Raise your hand if this week was as evasive with you as jello you were trying to nail to the wall. How the heck did it slip away so quickly? I always seem to be asking myself this question a week into the One Room Challenge, and this time is no different. But here we are and I’m excited to share some updates with you! I also can’t wait to check out more of what has been happening in your ORC spaces. My little guy has been sick this week so my hands have been extra full. But I digress!

First, let me share the fabric story with you:

This doesn’t actually show all the textiles in the room (I’ll share the pillow story with you next week), but it gives you a good view on most of the patterns. You’ll notice some wallpaper in there, too, and I’ll tell you what that’s all about in a minute.

First, the Groundworks Channels is for the drapery panels in the living room, and we are also planning to use it for a faux roman valance over the kitchen sink (I’ll show you that space below). The great news is that the Groundworks fabric has arrived and is in the capable hands of my workroom, so onward and upward on that front!

Next, the cream leather sample you see in the mix is going on a pair of these stunning Essex chairs from Whittington & Co.

Those gorgeous chairs are going to flank a piece that is as pretty as it is practical: the Haven Small Dresser from Bernhardt. You may have noticed in the before photos from last week that we have been living with a pile of toys in baskets in the corner of the living room? Not the worst situation I’ve ever seen when it comes to “toy creep,” but still a situation I want to get under control. Enter this beauty which will offer not only a gorgeous focal point on that wall, but also tons of practical drawer space to allow us to organize Tate’s toys so he can enjoy them more and we can enjoy our living room more. Truly a win-win for everyone involved!

Other progress this week includes our modern and organic copper side tables arriving from Bellacor.

If you follow me on Instagram you’ll know I posted this photo today. I think these side tables look like something that could have come from Oly Studio (but without the price tag) and that just makes me love them even more.

Perhaps the most exciting development this week was the arrival of our new piano above. I have dreamed of having a French polished black upright piano since I was 16. I know some dream of grand pianos, but this is what I wanted, and as much as this piano is for my kids now, it made me feel incredibly grateful to see it come through my door. Among other things, it reminded me that some dreams are worth waiting for, even if you don’t know when they’ll come to life.

So as I mentioned last week, our living room is open to both our dining room and kitchen, and as a result I am going to zhush those spaces a bit as well. First off, they are finally going to get finished properly with window treatments! I am so excited about this finally happening. As I said, I’m repeating the Groundworks Channels fabric over the sink with a faux roman, and then in the dining room as a cost saving measure I’ve chosen to use a plain cream linen and use a trim that echoes the print of the Kelly Wearstler fabric as a banding on the leading edge.

Which brings me to the before photos for the dining room and kitchen! As you scroll through them, you’ll notice that the dishwasher is sitting proud of the rest of the cabinetry (it’s the panel to the right of the sink) and the toe kick is missing under the sink. That is because our blessed dishwasher has been broken for three months. Oh my gosh I am so ready to have a functioning dishwasher back in my life! We’ve been waiting all this time for a part to arrive to fix it, and although it arrived last week it is still not working. This translates into either more expensive parts or a new dishwasher. It also translates into the end of my rope. All I can say is, I look forward to the dishwasher debacle being cleared up STAT and returning to a kitchen with a functioning dishwasher like yesterday. Pretty sure this has just been a conspiracy to make me grateful for the little things (and friends, turns out a dishwasher is not a little thing).

The last little “before” section of the kitchen also has the beginnings of an “after” to share with you thanks to my super handy hubby. Our peninsula is integrated into the pantry wall with a bookcase, and I have never really taken the time to style it properly (which is bizarre given how much time I spend looking at it and how much I love styling). It has always bothered me to look at the holes for the adjustable shelves (especially knowing I will never actually adjust them) and I’ve felt like the bookcase was a style statement waiting to happen.

Enter this stunning faux alligator wallpaper from Thibaut. I love how the dramatic black texture connects with our antiqued black granite counters and carries the eye up from the peninsula all the way to the crown moulding. I also love that Graham installed it for me! It feels so good to have one of the DIY’s on this project checked off the list. There’s still more to come with this little corner of the kitchen, but this is a very, very happy start.

Like my fellow ORC design daredevils, my to-do list for this week is not short. In fact, I may or may not have rewritten it twice today just to get my head around it properly. It includes picking up the rug, installing said rug and then bringing the coffee table into the house (so excited for that one!), picking up the drapery hardware, ordering frames for artwork, picking up pillows and accessories, taking care of ongoing client projects, remembering to stay present as a wife and mom, and completing a couple of big old DIY’s along the way for “good measure.”

(Side note: What is good measure anyway? I find myself asking. I think it’s like when you add that extra knob of butter to a recipe knowing it will make things extra delicious, only I’m not sure it applies when referring to to-do lists. *wink*)

Needless to say, it’s time for me to dash and get some stuff done! Be sure to check out what my fellow ORC designers are up to via the links below, and check in with me next Wednesday when I’ll update you on where we are at here in the Walker household.

Have a fabulous week, friends!

Claire Brody | The Curated House | Design Manifest  | Driven by Decor  | Honey We’re Home  | Hunted Interior  | The Makerista | Making it Lovely | My Sweet Savannah | Pencil and Paper Co. | The Pink Clutch | Savvy Home  | Simplified Bee | Sketch 42 | Jill Sorensen | Orlando Soria | Thou Swell  | The Vault Files  | Waiting on Martha | The Zhush | Media Partner House Beautiful | TM by CIH