ORC Post 4.0 - Library Progress and New Favorites!!!

This week I am still painting away in the "Black is Back Library."
(I spent the weekend in the yard on Saturday - so.much.mulch.
 and Sunday at the Braves game with my youth group. )
I love it but I am ready to wash the brush and be finished painting.

The mirror is now gold and rather fabulous. Check that off the list :)

I have made a decision about window treatments 
and will be giving an inexpensive pair of IKEA curtains some major love.
 Fingers crossed the trim idea I have works out. Like it's available and on sale :)
And then there's the part where I will be using my limited sewing skills.
 Like I said, "Fingers Crossed!"

Since I am spending hours in the room we call the Library and haven't cracked a book I thought I would share this:
Interesting article about bookshelf style from House Beautiful 
and how it reflects your personality.
 Sometimes I think it's less about my personality and more about my crazy schedule that dictates the state of my home :)   Or it maybe it is all about my crazy :))))

Lampshade size is hard y'all. And yes, those cushions are still awful.

Sorry about the grainy iPhone pics but somewhere under all that plastic dropcloth action and stacked furniture is the SD card for my camera*

(*Please refer to the above comment about my crazy!!! )

In addition to redoing or at least improving a room in your home during the 5 weeks/6 posts of the  One Room Challenge there is another long lasting bonus!

You get to see what 20 designers and a gazillion guest bloggers are doing.

 The ideas are great and there is a period of camaraderie. 

And for me I usually discover a new blog or IG feed that I want to follow.

 This year I have been reunited with a blog I had forgotten about and am now obsessed with and that is Anne Tollet's Hanover Avenue. 

(one of Anne's rooms!)
She is a hoot and those videos are fantastic.

And I have thoroughly stalked Amanda Louise Interior's new blog and IG feed.

 I love her style and her witty posts. (She's adorable, too!)
And she loves her pooch as much as I love my two!!
 She can't get enough on that feed fast enough to suit me.

When I find new blogs or feeds I go back to the beginning and read them like a book.
 I haven't done that in a while but these two are fabulous.

If Amanda Louise was on Hanover Avenue it would be everything!!

They are colorful and original and so refreshing
 after so many homogeneous rooms on Pinterest.
 I loved this article by Lesli DeVito on that subject
 (There's another blog I read from start to finish 
and now Lesli's new adventure is about to begin. I'll be following along!)

Wish me an incredibly productive week, please!!!
Tick, tock on the ORC clock!!

The Chairs ORC Spring 2016

 

 

My chairs for the "ORC Black Library" look like this right now:

 

 

Except they are at my house and not sitting at Goodwill.

The cushions are something! Aren't they?

 

I was thinking they would get a new look with some crisp white fabric

but I hadn't really made a firm decision. I was swirling around the thought of ticking stripes or possibly DIY block printing a scattered design on a white background or.... You get it.

 I just wasn't sure and since Post 3 was yesterday, time is a wastin'.

 

But early this morning I found this image on Lucy Williams fabulous blog:

 

 

That is my chair in natural!!!!

 And I love the fabric.

Decisions!

 

I love that pillow and lamp, too.

 

Stay tuned to see just what I do.

Because I have no idea right now!



It's The Thought That Counts (One Room Challenge Post 3.0)

I've never been sure about that statement.

"It's the thought that counts."

Think about it.

I can honestly say I have thought about the ORC this week.

A lot, in fact!

But tangible progress??

Not so much :)

Painting things black has begun.

What, you ask, since the walls were already black??

  

Well, I decided if this was going to be a black library, then black it is!

( Using the best trick of all to get a crisp edge where black meets white in the door trim. Paint your taped edge with the base color - in this case white and then come back with black. Works every time! It's the way you get perfect painted stripes on walls, too.)

I have begun painting all of the glossy white trim and the walls below the chair rail that were white are now black.
 Glossy, glossy black.

( Yes, painting switch plates and dimmer knob soon. Don't worry!)

People talk about having walls lacquered.
 These are not truly lacquered in the true sense of the laborious process (many sprayed coats) but they are shiny.

 This is my personal opinion but.... It's fabulous!

I have used Sherwin Williams Exterior Gloss in Tricorn Black.
You can grab it straight off the shelf - nothing fancy and as I stated in my earlier ORC posts
I painted the walls with this over 10 years ago and they are still going strong! 

The bamboo mirror is getting a coat of paint right now as well. 
It's going to be gold.

I can't wait. I don't feel like the silver does this mirror justice!


And that's all folks!! :)
( For me anyway!! 
Check out the rest of the fantastic makeovers at 
Calling It Home blog )

Pineapple Jar DIY

To call this a DIY is quite the stretch.

It's more of an insider tip.

Here it is: Even a really ugly pineapple jar can be revived with a little spray paint*.

(* I am not opposed to spray painting anything. Anything!)

I found a pretty rough looking pineapple jar at Goodwill for a few dollars a while back.

It looked like this:

I wanted it to look more like this:

via

via

Secret weapon:

Ta-Da!!

And if that jar does nothing for you painted gold then here's some 

pineapple goodness I found when I was out and about in Atlanta.

The pineapple trend is alive and well but I have to tell you it's nothing new for me. 

I grew up with pineapples in home decor. 

My mom had iconic pineapple wallpaper and accessories when we moved to Atlanta in the 70's. Probably before but that's what I remember! Go mom! 

I found these in a thrift shop.

 Oh, happy day!:)

I want to build a pool so I could have that cool float.

OK, I admit it. I always want to build a pool. Cool float or not.

#summerdreamin'

And I would fill that up with something fruity and delish

 and sip while floating!

and from Etsy:

ORC Spring 2016! Post 2.0

So what is ACTUALLY going on in the "challenge room"?????

( I hope you have checked out Week 1 and Week 1.5 post.

 No, not tying to be an overachiever with 2 posts in Week 1

 but seriously trying to get it together already!!)

Not as much happening  as should be, but hey, that seems to be my "ORC M.O."

(I was out of town for week one so that's scary!
And I did nothing in advance to prep for this. Nada.)

This is my third ORC.
Maybe the third time is the charm :)

I did put together an inspiration board  based on two things:
my inspiration rooms from my ORC Blog Post 1.5
and what I have on hand and want to keep and use in the Library.

The walls are black  and staying black.
I have black bookshelves on one  wall. Must paint the other two that are  currently dingy white.

I found 2 wicker, super comfy chairs while thrifting the other day. 
Mine are dark brown ,not gray like the inspiration board. 
And the cushions are definitely not white. I wish. 
The 80's called and wants the floral cushions back.
And Goodwill accidentally resold the matching ottomans I had already paid for.
 Long story. :( 
A little touch up and some fabric on those cushions and I think they will be fabulous.

I have a large bamboo china cabinet between the black shelves. Definitely staying.
Keeping a family heirloom desk but I want to add a bamboo chair at the desk.
I have a pineapple lamp I may move to the desk and a brass pineapple floor lamp we found thrifting in Charleston at Thanksgiving. Needs a shade.

Blue and white. Check.

An ottoman, stool or garden stool is needed. 
A garden stool is the dream but may be a long shot.

And a touch of animal print is absolutely happenin'. In this room it's going to be zebra.
Change the window treatment situation. I have several jumbled thoughts on that.
Not sure yet....

I have a bamboo mirror that's going to be painted gold.


and I have been looking  for (and found!!) a fabulous textile or two for pillows
 and maybe to cover the ottoman.

You may have seen the above image on IG. 

I have been admiring them as I drive around town!!

#obsessed but white background fabrics are not our friend.

#2bigdogs

Blurry iphone photo but this was love at first sight when I saw the "Coming Soon" swatch hanging on the wall at Fabric and Fringe Warehouse in Marietta. If you are local and have not visited, hurry in. It makes my Textile Design background heart go crazy!!
It's definitely happening.
And then lots of books and such will be on the shelves to add layers, color and texture.

 So right now I'm making my list  and getting started.
 Up first? 
Yep, paint. 
One  gallon of Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black needs to get on my walls and white shelves.

And totally unrelated...

Mollie and I did the Mimosa 5K at the Atlanta Dogwood Festival last Saturday morning
(it was freezing!!!) thereby showing the world the lengths  we will go to  for a "free" mimosa!!


Follow along on Instagram for the latest.
 

Be sure to visit Calling It Home Blog to see what everyone else is up to as well!!!



One Room Challenge Inspiration!! (Spring 2016 Edition!) Post 1.5

This is sort of "part 2" of Post 1.*
*Hoping to pull it together soon :)


My focus is on keeping our black walls

 and updating our "Library*."

*Not trying to go all snooty and Downton Abbey on you, as in "Shall we have drinks in the Library before dinner, darling?" but trying to corral all of our books in a way that looks good and add some function and use to a room that got used once a year for years on end when it was the Dining Room!!

And actually other than Christmas week it wasn't the Dining Room it was the "piling stuff on the never used dining table" room.

Below is what it looked like last November/December while we were in the process of moving Mollie the graduate out of her college apartment.
(And some of that still has to be moved, purged, or stored 3 months later!
Oh, to begin with an empty room someday!))
OY!!

Anyway, on to my ORC inspiration pics.

This room isn't black but it is to die for.

There is black and white stripe involved so that is a winner in my book.

The bookshelves are fabulous and the furniture is bamboo.

All kinds of perfect in one room.

Our room is more modest in size so that amount of furniture is not going to happen.

But I love that room.

I like the idea of lights above the bookcase and maybe a bit of construction to create a more "built-in" look and a home for the wiring for the lights... not sure...

And the shelves below are white. I'm not sure if I'm going white and crisp for shelves or black and dramatic. 

Right now we have 50/50 in there. 

#somecohesionplease

I like the swing arm lamps here but our room is a major traffic area and

 we would be whacking into anything that low.

 What a great bedroom, though

And what about this room???

Or this one!!!

Not Elle Decor worthy but we have some of the same elements going on in our room as the room above. Chandelier with black shades, black walls, black bookcases and dark furniture... hmmm..

The lights in this room come out from the wall.

 I like the look and this could probably be pulled off with an IKEA hack.

 It gives a bit of edginess to the classic bookshelf light idea. 

And then there is the whole debate on styling the shelves so perfectly or just shoving those books on there in a brilliant, well-read professor lives here kind of look. 

( I mean, if it makes it on Lonny who am I to call it untidy??)

And I'm thinking about cramming the mantel full of blue and white.

And  there's seating and the floor to think about too.
( We have the dog covered though!!)

And don't I wish I needed a library ladder!!

But first, where do I put tons of books 

for the next 5 weeks???

Follow along on Instagram for the latest.

All images are from my Pinterest Boards Addiction!

Black Is Back! ORC Post 1

In my case it never went anywhere!!

I've been seeing a lot of posts lately about people wanting to paint rooms black. 

I always post a comment and tell them to hop on board.

Our black room has been black for over 10 years 

and in my house that is an ALL TIME record!!!

Let's get real - I talk about my love for white quite often!

I think this is true but in this instance the touch is pretty major.

As in, this room is black!

So, what "touch" does a black room need??

I'm planning to figure that out.

I still loooove the black walls.
(Sherwin Williams Tricorn in gloss)

When I painted them this room was our dining room.

(Photo taken  Christmas 2010. Do you love the touch of green the Swiffer brings to this picture?? Oops!)

We added a gas fireplace because I had always wanted a dining room with a fireplace. 

Shortly after that we reconfigured our eat-in kitchen, put in two huge windows that filled the space with light, added a farm table and never ate in the dining room again -
 except for Christmas.

( You can see how glossy the black walls are in this picture!)

I felt like we could make better use of the space so I asked for inexpensive IKEA bookcases in black for Christmas (quick fix cause we'd probably still be waiting to do built ins!!) 
several years ago

 and started to think of the room as a "library" of sorts. 

And really not much has happened in the last few years.
(Except the room became very dated looking!)

( Lots of b/w toile back in 2010!!)

 Another pair of bookcases - that happen to be white and two wing chairs booted out of the family room when it got a coat of paint and a bit of zhushing- were moved in there.

The window treatments have been there a looooong time, I took down a wall of plates over the fireplace, stole the sconces for an One Room Challenge and then we got busy, forgot about doing anything in there and the room has become sad and dated.

It is time to pull this on trend (again) black room back into style.

And the best motivation for that??

Yep, jump on the ORC bandwagon!!

So this challenging room, which is a major traffic path in our downstairs and has two door openings, two full length windows and a fireplace in one small room, is my One Room Challenge spot for Spring 2016. 

Follow along on Intagram for updates, questions, decisions and hopefully progress between the weekly post!!
And be sure to check out my ORC Post 1.5 for a few updates
(Just couldn't wait and post on Thursday!)

 

 

A Quick Look Back - The ORC 2016 Is Just Around The Corner!

The One Room Challenge Spring 2016 Edition 
is fast approaching.

and I am jumping in again.

It's a great way to "get 'er done"

 especially for a now professed 85%er :)

But a bit of nostalgia and a tip or two before I move on to the latest room to be "ORC'D"

Yes, it's a verb now like "google" or "xerox."

At least it is at my house.

My first ORC was a guest room and prompted by this bed 
and a room filled with "stuff" a la Hoarders!

 

It was waaaaay more work than I thought and after 5 weeks and 6 posts
 it was much improved but not really "there." 
It still needed love. 
I also learned from some people's posts that they had thought ahead and sometimes pre-ordered supplies, painted rooms, or gotten more prepped than I had.
 And some people dove in and completely gutted rooms, 
moved electrical, plumbing and more. 
I landed somewhere in the middle ( but admittedly with little pre-planning or forethought!)

So ORC #1 has gotten a few tweaks. 
(And a few more to come)
Another chair, a natural fiber rug,  a change in lamps and it seems to be a little more finished feeling. 
The bamboo bar cart rolled in as a bedside table. 
#isaroomeverfinished

And I found a vintage bamboo and rattan light fixture 
for the ceiling light in the center of the room. 

The second ORC attempt was Mollie's bathroom and we had an absolute blast on our #motherdaughterorc. 
Mollie had input, we painted and shopped and thrifted and
we  had a great time pulling her bathroom from blah to Chinoiserie meets Boho Chic.
We painted everything even the linoleum floor!!



 Other than tweaking her gallery wall 
(and we knew that she would move a few things as her bedroom evolved ) 
we are still loving that finished product.



I highly recommend joining in.
 I think Linda intended for this to be fun, motivating and inspirational 
and it is.



Or that's how I go about it!
I do what I can with what I have - time, budget, creativity, patience.
When the dust settles (and there is dust cause it's a whirlwind)
the space is improved if not finished,
other bloggers are supportive
 and some take the time to comment on your efforts which is fun and motivational as well. 
And I loooove checking in and seeing what everyone else is doing.
It's one big productive design party!
See you there!