Happy ORC week 2! I feel like this challenge is going to breeze by (this time of the year always does) and I am trying to get as done as I can early on. I know I will want to spend a week or two with DIY projects, finishing touches and styling. Unlike the last challenge where I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off the last week to finish. The bed came late and our ceiling took longer than anticipated but it all worked out okay!

Last week I realized I did not share a before photo. Well I went to look for one for this week and couldn’t find any. I swore I took some last month but they are no where to be found. I do have this crappy cell phone relator photo from 2016 that shows a smidge of the room. It’s terrible quality but I will add it to show you what it looked like when we bought the house. Since then we updated the flooring and had painted it a medium gray. (I picked all the paint colors with the intention of this being a shorter term flip house and wanted to appeal to the masses for resale. We still intend this to be a “flip” but just not as short term lol). So ultimately we didn’t do much with this room other than clean it up for occasional guests.

I am sorry for the horrible photo it really is all I could dig up. You could tell the realtor didn’t give a sh*t when taking these photos lol. If anyone is interested to see more of the before photos and murderous carpet throughout the house, let me know and I will create a short post with them.

This week and going into next week my focus is all about adding architectural interest. We live in a classic colonial and most of the rooms are devoid of any major architecture or charm. This is always my first step when looking at designing a room and even though I am trying to be budget conscience, I knew I needed something in here. I would have loved to use wallpaper or lattice but that was not in the budget so opted for crown molding and a bead board or ship lap ceiling. I love putting emphasis on the 5th wall (the ceiling). It’s so fun and can really give you a custom and elevated design. My room is very traditional so I wanted to use some type of bead board or shiplap to match the style but also give it a relaxed coastal nod. The room is completely painted and we are in the process of installing the ceiling. I have been posting paint updates in my IG stories but if you didn’t see I picked Lulworth Blue from Farrow and Ball and had Benjamin Moore color match it. I love BM paints. The quality is so amazing and I only needed one coat for the walls! For real, one coat, that never happens. I used the same color in a high gloss on the trim and I am loving how it looks.

This photo is from House Beautiful and is of Bailey McCarthy’s home in Dallas. Creator: Trevor Tondro | Credit: Trevor Tondro

Isn’t it beautiful?! That is really the only updates I have at this point. I know it’s not super exciting yet but it will get there. I have been antiquing and thrifting big time and still have a few pieces to find. It wouldn’t be a grand millennial room without antiques, right?! I plan to make one of my blog posts all about antiquing and thrifting- my tips, my favorites shops (online and local) and what I look for. That will be a fun post! Let me know if you have any specific questions you want answered and I will work it in.

My goals for the upcoming week…

Hopefully if I speak these into existence they will come true, lol. I want to finish the ceiling and crown molding. I also would like to start working on the closet. I bought a closet organizer a couple of months ago when it was on sale and have yet to install it. BUT I must have just been waiting of the ORC, right?! Sure Laura, sure lol. So that will need installed and I am also dreaming up a fun closet door design to hopefully get some lattice in the room. I have a couple DIY I need to complete and am excited about that as well. Stay tuned for more to come and follow along in my stories for more updates.

As always, thank you for reading. I would love your feedback, commentary, concerns, excitement, whatever, I love to hear it all!

Laura