One Room Challenge, Bright Desert Chic Guest Room + Hallway, Week 1

The time has come … the time to unleash a wave of unabashed, creative and decorative mayhem among us all. My friends, it’s opening day of the One Room Challenge. Cue crowd roar. 🙌🏻

If you’re new to this fine concept, the One Room Challenge is a bi-annual, online extravaganza when creatives, bloggers, and designers commit themselves to six laborious and eventful weeks of transforming one (or more) spaces in a home. This is my second time taking on the task, and let me tell you, I’m ready to kick some serious ass.

But first! The moodboard!

1. Alchemy Bed | 2. Succulent Sunprint Fringe Throw | 3. Palms Wallpaper
4. Eyeball Sconce | 5. IKEA Birch Frames + Personal Photography | 6. Decorative Circles Rug
7. Wood Accent Tables | 8. Kilim Bench (similar) | 9. Bird of Paradise

Two and a half years ago, I renovated the second floor guest room into my first coastal / moody oasis. The Indigo Room was lovingly restored to her former glory by removing all of the faux wood paneling; repairing LOTS of fire-damaged plaster (yes, my house was on fire in the 70s!); and rebuilding the floor molding to match the rest of the home (who rips that out for faux paneling??!).

There were two big firsts for me in here: the first time I ever painted a moody color AND my first foray into using a pneumatic nail gun (my tool BFF).

Over time, and after flipping my office, I’ve realized the moody tones do not creatively work for me with a lower ceiling. The guest room ceiling is about a foot shorter than the main floor (bungalow probz). Needless to say, the entire space—and the hallway leading up to it—are doing a complete 180°.

Here’s where we’re at today. It’s in a state of home decor limbo. 

I want light, I want bright and everythaaaaang nice. The guest room is getting a fresh coat of white paint. Her decor will be a *plantiful* field of rainbow dreams. I’ve been struggling to find thrifted artwork I love, so I’m using this as an opportunity to share my own photo work from a recent trip to Southern California.

Of course, there will be a handful of BB+B (big, bold and beautiful) statement pieces—like that gorgeously-patinated brass bedframe, mint condition mid-century desk and vintage tallboy dresser I scored for free in a bulk pickup pile down the street. She’s needed TLC since she got thrown on a curb. Her time has come. I’m gonna fix you up good, girrrl.

Notable fixes include, but are not limited to: 1) figuring out which funky wallspace to wallpaper 🤔; 2) lowering the bed by building slats and discarding the box spring; 3) DIY-ing a kilim bench; 4) stripping the closet door and securing hinges; and 5) figuring out the best way to build an eye-catching plant wall!!

In the hallway, my gut is to paint the entire space a deep teal. I envision brass art lamps illuminating three vertical artworks and a quaint glass and wood console at the top landing. She’s in dire need for a new railing, a schoolhouse lamp and (perhaps) a fabulous runner to tie in the stairs.  Not that this space will EVER photograph well, but it’ll make my heart happy to see her lookin’ oh-so-fly.

All right, all right; I’m pretty psyched about these changes to come, so I’ll save some of it for Week 2. 😂 

GO FOR THE GOLD AND GODSPEED!!!

 

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