one room challenge: baby steps to progress (week 4)
It’s week 4 of the fall 2020 One Room Challenge and this is going to be a short update because there is a lot left to do. If you need to catch up, check out week 1, week 2, and week 3.
Since I need to catch up too, here’s where we are:
Walls/trim: We made a decision to paint the baseboard trim (Seaworthy by Sherwin Williams – you can see a little (see the sea - see what I did there?) of that in last week’s post) and to try to match the upper seam/ceiling trim to the existing paneling color. More to come on that.
We’ve picked out a color that *might* work for the south facing wall, which is currently painted brown. I have a sample pot but have not yet opened it up. Guess what I'm doing on Sunday?
Flooring: We’ve added flooring where the fireplace once was and we have a rug to ground the living room area. We were lucky to find left over flooring (from the 80s maybe?) in the loft closet so we didn’t need to start over. It isn’t the most attractive flooring ever, but it will do for now.
Ceiling: The popcorn stays for now because time and budget are both factors. We are still waiting to hear back from several handy types on getting the roof/ceiling fixed so we no longer have an open vent pipe in the living room. If anyone wants to send their handy-person over with a very tall ladder, I would really appreciate it.
Furniture & Furnishings – Living Area: We have most of the furniture for this room (sofa, chair, coffee table). The chair is painted (but maybe needs a little touch up). Replacement cushions for the chair are on the way. I still need something for the ottoman – maybe this? I think I might put a tray on the ottoman to make it function as a side table when not in use for someone’s feet. We’ve moved the coffee table from the loft to the living area (yes, I need a coffee table for the loft). We have a lamp in the living area but no overhead lighting.
Furniture & Furnishings – Dining Area: This is mostly complete. Still need lighting.
Furniture & Furnishings – Sitting Area: Chairs are ordered. Rug is due in next Friday, but may not work for the space. We still need something to put coffee on while sitting in our little love nest.
Kitchen: Let’s be honest. Change is not coming soon to this room. Maybe a project for ORC Spring 2021 edition.
Art: This is where I spent most of over the last week. Searching, obsessing, and frozen in indecision. Art for me is not a quick endeavor. I want it to not just feel collected, but actually be collected. There are so many blank walls in my house, it would make a magazine editor crazy, however, what we have, I love.
I want the same for the a-frame. Pieces with which we can connect even if just because one person in the house really digs it. I did order a few pieces from Artfully Walls during their 25% off sale. I also ordered and printed this piece that I’ve been wanting forever because it makes me laugh but I didn’t have a place to hang. It will either hang in the sitting area or the loft. I’ve still got a few pieces on the radar to order but am trying to see where those I’ve already decided on might go before ordering more. Finally, I raided the closet for old pieces that might work as filler until we find the just right stuff.
Rest of house: Yes, the focus for this edition of the One Room Challenge is the main living space, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t also working on the rest of the house at the same time (see for example last week’s post about the bathroom refresh).
This week, I scored a rug for the loft (the hand-me-down sofa that came with the house is uneven and moves whenever you sit down), mirrors for the bathroom, and a runner for the kitchen. We also decided to not wallpaper our side of the bathroom because the first project was a train wreck and then reversed course, deciding to reconsider wallpapering only the lower portion of the wall where the ugly glue has ruined the paneling and add a trim piece to separate the wallpaper from the paneling. Because there isn’t enough trim already in this house.
We still need to hook up the sink in the kids’ side of the bathroom, hang the mirror, rehang the light, find TP holders, and finish painting and rehang the medicine cabinet. So not much to do there, really.
Check out the week four progress for other projects here!
