Thursday, May 21, 2015

55 One Room Challenge: The Reveal After the Reveal

I have to start off this post by saying, "Thank you!"  There were so many kind and encouraging comments on the living room reveal post, and even over the course of the six week challenge.  I truly didn't think we would make it to reveal day, but it has been amazing having a space to use daily again.  I really appreciate everyone that took the time to check in on the progress, share ideas and help me through much of my indecision.

Room reveal days are always full of fluff and happiness and are really just a pure celebration of all of the hard work that has lead up to that day.  They show the best sides of the space and highlight favorite moments and accomplishments.  Hopefully, we all know by now that no lived in room always has a throw blanket perfectly folded on the back of the sofa which is also filled with beautiful pillows.  That the room is not always sporting multiple vases of fresh flowers and neatly stacked books near a reading chair.  I believe that there are design choices that can be made that will keep a room/home looking lovely even with kicked up feet and popcorn bowls, but I also believe that room "reveals" can be equated to stepping out on a Saturday night.  You spend a few hours working on your hair and makeup and even put on your favorite cocktail dress, and although you don't wear that dress everyday, you sure enjoy it when you do.  You are putting your best dressed self forward.


Knowing that, I thought I would take a moment and recap my thoughts on the entire living room makeover process, being that this was the very first time we have ever tackled a room of this size in such a short amount of time.  As much as I love focusing on the positives and happy moments (cough, reveal post, cough), I also think it is important to be real about all the rest.  Sharing both the highs and the lows, our successes and mistakes and even lessons learned.  That is why we blog about our home story and DIY adventures right?

Linda, from Calling It Home, has been hosting the One Room Challenge for a few years now, and I have always enjoyed following along as folks work hard to completely transform rooms in short periods of time.  There is definitely a shock factor seeing what can be done over the course of 5-6 weeks.  Taking the challenge is an amazing way to check off goals from your home to-do list, for lighting a much needed fire under your tush to get things done, and for learning about yourself and your design style.

So when Linda initially contacted me to join in this round, I felt like I had just won the Final Showcase on The Price is Right!  And I hadn't even started playing yet!  It was such an honor and before I knew it, I was placed on a list with really amazing blog talent.  #pinchme

When it came to picking a room, it didn't make sense to start an entirely new project when we already had something big happening (the kitchen/living room renovation).  And I am really, really good at being overly optimistic about projects and time frames.  "It will be easy!"  Those are always my famous last words paired with a knowing better eye roll from my husband.  "Our kitchen will be done in time for the Super Bowl", I said!  Enter eye roll here.

But we somehow managed to pull off a living room from start to finish in a total of five full weeks.  Just after I photographed and posted our starting off photos for Week 1, we began installing flooring and trim.  We ordered furniture, window treatments and accessories.  We painted and shopped and built.  We stayed up late with photography lighting kits while we cut tile in the front yard at 11:30 p.m. (I am sure our neighbors were thrilled).  For five weeks, the majority of our spare time was spent on turning a completely blank slate into a livable and functional family space.

At the end of those five weeks, we high-fived and celebrated all we were able to check off the list.  I even cracked open a bottle of wine and let out the biggest sigh of relief.  There were times when it was easy to get caught up with what we didn't get done or make happen, but I had to get over that real fast.  And although we called it a Room Reveal at the end of the challenge, we were not really done.  In fact, our home is never done.  As we live in our spaces, they evolve and are tweaked and modified to fit our needs.  That is my favorite part... those smaller room layering changes.

To be completely honest, six weeks was not enough time to build a living room from scratch.  Maybe to revamp or refresh a living room, or for a designer with resources and experience, but for us?  Nope.

I found that due to the tight deadline, I was left making impulsive and compromised decisions.  Things that I generally would wait on, had to be purchased now.  For me, this is costly and goes against my goal to shop with intention.  I even selected a few pieces I wouldn't have necessarily picked if I would have had more time.  We didn't have time to revamp our credenza or build our coffee table or wallpaper down the stairs or even add in a few various elements we planned on initially.  Generally speaking, when working on our home there are no deadlines... we just make changes as we live here.

When one is designing a space over time and not for a challenge, and the fabric they love is on back-order, they wait for it to come in.  When I found out at the beginning of the challenge my initial fabric choice couldn't be purchased, I was left ordering piles of swatches and ultimately spending more on alternative pillow covers than I would have liked.  I still picked colors and patterns that will be versatile down the road, but it was just one example of how I fought with the six week deadline.



The same story for our coffee table/ottoman situation.  We tried to use what we had and when those weren't working, we were left with limited time to find a new solution.  20+ stores later, and I was unable to track down a wooden coffee table or tufted ottoman that fit our space.  Everything either needed to be ordered in / delivered outside of our time frame or was just completely out of our budget altogether.  2:00 a.m. the night before photos were being taken, Bryan and I were pulling button tufts and stapling ottoman fabric.   And painting and re-painting chairs at all hours of the night.

On the flip side, not being able to track down my dream mirror ended up being a fairy tale happy ending.  The time crunch really forced me to be resourceful and creative and we wouldn't trade our new DIY mirror for any other.  Sometimes, a little push is a good thing!


It was during those moments; forcing paint choices and driving around for hours sourcing objects, that I actually began resenting the room and the process.  Allowing myself to feel stressed and frustrated about furniture and accessories seemed so silly to me when ultimately it was just material objects.  I had a lot of internal struggles with this...

The six week deadline also caused us to make a few backwards decisions.  We knew we would need a sofa and that they don't tend to show up at your doorstep overnight.  We ended up measuring for it so early on in the process, that we only had sub-floors and exterior cabinets installed.  We taped out our center island and started planning based off of a "three foot walk-around rule" that we had in our heads.  We came up with a size and began shopping around locally for options.  On the last day of a big sale, I ordered one that fit our wish list (rolled arms, pretty furniture legs, neutral color, no pillow back).  When the sofa arrived, I loved the shape, style and color and was relieved to have found something that fit all of our criteria.  We also had three adults give it a whirl and we were all able to fit and sit comfortably.  I felt content with our choice.

After we began bringing pieces into our living room and kitchen, I then realized that we had more space than we initially planned for.  We really didn't need three feet on both sides of the sofa.  Honestly, so much space on either side seems to make the sofa look small in comparison to the rest of the space.  Especially once the rug and built-ins were added combined with the vaulted ceilings.  So although this Goldilocks and her three bears can fit on it just right, in the world of sofas, is bigger always better?  

Trying to measure for a sofa when we had absolutely nothing to base off of and no other furniture or built-ins in place, was not the best strategy.  In fact, we probably should have done it last.

Finally, I have learned over my years of blogging, that projects should not be rushed for the sake of content.  In 90% of the cases that I have forced content, I ended up tweaking or changing things all together after I posted.  I guess this challenge goes against that thought process, and I should have realized that right from the start.  As weeks went by, I found myself uncomfortable sharing posts and room shots before I was ready because things were not panning out, making sense or coming together the way I had envisioned.  Those insecurities paired with the brilliant and creative community I was sharing with and receiving feedback from, complicated my thought process even more.  If anything, I learned that I really appreciate taking the time to think things through, work at a slow pace, and post when we are ready to share.  I go through creative slumps and hit walls all of the time, but there was no time for that during the challenge.


Those creative roadblocks paired with some timing issues with the fireplace installation ultimately meant that the room was "thrown" together at the last minute.  The paint on the built-in was final coated on the Saturday before pictures were shot on Monday.  Once they were dry enough, I had a matter of a few hours to style shelves and the entire room before fighting light for photos.  It felt like one of those down to the wire TV design challenges!  We literally came down to the final hours to get this space done in time, and as you can imagine, not everything stayed where it landed that day.  The flowers have withered, pillows and blankets are tossed in a nearby basket and books I read with the boys each night are piled right where they belong.  Basically, I took my Saturday night makeup off and now we are living with a much more toned down version of the room.  My goal is to let those continuous tweaks and changes happen as we use the space day after day.


Although we pushed ourselves and stumbled and lived and learned, I have zero regrets for joining in on the challenge and taking on our living room.  After living without any space for over four months, the fact we can actually use it on a daily basis again is such a gift.  I learned so much about myself and our home during this process, and have endless respect for designers who can flawlessly transform a space from scratch in such a short amount of time.  I am always up for a good challenge, and may even play along again someday, just on a much smaller scale.  We have never lived in an open concept home before, so to take on a project in a space that I am not familiar with utilizing, probably wasn't the best fit.  But it was an eye opening experience and I am happy to share things we learned from it along the way.

This post may feel a bit opposite of the sunshine I spread around here, but we really are so in love with the new space we created and are extremely grateful for how far it has come.  We only have minor adjustments to make, and for rushing a project, I say that is a giant win!  

Oh!  And last thought.  Always steam and iron fabric before your project.  We hung the curtains first and after steaming them, they started to slightly puddle on the floor.  So now they need to be re-hung.  Ditto for the ottoman.  We pulled it so tight day one when upholstering it, and now it has become loose from being sat on and played on... totally should have ironed it first.  Oops!  Nothing lost, just rookie mistakes.

Now, enough living room chat for awhile... Next week we are back to kitchen updates! 

55 comments:

  1. I love your honesty in this post and identifying the challenges you faced. I think when you look at beautifully styled homes online, it can be easy to forget that's probably not what it looks like day to day.

    We are moving in few weeks to a bigger home from our little townhouse and I worry about how to decorate it. I want to be sure that everything in our house has a use and is something we love. I will definitely take your approach about taking my time to get everything just right.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It is posts like these that keep me, and I think a lot of other people, coming back to your blog. You are so incredibly creative and show such awe-inspiring pictures and really the "ideal," but then you are also down-to-earth and real with us about the entire process, the ups and the downs. I appreciate our candor, and still think your living room looks amazing. Congrats on your success with the challenge!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I appreciate your honesty about your struggles. I'm always astounded how people can pull off those challenges in just six weeks. It takes me forever to pull a room together. Even though you struggled - your room looks amazing! Great job and I can't wait for some kitchen updates ;)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I like this post Jen. It shows a lot of honesty and definitely makes you appear normal, even though we all know you're a total superstar ;)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I think it looks amazing but I appreciate even more your honesty. It's hard to really know what works for your family, especially when, like you said, you're working with a concept that is completely different than what you're used to. You did an amazing job and I am beyond impressed with the amount of work you did in such a short period of time. My better half and I love doing projects together but I don't know if we could do what you and Bryan did (do so much, so quickly).

    So here's my question, how do you work together? How do you keep calm in the middle of chaos. I ask because we hung a door one time and I swear it was almost the end of us. So. Much. Fighting. (and we're usually pretty mellow)!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Kristen! Bryan and I don't always see eye to eye on project ideas and timelines and we definitely disagree about things. I think he is good at biting his tongue when he doesn't like my ideas or how a project is going, because he knows ultimately things tend to work out in the long run. I also think he knows that I am confident in his DIY skills and problem solving, so I usually propose the project and then ask him to come up with the technical side of it. He appreciates being involved in that way and that he is just as much a part of the project and our home as I am. However, he isn't so quiet when I ask him to redo any project that didn't go right the first time, that is one thing that always causes him frustration (understandably). Any time we get heated due to being over-tired or frustrated mid-project, we make sure to walk away and take breaks or find something to do together that shifts our focus for awhile (watching a quick TV show or playing a game of cards). We have been working on our home together for so many years now, we have come to realize what will typically cause an argument and try to over-communicate ahead of time to prevent that from happening... We would both agree we find value in our project time together and sometimes I think it even has a way of bringing us closer (cheesy, I know). xoxo!

      Delete
    2. Kristen - so glad you asked that question!! Jennifer - I love the response..walking away is awesome. My husband's answer is that he'll just procrastinate on the project for a year if we have to argue ;)

      Delete
  6. I really love your honesty, Jen. Your room turned out amazing even though it seemed like a rush to you. In fact, your room was the best one - and the most ambitious one - in the One-Room Challenge.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Jen, I love this post. It is refreshing to know that you have the same doubts, regrets, and make the same mistakes that I do. Thank you for sharing and being so candid.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Jen, I LOVE this post and thank you so much for taking the time to write it.

    I have to admit that while I certainly loved all the draw-dropping makeovers revealed during the One Room Challenge (yours' the most, of course ;), throughout the 6 weeks, I was really struggling (as a reader) with EVERYTHING you just chatted about here - essentially - why the rush?!?! I didn't want to comment for fear of fellow reader backlash, but it seemed like many of the ORC bloggers were feeling stressed and rushed and in the end, settled for things they wouldn't have done on a "normal" timeline.

    Lately, it feels like blog-land is full of these sprint-to-the-finish makeovers - full kitchens, patio/deck overhauls, room makeovers all done on super fast timelines. I totally get needing a deadline to finish a space - heck, it took me three years to finish our family room and now we're moving. But so many bloggers and designers say that a true, well-collected, and personal home comes with time, so I can't help but wonder about the sense behind these types of challenges...even though they sure are exciting to watch!

    Your family room is absolutely amazing and I am truly in awe of what you and your husband accomplished. I just had to comment because I was honestly relieved to hear you mention some of the things I've been thinking to myself over the last 6 weeks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well said. I think that every year about the Christmas home tours, they are stunningly beautiful but put so much stress and pressure on the participants...life is short...don't forget to breathe :)

      Delete
    2. I always wonder this too! But what I really wonder is why someone would want to participate in it, lol. Seems like so much stress involved. Is it to gain more readers? I love the way your room turned out! I love all the pops of color with the white and I cant wait to see the kitchen!

      Delete
    3. I think the why is different for everyone because there are so many positives that come from the experience. For some it may be the sponsor opportunities or the cross promotion or the pure excitement of the end result... For me, it truly was to push us to get our living room usable again and my overly optimistic mindset of how much we could get done in such a short amount of time. Like I said, no regrets here. If we wouldn't have done it, I am certain we wouldn't be watching the news each evening or reading next to the fire... :)

      Delete
  9. Love this. So glad to know that seemingly perfect things arent always that way. You make it look so easy and flawless and I love the other side to it. You still did a fnatastic job, and I need to be teminded that there is a difference between a styled room for a pretty picture (love the saturday night out analogy) and a room that is also actually used and lived in. Thank you

    ReplyDelete
  10. I second every comment made before me. And as much as I appreciate your honesty, I still think we are all very hard on ourselves as well. When you revealed your living room - I left you a comment and told you I wanted to move in.... That's how much I loved it ! I sat here in front of the computer for hours just staring and in awe of how you put all the little details on the shelves, and actually looked at the links of where you got each and every item. And then I dreamed about being that talented as you are when I grow up.... :)

    Yes, I always question why my house seems like a tornado went through it when every blogger's house is immaculate, and I am always upset that I am not able to get a "handle" on organizing it and keeping it that way. But we all know it's really for "the pictures".... Like my Grandma says - slapping some lipstick on a pig.

    But - you do an amazing job overall, and yours is one of the few blogs I read everyday. And can't wait for tomorrow to come so I can read more....

    And the fact that you pulled off this entire room makeover in 6 weeks is REALLY mind blowing. Its not that you just painted walls, got new furniture, art, etc. You put in new floors, DIY built ins, fireplace... wow. I have been living at my house for 8 years now (open floor plan as well), and still cannot decide on which color to paint our main floor living area... Love your blog.

    And cant wait for the ottoman tutorial !! xo Danielle Ferretti

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much Danielle! I definitely think we are hard on ourselves, but never want to portray it is all rainbows and that things come together quickly or easily over here. I sincerely appreciate you uber sweet comment and that you check in each day. ♥

      Delete
  11. Oh, Jen, how I love you! You are (and always will be) my favorite blogger, because you are so real. You and Bryan did an absolutely amazing job (as always). From all of us who follow your projects and light up whenever there's a new blog post, thank you! You inspire us and motivate us to better our own homes. You are so brilliant at what you do...from the projects you take on to the way you share it with the world. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  12. What a gorgeous space! I love how fresh and fun the room is. Totally obsessing over those armchairs.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I know you guys busted your bums and put together a lovely room, so enjoy it! I totally get that you feel like you have a "design hangover" as I like to call them. When I get so immersed in a project--that is what happens to me when I'm done. I don't even want to think about that space for awhile until I "recover".

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha! That is perfectly said, a "design hangover" nails it!

      Delete
    2. Right? :) Have a wonderful holiday weekend Jen!

      Delete
  14. Ohh love it without the baskets. They made the eyes bounce all around with no landing point. The mantel and fireplace are so well done! Well done and thanks for the honesty.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Adore the honesty in this post Jen. Your living room is gorgeous, but it's nice to know it wasn't a fairytale from start to finish. Just seeing snapshots on the way makes everything look effortless, so it's neat to hear the story behind the pictures. You and Brian did amazing work!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I found your blog through the ORC, you blew my mind on the amount of work and how it turned out in such a short amount of time. I am glad you gave the after facts because I couldn't put my head around "all" that was done. I felt something was fishy. Sorry.
    You answered the questions well and I feel normal again because I would have
    needed more time to become one with the room. Congrats on all that you accomplished! It is beautiful ! ! !

    ReplyDelete
  17. My project for the ORC wasn't nearly as large as ours, but I so understand the ups and down that come with any makeover. Your living room is stunning, what a fabulous job you guys did.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Spelling - sorry meant to say nearly as large as yours.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Jen,
    Thank you for yor honest reflections! As a teacher, I often save my big home reorganization/ redecorating projects for the summer. They turn out great, but then real life starts in September and sometimes they don't work. I sometimes beat myself up for not having gotten it right. Reading this post reminds me that making our homes great is a journey, not a six week project ending in perfection. Thank you again.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Finally an ORC post that I can relate to. When working on my own home, I take FOREVER to make decisions. When I was younger, I would grab something to fill a blank wall or shelf and now I would rather it be bare until I find something I love or with meaning. I have friends tell me all the time that I should go into business helping other people with home design/decorating. Are you kidding me? I take so long to make decisions, I would end of losing money with the amount of time I would put into it. lol

    ReplyDelete
  21. Thanks for being so honest. I was feeling some of these emotions come through in a few of your previous posts. I'm glad that you didn't gloss over them and instead addressed them. I think that's really encouraging for other people out there who are taking on their own projects, big and small.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Jen,
    Thank you so much for your honesty! This is one of the reasons why I love your blog so much...you seem to always be so honest in your approach to life and your blog. The room is beautiful, I can only imagine how stressful it must have been to complete it in such a short time. Your boys are so lucky, to have such a bright cheery home to grow up in. Can't wait to see he "little tweaks" you make over time. Sincerely, Lori Swearingen :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. We just purchased our first home (in 37 years of marriage no less) and have lots of plans! Your makeovers offer a never ending supply of ideas for me.Not to mention encouragement. This is one of the few blogs I've sat my husband down more than a few times to show him one of your posts and what I liked about it as we plan out our own home.

    Thanks for the continued stream of ideas!

    Nancy Ü

    ReplyDelete
  24. Thank you for your honesty. When I read blogs it kinda puts me off when I see these perfect/magazine-worthy pics of their living spaces. It actually makes me think it's fraud because there is no way a room looks that perfect at all times. Sometimes I even avoid those types of posts because to me, it's just not realistic.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Jen, just wanted to say how gorgeous I think your room looks and like many of the comments before me, thank you for being so honest and open about your feelings. One of the big reasons I got hooked on blogs in the first place is because many are written by "real people in real homes" as opposed to perfectly styled homes in magazines without any behind the scenes reality feelings (though I do realize your home has been in both!). I really enjoy your blog and you always inspire me to not only work on organization in my own home but also to have some fun with it too.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Thank you for such an honest post! I happened to love your ORC reveal but I love your honesty about the process even more. I wish more bloggers would keep it real. iHeartAuthenticity

    ReplyDelete
  27. Thank you for your honesty! Your spaces are so lovely and I enjoy hearing about your debates, challenges and happy moments with your home. You are inspiring me for sure for our new house! :)

    ReplyDelete
  28. Love reading your perspective of it all...it was a crazy experience, no doubt. I too, felt panicked to make such quick decisions, and felt pressure to live up to the other talented bloggers, but also I've got a new bedroom 6 weeks later. Without the challenge, I know that would have drug on another year! Sometimes I need the push. And while I'll continue to tweak the room now that it's 'done', I have a really great starting point. I adore every nook and cranny of your living room, and can't wait to watch it evolve more as you live in it! xoox

    ReplyDelete
  29. Loved this post! I also have three boys, 7,4,&1. And I also work hard to keep our home clean, organized, and beautiful. I am a true neat freak. But I have been working on allowing my home to look less than perfect for the sake of LIVING. And BEING OK WITH IT, ;) I think there will be so many people apreciative of your honesty, I am. I am really excited for you, and your room does look fantastic!! Have fun enjoying your room!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Amen!! I am the exact same way. :) I told my husband in a moment of frustration the other day that I wish that blogs and pinterest didn't exist--I mean, I know the staged things aren't truly real (like Jen said, it's like getting dressed up on Satruday night... as opposed to rolling out of bed on Monday, haha!)---but it sets a crazy standard for the true neat freaks! It's good to read things like this.

      Delete
  30. Thank you for addressing this. The challenge, from the very beginning, didn't feel like a right fit for your blog and your philosophies.

    I enjoy how you design as you go and how rooms and spaces evolve over time. As the one room challenge progressed, it felt forced and, as a longtime reader, it had me wondering what was going on.

    Hopefully, now that the challenge is done, you can regroup and make the design choices that you intended from the beginning, but without any deadlines or commitments. You can let the room take shape in an organic way - get back to your roots.

    Thank you for your honesty.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Thank you thank you, Jen!! I love reading stuff like this. I have to say, your living room (all ready for a Saturday night) is my favorite reveal you've done on your blog!! Not that all your other rooms aren't beautiful as well, I just really love all of the elements and textures in your living room and am absolutely shocked that you pulled that off in 6 weeks. The ORC makes me envious, so I haven't looked through a lot of it, but I always read your blog and am so impressed. We just passed the 2-year anniversary mark in our home and I have really struggled with it. I love to decorate, but I tend to waste A LOT of money when I decorate quickly. Unfortunately, I am way too obsessive and visual for it to just "sit". I tend to get really unhappy….so it's hard. Anyways…your room is stunning, can't wait for the kitchen (we are doing Ikea, too!), and thank you SO much for being honest!

    ReplyDelete
  32. I don't have much to add, but I just wanted to affirm the comments already here. What a thoughtful, honest post.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Jen, you may have been feeling some of those feelings even without the ORC. Being under construction, limiting that much of your living space for so long is HARD!
    I hope you appreciate the positive aspects of the ORC - that you have a beautiful space that's done, you and your family can enjoy for many years to come. And sure, you may make tweaks along the way (hello! I've been following your blog for years - minor tweaks to suit your current situation is what you do! ha!)
    And that fireplace, built-ins....OMG......sooooo swoon worthy. SOOOOO worth and minor setbacks from minor things like a couple of throw pillows that might not have been your 1st choice. Beautiful space you've created; be proud of what you have accomplished :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh my goodness, yes! I hope it didn't sound like I didn't appreciate the entire experience and opportunity, because I completely did and like I said, I have so much respect for all who participate! I love that it pushed us to get our space to livable and that we are able to use it now). There were just moments that were tough and compromises were made and I am never one to gloss over the trials and errors of any project (big or small). We are in love with all we were able to accomplish. And thank you so much for your kind words! ♥

      Delete
  34. Love you, Jen! Love your honesty and I have so much awe for what you achieved here with this beautiful room. xo

    ReplyDelete
  35. You created a beautiful space and now you get to enjoy it! :-)
    Just take time to recover from the "design hangover"! Well done (and said!)

    ReplyDelete
  36. I so appreciate your honesty! I've always wondered how I would "deal" with the ORC because I often regret decisions if I buy in effort to complete a room instead of taking my time. It's just how I work... I love to collect over time and think through how things will work/function for us.

    ReplyDelete
  37. I loved watching this transformation from beginning to end! And even more, I loved this post about the behind the scenes and real life struggles and adaptations. It's a great reminder to your readers that you are a real person and that everything isn't always as the pictures show :) You ended up with a beautiful kitchen, dining and living room and you and your family should be proud of everything you accomplished during that renovation!

    ReplyDelete
  38. Those tough decisions and hard times were in fact written between lines in your ORC posts, but I do appreciate you writing this down-to-earth post. Life isn´t always pretty and organized nor does things go as planned. Time restrictions can be a good thing, but more often they make us settle on things we don´t love! After all decorating is a life long journey, not a short sprint! I really look forward to see your living room in it´s everyday casual look ;)

    I really appreciate you taking your time and going through ORC linking participant`s reveal posts! I almost couldn´t believe my eyes when I saw you had left a comment on my blog! I really honestly appreciate it more than I can say.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Wow! I am always amazed and inspired by your decorating and room revamps, but this one is truly my favorite. This room transformation is absolutely stunning, and I love how completely unique it looks. Great job!

    ReplyDelete
  40. I really loved this post. I've been reading your blog for years now, and although I rarely ever comment (this may be my first), I've received a lot of inspiration about reorganizing and streamlining my own home (I have basically modeled our basement off of your storage areas). Sometimes I get frustrated when a reveal occurs because it seems "too perfect" and I feel like its unrealistic. I really REALLY love how honest you were in this blogpost. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  41. Thank you for the post! One of the many things that I appreciate and respect about your blog is that you find beauty in function. So when the reveal photo was posted I questioned the functionality of the space, especially with kids. Although a picturesque photo is fun to see in a magazine, the one thing that those photos are always missing is the heart of the common areas of the home like the living room, kitchen, dining room, and family room. So thank you again for bring that family feeling back into the space.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Love this and your honesty, its refreshing to hear the "real" behind the scenes on a project & timeline like this because you don't get that that often. I LOVED your final reveal, its beautiful yet so functional and family friendly.

    Lauren Baxter | LB Designs
    xx

    ReplyDelete
  43. I love love love this post! As a blogger myself, I love the fact that you said "that projects should not be rushed for the sake of content." My baby boy's nursery is half done and I am posting it this Tuesday, but its not 100% done. I debated on settling for a dresser, but your post is making me want to wait for the perfect piece.

    Thank you for sharing your living room journey! It makes me feel better that you said the words "designing over time"....sooo appreciate your honesty!!

    xo,
    Seng
    http://www.sengerson.com

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for taking a moment to join in on the conversation! I read and appreciate each and every comment, however, I will remove any comment that I believe to be inappropriate, malicious, or spam-like. I would love for this comment section to be used as a place to engage in purposeful dialogue, I only ask that everyone remains constructive and considerate.

All comments will be moderated and may take a moment to appear.