As I stated last week, I've been in Charleston SC (lots of pretty porch inspiration!!)
and the Virginia mountains
for the last 8 days so nothing much has happened physically.
I used all my travel time to think, visualize, source and plan
so I can hit the ground running this week.
Time is flying by!!
One thing that did actually happen was my handy husband worked on the "box" for the gas fireplace insert while I was away.
There is still a lot to be done but I'm excited to see progress.
We salvaged that fireplace mantel from an old house in Marietta GA over 27 years ago that was scheduled for demolition. Every time my husband mentioned getting rid of it because I hadn't done anything with it yet, I resisted. Then several years ago we added this section onto our screened porch and we "installed" the mantel as a focal point. Then we started looking for a gas insert and one finally showed up at Restore ages ago and now it's close to being a reality.
We certainly took our time on this one!
Things still look pretty rough but there is actually progress.
I have the floor paint ready to go now that I'm back in town!
Gorgeous green!
I just need good weather so I can roll it on and show y'all some actual progress. Please check out everyone else's progress here and if I haven't bored you too much please come back next week and see if I might actually get something done!!
Looking in from the front door to the family antique chest, thrifted Gampel Stoll bamboo and pineapple mirror and a very heavy elephant garden stool found at an estate sale.
Looking past the mirror and chest toward the door to the family room
and my very large DIY Audubon bird print.
(The walls are very white. Not pale, mint green!
Looking back across the chest to a piece of Haitian art that has hung in that exact spot
since I got it over a decade ago. I love it there so it did not get moved.
(The chest is a family antique and it has a few spots and rings here and there,)
Looking from the front door into a previous One Room Challenge,
(We unexpectedly refinished our entryway floors for the ORC and the yellow-y library floors will be next! This will help the flow with the vintage Brighton Pavilion bamboo chairs actually being in two different rooms.)
Looking from the Library toward the front door and the mirrored French doors.
The bamboo shelf replaced the dusty, old hall tree that I did not love!
Looking down from the stairs: Library to the right, front door to the left.
You can go back to each of the previous weeks here: Week1 Week2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 and Week 6 to read about my plans and many changes. I'll be posting some more in the next week or so about where I found some of my great bamboo pieces, why I didn't use any of the fabrics I purchased, how this room changed from one with a lot of fabric possibilities and a gallery wall to a pretty neutral, understated space. There are some really great deals in this space along with a lot of "shop the house" items! I plan to share more soon. Hopefully picture overload does for now - especially since I am just now getting this post out!! Even though my "reveal" is technically late (and boy, are the reveals I've already scoped out fabulous) I do appreciate the motivation that the Calling It Home Blog provides for me to get a room "finished" in 6 weeks or so. I'm excited to have this pretty entryway to decorate for the holidays and then welcome my guests! Update: Come see this Entryway decorated for the holidays! Be sure to see what everyone else accomplished as well.
This should be "reveal day" but thank goodness it isn't. (I'm sorry for the reasons for the extension.)
After being lulled into a false sense of being in control thanks to the extra week this go 'round, I allowed my attention to be diverted from the ORC by, you know, life.
I said on instagram last week that I am participating in the One Room Indecision.
I have been to the fabric store a bit more than I should have.
#epicindecision
I even went on a Sunday only to find out that they are closed on Sunday.
I dragged Mollie up there. Twice.
Fabric and Fringe Warehouse, Marietta GA
Anyway. I finally bought something.
I was happy with it (for the most part.)
Great fabric, just uncharacteristic indecision on my part.
(Its more coral than red in real life)
Then I mentioned to my Dad that I was looking for a rug
and he loaned me one of my mom's rugs that was being stored in their basement :)
The rug wasn't "awful" with the fabric above but it wasn't head over heels "love" on my part.
So back to the fabric store I went.
Because I loved the rug.
And Mollie loved the fabric I had already bought so she took it to use and I no longer felt the guilt of not using it. It would have been OK. Just not "love" on my part. (Believe me - I know these are #firstworldprobs)
And then I saw it. From afar. And the colors were perfect.
So I bought fabric AGAIN. After dragging Mollie up there again.
Wait until you see it!!!!
And then I negotiated, in a way that would make some of the major players at international summits at the United Nations watch in awe, with my husband to NOT put the dreaded, dust collecting rack of hats back in the entryway that is soon to be home
to a fabulous rug and fabric that I am actually committed to!!
No more hall tree of hats.
Just a lovely bamboo shelf that will hold all kinds of fabulous eye candy.
And a plant. Definitely a plant.
So here are a couple of little peeks at my progress and the vintage family heirloom rug that is on loan from my dad :)
Starting to put a few accessories here and there in the room...
And the rug. I just love it! (And yes, we got stain on the bottom of the door. We are playing rounds of the "touch up" game over here. Touch up trim. Touch up floor. Touch up trim...)
I also took time out of the ORC schedule to go to the Atlanta Lights Festival with Mollie. She got tickets for her birthday in September. The weather was perfect and it was an amazing experience. I highly recommend it!
Of course, I am now, once again, scrambling to finish by next week because there has been a change on several major points with the introduction of the new fabric choice.
#imsuremostofyouhaveclickedtothenextblog
And in case someone, anyone, is still reading:
So here's "the list:"
1. Stain the floor (stained - now watching poly dry )
2. Continue looking for rug. (I may be on to something)
3. Add fabric border to the bottom of the curtains- Fabric purchased. Again.
4. Pillows for Brighton chairs.
5. Paint hall tree :)))))) It's outta here!!!!
6. Paint back of front door - something fun that works with fabric and rug which is TBD :(
7. Decide on accessories for the chest - they are in front of the mirror.
8. Decide on accessories for Brighton table
9. I want a plant in there somewhere...
10. And I completely forgot that I planned a gallery wall above the Brighton chair and table. :0
I have chosen to freshen up our foyer - entryway, if you will. It's the first room you see in a home. so in the words of the famous Julie Andrews- "Let's start at the very beginning. A very good place to start." #doremi
There are some things we like and will stay.
There's something I don't like but it has to stay because I don't live alone... so, there's that ;)
And the foyer really needs whatever it is it needs (?) to perk it up,
to take it to the next level and to just pull it together.
The obligatory "Befores":
When you walk in the front door this is what you see.
They've been rewired and I love them there. Things staying (I am pretty sure): dresser, elephant on the left, green chinoiserie lamps. Things that might move: prints, accessories on the dresser.
"The Herd" isn't staying.
The largest one on the far left is mine but the others have gone off to the shop @elizabethandpayne
Next. Standing at the front door looking right.
There are French doors to the right.
A few years ago I "DIY mirrored" them.
More on that later.
(The chair and the Amazon boxes were just there temporarily.)
And there is the thing I don't like - the hall tree full of hats.
But my husband wants.it.there. #staying
I have white IKEA curtains across the front door.
They are a game changer. I've had them at least 5 years.
We can pull them for privacy at night and to block out brutal Summer sunshine that would fade artwork, etc. They are great in the Winter - they actually block some of the cold.
They have actually changed our heating and cooling bills.
They could use something - trim, painted stripes, a band of colorful fabric on the bottom. And the curtain rod could be improved upon. It's plain Jane from IKEA.
All possibilities but the curtains must stay - they are so functional.
Here they are pulled (not neatly, I might add #keepingitreal) on a sunny afternoon.
They puddle but maybe I should shorten them a tad? They just look messy because they get moved so much.
On the same wall is a mirror and some of my Haitian art collection.
The bamboo mirror was a thrifting find and I painted it yellow.
Below the mirror is the "challenge" part
of this One Room Challenge...
I found this pair of amazing, fabulous, dream come true Brighton Pavilion Style bamboo chairs and table a couple of months ago.
We were leaving on a mission trip the next day so Mollie and I ran to meet the seller and brought them home.
I had intended for the entire set to go on that wall.
But, guess what?
They are bigger than I realized and do not fit.
I don't want to break them up so I am trying to be tricky and try to incorporate one into the Library where the green bamboo chair used to be and use the table and 1 chair in the foyer.
The set will run along the wall but actually be in two rooms.
I will need to figure out how to make this work and not look disjointed or just plain terrible.
I don't know if I can pull it off or not.
It would be easier if the flooring did not change but, of course, it does!
Fabric or pillows may be the solution to creating cohesiveness.
The room is actually very neutral and may benefit from some more layering.
The walls are white and I'm still liking my clean white walls.
This room opens onto the only non-white walled room on our first level.
The walls are glossy black and there is a lot of color in that room.
Something to take in to consideration.
This is what you see when you walk into the front door and look through the opening on the left side of the foyer at the bottom of the stairs:
(Oh, and the rug has changed since this picture was taken.)
A friend gave me this rug that she did not like and it had barely been walked on. Literally. (I now think the blue ikat on the bottom of the curtains needs to change but that's for another time!)
The second Brighton chair will sit where the green bamboo chair is in the picture.
Whew. That's a lot to take in.
And it's a bit confusing so here is a quick little sketch to help you visualize the whole thing:
In true ORC fashion,
things are bound to change on the daily so follow along
