Oct 2, 2014

one room challenge: a teen bedroom for charlotte


i have to tell you....linking up to the last round of the one room challenge, hosted by linda at calling it home was SO great for me. you see, i tend to be a procrastinator when it comes to home projects. i just put them off and drag things out fff--ooo--r---e--vvvvv---e---rrr.
or just stop in the middle of doing them.
in fact, i have a chair in my basement that i am in the middle of reupholstering.
yah.
i started reupholstering it in february.
...of 2001.
no. i am not lying or exaggerating.
i have had two two more kids and moved 8 (eight!!) times since i started that chair, and it still isn't done! YIKES!

where was i going with this? oh yeah.
i tend to procrastinate home projects.

i have no doubt that if i hadn't signed up my mini office with the one room challenge, it would still be a giant garbage can/hamper/storage for all things that my family doesn't know where to stash.

see here:


i started with this design board as inspiration....



and this is the before and after!


i am so glad that the one room challenge helped me to get my butt in gear and finish this room!  i now have a functional, pretty office that i get to enjoy every day.

thank you one room challenge!

this round, i am going to be working on my daughter charlottes room.
charlotte is 12 and 11/12th. soon to be a teenager. 
she will officially turn 13 before the challenge is finished!

anyway, she has been begging me to do her room since we moved in last summer.

just for reference, here is the upper floor of our house.
charlottes room is bedroom #4.

here is her room now:


depressing, i know.



it is full of furniture cast-offs...the desk was in her older sisters room once upon a time, the bed is actually two footboards put together. the dresser came from my husbands parents. it is an ethan allen dresser from the 70's. it is staying because it is SOLID and, under all of that terrible distressing, in really great shape.


besides the mattress, the dresser and the light fixture, everything is going.
the floor plan will remain the same, just with updated and revised pieces.


to keep things budget friendly, i usually like to balance out "nice" pieces of furniture with items from stores like ikea and target.
well, I'm not gonna lie....there will be an awful lot of new stuff in the room from ikea.
i looked at SO many sources for a new daybed, and desk, and ultimately, the ikea pieces were the winners. so get ready for a few hacks.

oh, and you see this weird hole in the wall?
it leads to a secret space....just big enough for a couple of bean bags and maybe a small bookcase.
we plan to add a bookcase on hinges so that the space is completely hidden when the bookcase is closed. (the bookcase will be full height, as well as the "entry" into the secure room....we just knew it would be a while before we got to this project, and so we didn't cut all of the sheetrock yet)


 could this room GET any more mismatched and plain??





here is the BASIC plan...i ams still working on the details. ok, i am still working on a LOT of the details. 


the basic color scheme was taken from a set of vintage paint by numbers still life paintings that my grandmother gave me before she passed away.  charlotte and i have been narrowing down the colors and ideas that she likes. (i know, i can't believe i am letting her have an oinion either!)

i started with a bright coral and mustard, but charlotte strongly prefers a softer palette....
so, we are now somewhere in the mustard plus "apricot/dusty rose/peach/light salmon" area.
still haven't decided for sure. we ordered some samples, and are anxiously awaiting them.


 what i will be doing:

*painting the walls a soft neutral color

* painting the dresser, getting new hardware

*getting a new daybed, adding a pagoda shaped headboard

*installing a canopy over the bed (still deciding on exact color! eek! coral? dusty rose? apricot?)

*making a custom bookcase to disguise the "secret room"

* getting a new desk, recovering the seat of a vintage bamboo dining chair

* adding art, mirrors

*making a bulletin board from a salvaged frame

*painting the current light fixture gold

*adding new pillows and bolsters to the bed

*install new brass wall lights i found on ebay


come back next week and see my progress!


16 comments:

  1. I have been following your blog for a few years now & I have always loved your designs! I can't wait to see how this room turns out! While I'm here, I figure I should tell you how much I liked the family room e-design reveal you posted a couple of weeks ago. I'm actually using the Besta TV stand as inspiration for my one room challenge! Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thanks for hanging in there with me the last few years! and thanks for your sweet comment on the family room e-design after! e-design is SUCH a team effort! sure, i come up with ideas and sources, but the true magic happens when my client follows through and makes all those ideas come to life!! :)

      Delete
  2. Glad to hear I'm not alone on the procrastination. Love your ideas for her room. Can't wait to see it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. oh my. i am so on top of so many things, but totally neglect things around my home. i mean, whorl wants to reupholster a chair when you have exciting things to do...like have 2 babies?? ha! ha!

      Delete
  3. Oh this should be fun. Can't wait to see it come together.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thanks marty! i am hoping for things to go as smoothy in this room as they did with the office, but i am not counting on it! throw in an almost 13 year old into any project and things are bound to get a little crazy!

      Delete
  4. Can't wait either. I LOVED your office makeover!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh what a beautiful color scheme and plan. I love your office too! Can't wait to follow along.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Replies
    1. thank you mary! we are still trying to pin down the exact color of the canopy....why is it that when you get a certain color in your head (not too pink, not too dark, not to orange..) it seems impossible to find? oh, and little miss opinionated is having a great time rejecting colors. "ew! that is too pink! yuck! i don't like that one. NO. too babyish. nuh-uh. i hate that one!!" she is a whole lot of fierceness wrapped up in a tiny little body, and i love it!

      Delete
  7. me neither! and little charlotte is in heaven....well, actually, she is still in denial. i have told her several times i was going to start on her room, but something always came up, so the fact that i am ACTUALLY going to do it hasn't quite register with her yet!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I still love that office you created and can't wait to see Charlotte's room! The design board is so pretty so I'm sure the finishes project will be gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Your office was amazing last time, so I know Charlotte's room is going to be beautiful! This is my 3rd ORC doing one of my children's rooms...they so much fun to do, but they can be the trickiest clients. ;) Love the color palette and direction you are going in! Good luck and can't wait to see more.

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a cool room! And I love the secret room...so jealous of that! Can't wait to see how this turns out. Good luck with the challenge :)

    ReplyDelete