Inspiration – another lover of RED!
Ready For The Close-up!
We have come to the best part of the One Room Challenge – The Reveal!! All the hard work, frustrations, set-backs and challenges are behind us and we have all accomplished our goals (more or less, ha!)
Seriously, all the participants, Featured Designers, and Guest Participants, have come into this 6 week challenge with the idea of challenging ourselves to complete a room, come what may…..in 6 short weeks! Plans are made and decisions are completed and at the end we are all doing some version of feeling a tired and happy relief!… I know I stayed up several nights over the last week to get this done in time to get the photographs, AND the room, to its best possible completion…..
Another Inspiration – style mix and color palette
Many, many thanks to Linda from “Calling it Home” for creating and inspiring this challenge. Congratulations to all the designers – you have ALL encouraged and inspired me! Be sure and visit the Featured Designers and their Reveals – here.… and there is loads and loads of talent on display with the Guest Participants – here.
If you want to catch up or revisit my journey, inspiration, details and challenges, you can do that here –
I am so excited and pleased to have truly finished three rooms and to show them to you! It sounds like a lot, but they all adjoin and once I had started with any one, the rest would have been required for it not to look like I was completely under construction…soooo, I took on the challenge to give me accountability and to finally have things complete, beautiful and true to me and my family!
The Family Living Room
Eric Roth Photo
Eric Roth Photo
I believe that good interior design creates homes that tell the stories of the people that live there. I live this in my own life, and every item in these rooms is meaningful, or a memory keeper. As I was pulling the rooms together it became a way to revisit what was here. What time did it bring to mind, or story did it tell? I truly have affection for every item, it reminds me of where I have been and who I was at the time…..not just the family pictures, but the first piece of “real” art, or my Mother’s chest of drawers.
Eric Roth Photo
Homes should also accommodate the people that live there, and how the rooms are used….we watch TV – can everyone see the TV? Comfortably? Are there enough seats? Can you have a conversation?
I love history and family legacy, but I also love modern life and its convenience! I dislike it if a room is too dark, or too bright – too stiff or too slouchy…..all these factors must be dealt with. This Family Room was previously all the same brown stain on every wall surface – “Shiplap” is extremely popular right now and I had original tongue and groove paneling that I needed to bring into the current day – so we painted the boards, but left the beams to really stand out. The floor was wide pine, but in the same brown stain, it was oppressive and we looked for something else. Enter an idea that I soon regretted, (haha)….sand and re-stain the wood myself…it took me a week, but I am secretly proud of myself!
Eric Roth Photo
Because the room is north-facing, we struggle with having the space feel “bright”. The brown, figured grasscloth is dark, but rich, and I fell in love with it the moment I found it. I have tried various curtain styles and when I found the rich. red Chinoiserie from Lee Jofa, I knew I had a color scheme and a perfect mix of formal and relaxed…European sensibility with American innovation! At the end of the day, this room is a pleasure to be in, both night and day.
Eric Roth Photo
I have had these Audubon school charts, (this is one of a pair) for as long as I can remember….I have always loved them, and I don’t know where my mother got them…my Grandmother’s antique business was in upstate NY, and since my Dad was in the service we traveled around a lot when I was young. But I was charmed when I realized that they were printed by the Milton Bradley Company, in Springfield, MA in 1900 for the Massachusetts Audubon Society….I love that they have come “home” to New England!
Eric Roth Photo
I have several pieces of rattan or bamboo furniture, and it is all old. I love the texture and the lightness that they bring to a mix, as well as the “tortoiseshell” color – but it is quite durable and I use all my pieces.
Laundry Room
My fabulous Laundry Room was truly a labor of love! It was probably the most neglected room in the house, and now I just can’t stop smiling and staring it it! I almost forgot to mention the new stone floors!! The wallpaper is such a great shade of orange-y/coral, I love how it looks with the Farrow and Ball “Off Black” on the doors and the Benjamin Moore Color of the Year “Simply White” on the walls and woodwork is a great, warm white…I love everything about my Laundry Room!
Eric Roth Photo
Powder Room
The one room that had been previously “decorated” was the downstairs bath – I had revamped the old vanity and changed out the old “Almond” sink and laminate counter, and dreary chrome faucet.. but it needed a refresh and upgrade. I wanted to “dress” it up a little and make it special. It all started with the chandelier! I had acquired the Currey chandelier with the great gold and bronze finish and the wonderful crystals with the idea that I would use it somewhere special – when I started this project I had that special place for my “jewel”! I think it mixes perfectly with my contemporary sconce.
The walls were not in great shape and I wanted to do a manageable fix, that did not involve completely re-doing the walls. I had seen several articles and blogs about faux paneling, and I just started with some ideas in that direction – I decided on the simple grid and then went from there with creating a sort of gallery wall, adding in other decorative elements that were interesting animal “portraits”. the beautiful checked window treatment pulls the brown into the room and elevates the “downstairs bath” to “Powder Room” I hope you like it as much as I do!
Eric Roth Photo
Thanks for reading along, and thanks again to everyone in the One Room Challenge – I have enjoyed watching an learning from all of you! I will follow up soon with a blog post that talks more about sources, as well as more stories about my “Objects of Affection”!!
Special Thanks to Eric Roth Photography – You made the room shine!
Cheers,
Meredith
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