Reveal: Black Is Back Library One Room Challenge!

I'm late posting and super impressed with the 150+ bloggers who posted bright and early on "reveal day."

I hope you like the quote above and I hope you agree that while the post is late,

The Black Is Back Library did not arrive "ugly!!"

At least we don't think so.

We are #obsessed.

Some things changed, some got dropped, some evolved,

but let's face it, at my house everything is a work in progress... including me!

Enough with the chatting.

Here goes photo overload.
(and this room was tough to photograph - it doesn't get much sunlight and it was pouring rain when I finally got it together to take some pics. 
Oh well, #cozy )

The walls were already black (and it was a Dining Room in it's previous life.)
They have been black for over 10 years. In a house with white walls everywhere else!
But I painted the trim, including window trim,
 the same glossy Sherwin Williams Tricorn black.
#gamechanger

Everything is black including the bookshelves.



The view into the Library from the front door!

There was a plan for a certain art project to hang above the family heirloom desk.
 It didn't happen yet so the big gold frame is going to hang there for a while until art happens.
 It's kind of like the unfinished portrait of George Washington except way less impressive.

Well, the unfinished part is the same :)

We had the books but pretty much everything else was thrifted!! I know, right?

We painted the existing chandelier a fabulous Rustoleum pinky-coral and updated it with round bulbs.

The zebra rug from the original plan was awesome but Mollie and I found this rug a few days ago and she said, "Get it now. It's perfect for the room!!"

 I did not know that the coffee table or the bamboo bench would end up in this room until one week ago today. They just worked and both were currently homeless and needing new spots in the house. Who knew?
#usewhatyouhave

And a little teaser of how cozy it will be to read a good book in front of the fire 

when Winter rolls around again!

 These bookcases are meant to house our books but they also work as my command center to handle all the details and mounds of paper that are part of everyday life. The bamboo office organizer and baskets were bought at thrift and consignment shops to hold all of our "stuff" in an attractive way.
So our shelves aren't just for books or shelfies - they are hard workers.

This chairs' seat fabric was inspired by the "palm leaf trend"
(I'm  always about palm leaf fabric trend or not!) all over One Kings Lane  right now. 
And by the fact that I already had it and have dragged it out for 2 previous ORC's. #usewhatyouhave

The curtains are a Bermuda Triangle type event where bad math done while rushing through a store, IKEA curtains that shrunk unevenly and blue ikat fabric that I already had intersected. Even though the bottoms were supposed to be the coral buffalo check I am very pleased with the post- Bermuda Triangle curtain disaster :)
#usewhatyouhave

I knew I wanted to cram the mantel full of blue and white but since each chair needed good reading light I knew a lamp would have to perch on the mantel as well. It is "camouflaged" with a new chinoiserie shade in blue and white!
#tricky

The chinoiserie pillows are made from fabric that I fell for at a local warehouse.

I wish the pictures really did this glossy black library justice but we love it and can't wait to use it on a regular basis. 
If anyone is interested in sources I'll be happy to post them soon. 
Whew!!!! This ORC is finally finished!

Thank you Linda for such a fun "challenge!!!"