One Room Challenge Fall 2022 ~ Week 5
Welcome to week 5 of One Room Challenge! We are officially in the second half of the 8 weeks makeover and while I am waiting for some of the bigger items to arrive, our focus this week is on lighting and hardware for the foyer + sofa and drapery for the living room. If you would like a quick recap of what we have accomplished so far, check this out:
image via Allison Willson Design
We started with an easy task: the flush mount for the foyer. Before I show you our new light, let me remind you the truly vintage one we started with. Yep this fixture came with the house when we moved in 30 years ago … I suspect it was there for quite some time before our arrival.
So out with the old (which we actually sold online for some quick cash) and in with the re-use! Chris had this gorgeous flush mount from Visual Comfort in his previous condo, and we took the fixture with us when he moved. It has the right scale, provides good lighting suitable for the foyer, and it is FREE!
Here is Chris trying to map out his installation game plan. I am useless in this department … other than providing an extra pair of hands to hold the fixture.
Tip: wear gloves when handling natural brass fixture. You just never know how to finish will react with hand cream, grease, sweat etc. the last thing you want is your installed fixture developing fingerprint marks over time.
The next item on the to-do list is hardware. Unlike some of the other items in the house, this traditional style front door entry set is a more recent addition (though I can’t really remember when we replaced it). It does the job, but I would like to elevate the look + quality since it’s something you will touch everyday going in and out of the house.
When it comes to stylish and solidly built hardware, my go-to is EMTEK. Since we are not replacing the existing front door, I have to take its thickness and the locations of the existing “opening” into consideration. EMTEK has Tech Specs available online for all of its products so you could check dimension and find the right fit for your project. In my case, I have selected the Baden Tubular entry set in flat black for its modern yet timeless aesthetic. For the inside trim, flat black square rosette + satin brass SELECT L-Square Knurled lever for the win!
We have a second door in the foyer leading to the adjacent family room (another makeover in the near future). To make sure we have consistency with quality and design throughout the home, we will also retire this glossy brass number and install the SELECT L-Square Knurled lever with the modern rectangular rosette.
One project I am contemplating at the moment is to turn the current bi-fold door at the front closet into a set of French doors. I quite like the existing doors with the original trim work. Not sure if we have enough time to tackle this but I am thinking glass handles like EMTEK glass cabinet pull.
Turning our attention to the living room, again starting with the easy task: hanging art over the fireplace. Sconces are backordered so fingers crossed they arrive in time for week 8 reveal.
Now for the elephant in the room: floral sofa
I didn’t dare to donate the entire 3-piece matching sofa / loveseat / armchair set while Dad was away, so I decided to keep the sofa. I tried my best to make her a beauty (with pillows and all), but truly the sofa wouldn’t work in the space. To make the matter worse, Dad decided to return home earlier than originally planned so I guess the joke (surprise) was on ME. The silver lining of his earlier than expected arrival is that he actually gave me the go-ahead to replace the sofa now that he has seen the refreshed space!
I acted pronto because Dad could change his mind again. I have long admired the Nicole sofa from Sarah Richardson Design so when I saw a floor model available for immediate pick-up, I said YES and wrap it up!
image courtesy of Sarah Richardson Design
Dad and Jane were pretty excited when the sofa arrived. The Nicole sofa has a classic elegancy silhouette, yet she has a relaxed vibe + super comfortable!
One last item for the week: drapery
This is going to be an expensive item given the length of the room (about 16’) and I want the drapery to spend the entire length of the room and be operable. In an effort to keep cost down, I sourced my pinstripe fabric (cotton / linen blend) from HM Home, the kitchen section. That’s right, these are tablecloths at 55” wide and 126” long. At $34 per panel (got them at 20% off too), we are talking about less than $10 a yard!
One thing with custom drapery is that it takes time. It was a long process, but it’s totally worth the wait and I couldn’t be happier with the fabulous result. Drapery adds softness, serves as another way to layer texture and pattern, and elevates any room with an effortlessly elegant look.
That’s it for Week 5! Now I better get ready to cross the finish line in 3 short weeks + cheer on my fellow participants on their process on One Room Challenge!
