea hacks to peruse on Pinterest is the millions of different ways people are transforming the Billy Bookcase to look like a built-in.We attempted this in my parent's previous house, installing a set of wall to wall bookcases with doors in the dining room. We were looking for extra storage since both myself and my Bubi had moved in, bringing a lot of our belongings with us. These units held a ton of stuff, and kept things accessible when we needed them, or hidden when not in use. For some reason I never took a picture of them styled and in use, but managed to snap the below shot just before we moved. 

Now that we've officially moved everything into our new house, my parents and I are hoping to use the Billy Bookcase once again to create built-ins in our kitchen/dining space as well as a pair to sit on either side of the soon-to-be-built fireplace in the living room. Our first experience with the Billy was good, but I think we can customize them even more to look less like the Ikea staple and more like a custom piece of millwork. 

As inspiration, I've rounded up my favourite 5 Billy Bookcase hacks:

Bliss at Home via BHG Blog 

 Orlando Soria via Lonny 

 Suzanne's Colour in Harmony Room via Apartment Therapy 

Laura's Living Room via The Makerista 

Love these, but cannot find a source -- if anyone knows where they're from please let me know so I can credit them. 

#sodomino instagram feature

Just a teeny little Instagram feature on Domino's social page...nbd. 

Another goal accomplished and only 2393985732 to go...

e-design: calm and casual living room

Want a luxurious living room that allows you to feel calm, cool and relaxed? Surround yourself with breezy blue hues, ultra-soft textures and natural elements. This combination of finishes will create a serene environment that will make it easy to curl up on the couch and forget your day. 

The addition of furniture in grey, whites and wood allow accessories to be changed out to reflect the seasons. The addition of plants and greenery purify the air and help to reduce stress—adding to the peaceful, serene and relaxing sense within the space. Add a white mohair blanket to the above, and you'll be snoozing on the couch in no time. 

Coffee Table | End Tables | Sofa | Wood Grain Pillow | Geometric Pillow | Table Lamp | Prints