The Challenge
Brace yourself, folks. It’s One Room Challenge time again! You may remember that I completed my first One Room Challenge in the spring, when I overhauled our entryway. The time pressure and bigger audience provided by the challenge are huge motivators, and my entryway is my favorite space in the house. I’m hoping this fall’s challenge serves as just as much of a catalyst, because we are in the midst of some chaaaaaanges around here.
I can’t remember if I mentioned it, but we finally switched Lou and West’s rooms. Lou was still in her wee purple paradise, but it had become considerably more scrunched as she got bigger. She was like Clifford the Big Red Dog in there, especially once we swapped out her preschooler-sized art table for a desk more befitting a kindergartener of her stature.
More on that work of master craftsmanship soon. But the point is, there just wasn't enough room for all of it. So, we did the ole’ swapperoo.
After a day of switching furniture from room to room (which you know I did by myself with the kids present and mostly accounted for), Lou now has this space to call her own.
Obviously, West’s stars and stripes nursery décor is still in here, and, obviously, it’s gotta go. Lou and I have conferred busily for weeks, and we have decided on a palette of sea green, navy, fushia, deep orange and pale blush. Does that sound like it makes any darn sense? We are also, generally, going for a woodsy feel. Lou has requested a space that’s not too terribly mature; in our Pinterest Perusal Phase, she has rejected rooms she feels are appropriate for 10- and 11-year-olds.
The Dream
Let me see if I can create a visual for you? And, frankly, for me?
I am working with a bunch of stuff we already have (see constraints, below) and I wasn't sure if we could pull off what we wanted, but looking at this mood board gives me cause for optimism. I love the paper, here represented as wallpaper, from Spoonflower. I'll probably buy a couple rolls of wrapping paper and back Lou's book/toy shelves with it. The flower wall is going to be off the hook. And the Greek key rug - I love that thing, so welcome back from your sebaticle.
The Constraints
Hooo boy are there some constraints up in this joint.
- Structure. First of all, this room is on such a steep slant, it’s almost mind-boggling (and definitely a wee bit concerning). Figuring out furniture placement and minimizing the slant for both form and function is a priority.
- Money. Next up, budget. Shocking, I know. But we have only signed a lease through next August, after which we may or may not decamp to the island of Manhattan. So the budget, it is small.
- Effort. In a related note, I probably won’t be hand carving any wall treatments for this space, or anything like that. I want this space gorgeous and functional, and the perfect respite for my perfect lady to enjoy, but I want to do it with a realistic cost-benefit analysis. I mean, this is not something I’m good at. Even the initial furniture shift was enough effort that some might not have undertaken it for a mere year. But I scoff at that: A year’s a lot of time! Especially in the life of a five-year-old. So we’ll see how this one comes down
- Light. This room gets almost no natural light. Its only window faces a light well. That was great for a newborn, but with an active kid in here, I want it to be a little brighter. Compounding the lack of natural light is a strong contender for world’s ugliest chandelier, which actually has a goal to cast wan yellow light upon us all. I have no idea where this thing came from, and I’ve avoided changing fixtures in this apartment so far, largely for the effort-saving purposes outlined above, but I don’t think this room can stand this ugly thing any more. I’ll also be adding more layers of light with more lamps, and investing in some clear light-casting light bulbs. Finally, I’ll choose a matte paint finish. I find that the reflecting of light off the eggshell paint in here really exacerbates the dimness.
This room is going to involve a ton of DIY, some furniture repair, and some crossed fingers. Wish us luck! And join us on the ride, every Thursday, for the next six Thursdays. Let's get this party started!
