Week 2 – Better Late than Never!!

This is my inspiration/mood board for the Better Homes and Gardens – One Room Challenge (www.oneroomchallenge.com/orc-blog). This is a biannual (Spring & Fall) challenge to transform one room in eight weeks. There are twenty featured Design/Decor/DIY participants. These are usually larger IG/Blog accounts. They also open the challenge up to anyone who would like to participate as a guest, which is what I am doing.

To be honest, I’ve been thinking about participating since this past Spring challenge when a few of my friends from an Instagram class took part. I had major FOMO watching them all transform their spaces into beautiful areas. They are all so talented. That is also why I was so hesitant. I’m a newbie to these types of things, although we’ve been DIY’ing since the homestead was established!! I just was worried that my work would pale in comparison to the other participants. Then I thought to myself, “Why am I afraid? You’ve got to start somewhere!”

So for this challenge I’ve decided to tackle our second extra bedroom (aka Erica’s room). Although she is on her own, this room will always be hers (just like the 1st guest bedroom is Cori’s). I’m am going to take it from the room we remodeled while she was in college to a more mature and welcoming boho retreat with a little bit of girly thrown in. Above is my mood board which is how I envision the room at the beginning of this process. I do believe it will change some by the end of the eight weeks.

  • Erica’s room before the One Room Challenge
  • “Nora” Wall Blush Peel and Stick Wallpaper for focal wall

At the moment this room is in greens and blues, which is a couple of Erica’s favorite colors. She loves pink/rose hues and that is where we are headed. I have a wall mural in those tones ordered from Wall Blush for a focal wall (who doesn’t love a good focal wall?). The rest of the walls at this time will be painted in Behr Paints Whisper White. That is my absolute favorite white paint. It looks like melted vanilla ice cream when it’s wet and is the perfect white when it is dry. It isn’t yellow but yet it is not a stark white. Of course, the lighting in my house has something to do with that too. I have it in every room of my first floor in some fashion.

What am I doing with this bedroom furniture, you may be asking. The answer is a resounding “I don’t know!” This set is from Scott’s aunt’s house. It is Pennsylvania House, and I really hate to paint it., At the same time, I don’t want to strip and stain it. It might be going into storage and we’ll be getting a new head board and side tables. I’m tempted to try making the headboard in the first picture.

One of the first things I’m going to tackle is this cubby storage unit. I’m also going to transform it into something much prettier with doors, short, gold hairpin legs, and door pulls. Can you see my vision? Right now it’s hard, I know. Scott keeps looking at me like I’m crazy. I probably am, but that’s okay. My fellow DIYers understand me!!

So let me run down what all I’m planning so we can keep score of my wins (and fails – hopefully happy ones).

  • Paint the walls Whisper White by Behr
  • Hang peel and stick wallpaper as the focal wall
  • Transform the cubby unit into a pretty console
  • New head board and side tables (DIY or purchase?)
  • Install lighting (wall sconces with puck light trick and new overhead light or ceiling fan)
  • Pretty decor

I’m sure there will be more or less as we go through these eight weeks. Please check back here and on my Instagram weekly to see how I’m doing, and cheer me on!! For more inspiration, you can check out all the participants both featured and guests at (ww.oneroomchallenge.com/orc-blog.