One Room Challenge Fall 2015 Archives - Page 2 of 3

ONE ROOM CHALLENGE: FALL 2015 | WEEK FOUR UPDATE

Oh me, oh my, does the time ever fly! It’s been such a busy, blurry week that I seriously lost track of what day it was and almost forgot to post today! It’s a sign of the times, my friends. Lots on the ol’ plate.

THE UPDATE

All kinds of good things have been happening around here, like our Metrie mouldings being transformed into a gorgeous fireplace surround and mantel. If you follow me on Instagram, you caught a couple of sneak peeks of that in process. My furniture maker is seriously the bomb diggity.

That baby is now installed and simply awaiting the mantel top to be truly complete, and friends, she’s a looker.

The custom herringbone nero marquina mosaic from Creekside Tile is in the process of being installed as we speak and I lerv it. So classy. So timeless.

This week was also kind of like Christmas, as those lovely faux bamboo chairs from 55 Downing St. arrived, and after a little cross border adventure with my friend Rachelle to pick them up, they are now safely at home and awaiting their paint job. Noah made a suggestion for a different direction on the paint colour for them and – sophisticated 12 year old that he is – I agree with him, so you’ll have to wait and see where that is headed.

The rug arrived and to be honest there are some problems with it, so I’m putting on my English heritage “stiff upper lip” and managing that sitch all calm, cool and collected like.

THE FRAMING

In much better news, the gorgy-gorg frames from Framed & Matted arrived and I’m sooooo happy!!

Framing can be such a massive expense for any project, especially if you want great customer service and you want things done right. I’m thrilled that the lovely Chrissy has chosen to partner with me on this project and I have to tell you, her product is as fabulous as her incredible customer service ethic. Framed & Matted is currently only available in the US, so to all of my design friends south of the border, take note! Framed & Matted is truly a top-notch resource to keep in your designer arsenal of awesome.

THE ART IS MY FAVOURITE PART

I cannot WAIT to get all of the art mounted in these gorgeous frames. I’ve given you little sneak peeks at a couple of the pieces on the mood boards, but let me properly introduce you to some of the beauties that will grace this space with their soulful inspiration.

I have had this 12×12 stunner from fine art photographer David Graham White for awhile now and can’t believe it’s taken me this long to frame it up.

David’s process for this series is so inspiring: He photographed topiary gardens in the UK on old polaroid film, and then processed the polaroids using the heat from an old tube television, documenting the BBC channels that were playing as the polaroids processed. The heat flares from the television created the gorgeous and unpredictable saturation of colour that you see in the final works, and they tell the story of extreme control {topiaries} juxtaposed with the uncontrollable medium of television which invades our daily lives. We may attempt to control nature, but does media control us in the end? The intellectual dialogue behind these stunning works only serves to make them more beautiful to me.

Then there is this breathtakingly ethereal wonder from Zena Holloway.

I have truly been coveting this piece since I first laid eyes on it in Alessandra of Citizen Atelier‘s collection, and I’m still pinching myself that she has now come to live with us. I often struggle to feel at home with figurative artwork, but the ethereal sense of reverie and mystery in Zena’s work blurs the line between reality and fantasy in a way that I find utterly mesmerizing, transporting me to a place of imagination and wonder. For me, this piece is an elegant invitation to dream. Invitation accepted, Zena. Invitation accepted.

I really struggled with what to do with the art over the desk. I have a large shelf that used to house all of my product catalogues, but now that everything is available online I don’t need them cluttering up my space. Such a visual relief! In contrast to that utilitarian past, I wanted to make this space now feel airy and open and light, so I ordered three warm white frames from Framed & Matted. They will serve as the new home for a very happy little trio, starting with this incredible piece from Amy Friend.

This series, called Babushka, documents Amy’s deep bond with her grandmother. After her passing, Amy floated her grandmother’s nightgowns and scarves in water and captured their movement and essence in a most hauntingly beautiful, emotional way. I’m so honoured to have this piece in my home.

Complimenting the piece from Amy Friend are these two lovely limited edition prints from Minted.

I love how together they tell a story of wanderlust and adventure, of exploration and wonder. If I can instil those values in my boys I will be a very happy mama. If I can remember to live by them myself, I’ll be all the happier. I have no doubt this art will fuel me in achieving those goals – visual reminders of our core values of beauty, curiosity, gratitude and wonder.

I have one more piece to share with you – the one that will sit over the fireplace – but there’s a special project involved on that front and I can’t share it with you just yet. Stay tuned, as it’s all kinds of lovely.

THE GREAT SIDE TABLE DEBATE

So I picked up our Plan B side tables this week, and once out of the box discovered that they are way too pinky-copper for my liking. This photo belies the actual colour.

I’m all for mixing metals, but I need to actually like the shades of said mixed metals. So, back they go and it’s back to the drawing board for a rather close-for-comfort race to the finish line on this element of the room.

On the flip side, I picked up these beautiful acrylic column table lamps in brass from West Elm and they are perfection.

Classy, modern, timeless and just right for this room. I’m just waiting on the pair of Crane Floor Lamps from CB2 to come in and the lighting for the room will be officially checked off my list.

THE TO-DO LIST

I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to do at least one extra update post as I have a ton to get done this week and I want to make sure you don’t miss out on all the fun. So much of the action takes place right at the end of a project!

Here’s this week’s strike list:

Paint the bamboo chairs
Dive into my biggest DIY for this space: the custom pin board. I’ve got something pretty fabulous planned and am grateful to say I just yesterday found what I need for it, so stay tuned on that front.
Finalize all of the styling, which is probably a 3-full-days kind of job to get it just right.
Oh yes, and move all the old furniture out, move the new pieces in, get the drapery installed, hang the artwork, and somehow manage to continue doing my day job and care for my family in the midst of it all!

If you’re the praying kind, I’ll take it!

In the meantime, check out the progress of this ridiculously talented lot:

Can’t wait to catch you up on everything that’s about to unfold, so check back in soon and have a fabulous weekend!

xx
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|October 29th, 2015|4 Comments

ONE ROOM CHALLENGE: FALL 2015 | WEEK THREE

I’m not entirely sure how a week has gone by already. I’ve been caught up in the whirlwind of wallpaper installation and client projects and finalizing details for my own, and somehow I feel like I missed the weekend in there!

Just in case you’ve missed them and want to get caught up, my Week One and Week Two posts about the One Room Challenge will fill you in on all the scheming and starting that has happened to date.

THE PROGRESS

I’m grateful to say that the Thibaut wallpaper is UP and looking gorgeous! If you follow me on Instagram, you saw my live post during the process of installing it.

MY TOP TIPS FOR INSTALLING WALLPAPER YOURSELF

Gratefully, it wasn’t too traumatic in the end! The key was to paste the paper and “book” it {fold it over itself and let it rest for 2-5 minutes so it could absorb the wallpaper paste} and to paste the wall before hanging it. Every wallpaper will have its own set of instructions, so be sure to start there as they will tell you the right kind of paste and process to use for that particular paper. My other tips?

1. Have the right tools, namely:

a smoothing brush {we used a foam one so as not to lift the thousands of little vertical strips of paper that make up this gorgeous Ikat, but you can get a coarse bristle brush if your paper is less delicate}
an edger {see what Graham is holding in the photo above?} – use this as your ruler for cutting your edges
a utility knife with a ton of blade refills
and a soft wet cloth ready to wipe up any excess paste along the edges

2. Make sure you have a fresh blade for trimming for every length of paper you hang. This is critical!

3. Work top down and make sure you have all the air bubbles out before you trim.

4. Be patient and work as a team. This is definitely a two person job unless you are a pro.

The texture and sophistication of this Thibaut Ikat really are changing the room already. So worth the effort!! I must admit that I love this stage in a project: the messy middle where the dust has far from settled, but things have started to take shape. It’s that blur between initial vision and reality merging together. So fun!

THE FIREPLACE

Other things starting to come into focus? The beautiful Metrie mouldings were delivered to my furniture maker last week and the surround portion of the new fireplace surround and mantel is done!

Superstar that he is, my furniture maker came and dry fitted the back board of MDF to our existing cabinets and then built the surround on top of that. I really think the new fireplace design is going to add major sophistication to this room, and I’m super excited to see it installed. Today is spraying day on that front, so we are getting close!

THE FURNISHINGS

Other exciting progress? I painted up the legs of our little bench for in front of the fireplace. The process was basically sand, prime with Para 777 Superstick, then paint with two coats of high gloss Para trim paint in a rich black called Walkin In The Rain.

This sweet little number is now in the capable hands of Staci at Switch Studio who will be replacing all of the foam and then upholstering it in this gorgeous ombré chevron from Cassaro:

Don’t worry, she will actually centre the fabric – I just draped it over the bench quickly here to get a sneak peek preview, and all I can say is hello lovah! So excited to see her all done up and ready for her debut!

But for now, it’s time to tackle what’s next.

THE TO-DO LIST

This week I have a ton to get done, namely:

1. Touch up paint on the sides of the built-ins before the fireplace is installed.

2. Pick up tile for fireplace surround and get it installed.

3. Pick up the faux bamboo chairs, get the seats templated for new cushions being made and then paint them.

4. Create the custom pin board for the back wall of my desk area.

5. Finalize art and framing along with a special little DIY on that front.

6. About a thousand other client-related projects that are on the go.

I’m pretty sure this week is going to blur by yet again, and gratefully that is in part because we are taking Sunday and Monday off for a quick belated anniversary celebration. The timing might seem nuts, but I think crow-barring in a break in the midst of all the madness is just what the doctor ordered.

Be sure to check out what all of the other superstar design daredevils have been cooking up in their spaces. There are some serious over-achievers on this list and I can’t wait for reveal day!

Until next week!

xx
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|October 22nd, 2015|6 Comments

ONE ROOM CHALLENGE: FALL 2015 | WEEK TWO

Two down, four to go! It’s really just one week since this whole design dare began, but with the speed of life {which is apparently faster than the speed of light} it’s already blurring by. Here’s how my selections are shaping up as of today.

THE PLAN

THE PROGRESS

Weekend plans to install the wallpaper were foiled by the flu, but we did get the grooves of the panelling filled and sanded and the stone of the fireplace removed, so I don’t feel completely unproductive.

The super hubs had to travel for work and left Sunday, so I’ve been waiting until he gets back to tackle the paper as a team. I just keep picturing myself wrapped in a swath of wallpaper and unable to extract myself! OK, not really. We’ll get it done, folks.

In the meantime, this week has been all about finalizing some of the {bigger} details. I feel like I’m living on the edge here at the intersection of deadline + decisions yet to be made. Take end tables, for example. I’ve got two of these brass beauties secured and on their way, but I’m still landing on my other pair.

Crossing fingers I can make a pair of these stunners happen.

If not, there is a back-up plan. Just a significantly less glamorous one. We’ll see what comes together on photo shoot day!

Gratefully, all of the fabrics have arrived and are in the capable hands of the talented Hollie Cooper, who is also working on a One Room Challenge space of her own. Here’s the fabric story in all its glory.

Let me take you on a tour of what is going where. The black velvet in the middle is going on the pair of custom Kravet sofas which are being finished as we speak.

{Perhaps we can all pause and say a prayer that they’ll arrive on time for the photos?}

HOW TO CHOOSE A QUALITY SOFA

After more than a decade in this business, I’ve come to know that if it can happen, it will happen. That’s why I ordered these babies back in August. That might sound crazy if you’re not a designer, but good quality, bench-made custom furniture takes time. It’s the difference between 8-way, hand-tied coiling that will keep the seat from sagging for life vs. zigzag springs that will give you 3 years tops before you have a hungry sofa and you’re the main meal. Kiln-dried, dowel-joined hardwood frame vs. a Lord-knows-what mix of composite materials and toxic glues. Down-wrapped cushions vs. cheap foam that breaks down quickly and leaves you regretting that “deal” of a furniture find. If there’s one place to invest in a room like this, it’s in the main furniture pieces. This is where you do life, after all. My motto? Go for liveable luxury and do life well.

{Consider the above your personal checklist for quality on your next sofa purchase.}

I’m also all about texture and inviting comfort, so I ordered four of these gorgeous Tibetan wool pillows from Fibre by Auskin, which will pair beautifully with this stunning luxe Python print from Kravet.

Having drooled over this Cassaro ombré chevron for months, I’m thrilled to have found a home for it on this little bench I picked up at Aberfoyle Antiques Market.

This photo doesn’t show the full range of the ombré – it fades into a really light dove grey with just touches of the black. I absolutely love the dimension this fabric creates! I’ll be stripping and painting those feet this weekend, and then it’s off to Staci at Switch Studio for the final step in the ugly duckling transformation. I’m thinking this will be the perfect little perch to warm yourself in front of the fire on a cold winter’s night.

Speaking of cold winter’s nights, this decadent Kravet Couture chevron faux fur will be magically transformed into a blanket thanks to the lovely Hollie and her genius ways. Perfect for power snuggles.

The champagne metallic linen is headed for a life as our drapery panels. It’s hard to see in the photo, but this simple fabric is incredibly radiant and will add a subtle sophistication to the room.

The reptilian velvet you see above will be the pin board fabric for my desk area, which I have yet to introduce you to. Friends, meet the “before.”

This desk and shelf are neatly tucked against the wall opposite the fireplace, framed in by the stairs. As you can see, it’s all helter-skelter right now as we are moving things around to fill and sand the grooves, but once it’s finished this will be a super practical hub for our household – my office during the day, and Noah’s homework spot at night. That’s why I’m beyond excited to have two of these gorgeous faux bamboo Hollywood Regency chairs on their way to me from 55 Downing St.

I have been searching all over the earth for an unexpected yet practical chair that can function at the desk but also be stylish enough to be flipped around and pulled into the living room when we have groups of friends over. Enter these bamboo beauties! I must say, the selection of chairs at 55 Downing St. really impressed me and I nearly went in the direction of one of their gorgeous wingbacks, but these lovelies are light and will be easy to move around. They also won’t close in the space and will keep the floor plan feeling open and inviting. So thrilled to have found them!

Once they arrive, I’ll be painting the frames black and then Miss Hollie will be making seat cushions in a gorgeous dove grey mohair from Kravet. The piece-de-resistance will be lovely lumbar cushions in this gorgeous silk ikat from Bermingham & Co. I absolutely love the story behind it.

Unlike most fabrics which are dyed or printed after they are woven, Ikats obtain their distinct designs through a process of “tie-dyeing” the warp threads in specific pre-determined patterns before the weaving process begins. The manipulation of these individual dyed threads on the loom create the “blurred” patterns most associated with Ikat fabrics. In fact, the Uzbek name for this textile is “abr” meaning “cloud.”

All-in-all, the fabrication process employs 37 separate steps, requiring over one month to produce 200 yards of Ikat fabric. It is truly a labour of love and artistry. The patterns are determined by the artists who create them, and they are all one-of-a-kind. Once that 200 yard run of fabric is sold, that’s it. I love having something with such a special story and process coming to make its home in our home. Very special.

And that, my friends, is the fabric story! Check in with me next week for updates on lighting and to see where we are at with our progress.

In the meantime, go get your design inspo on by checking out what all of these lovelies are up to in their daring transformations.