One Room Challenge Week 1: The Dining Room
Of all 1525 posts I've written on this blog, this might be the one I regret the most. Why do I say that? Because I've decided to jump onto the roller coaster known as the One Room Challenge (or ORC for short). Now in it's tenth season, Linda, mastermind of the ORC and blogger at Calling It Home, challenges 20 designers to make over a room in six short weeks. Everyone is invited to join in on the fun as a Guest Participant. While I've ogled the Before & Afters of each ORC with interest, I've never participated until now.
So what room do I hope to makeover? Meet our dining room, circa Christmas 2015.
You might be wondering why I have no current pictures to show you. That's because I've decided just right now, at 11pm on April 6th, to formally throw my hat into the ORC ring and this is the most up to date photo I have. If you've been reading here a while, you'll know this is quite unlike me. I plan everything. Especially our renovations and decorating projects. Down. To. The. Nail. So to be completely spontaneous and to decide to just do it is really out of character. And uncomfortable. And scary. Oh, by the way, HandyMan knows nothing about this. I'll tell him when he wakes up in the morning, ha!
More old photos. These ones are from 2011 - vintage! So what's the plan for this room? Generally, a lightening, brightening, updating makeover. A few things that are on the list:
- new wallpaper (or paint?)
- new light fixture. Maybe potlights added.
- new art
- new window treatments? I might get rid of the shutters like we did to the ones at the front of the house. Although, in this room, I do like how they overlook our back porch.
To be clear (as clear as one can be at 11:27pm), I haven't chosen anything yet. No mood board, no Pinterest board, nothing. Who am I?!
What's staying? I do still love my dining table and chairs although the chair upholstery is definitely in bad shape. Let's just say that we had the chairs before Chloe was born, let them get spilled on and destroyed through her toddler years, and decided we'd replace or reupholster them at some point. That point, I guess, is now.
Did I mention I don't really have a budget for any of this? Because I don't. With the cottage expenses, I don't have any sort of decorating budget to speak of. I'll have to get creative! And free time is a challenge these days with Sean travelling a lot for work and me heavily focused on running BlogPodium. The guest bedroom still isn't done either and we're opening up the cottage in two weeks. I really don't know how we're going to get this room done.
So why take this on, right now, when in all likelihood I won't have a finished room at the end of six weeks?
Because this room doesn't look the way I want it to and it takes away a bit of my joy in my home.
Because I've been thinking about this change for far too long without doing anything about it.
Because I am bored with this room.
Because if all I end up with is a barren room with no wallpaper and no light fixture chosen and still the same chairs, there will have been progress made.
And because, sometimes, you have to give yourself your own kick in the pants.
Sooooo... are any of you joining in the madness of the One Room Challenge? Please tell me I'm not the only one with a half-baked plan.
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