ORC: Week 5 – Actual Progress

Although I’ve shared mini updates in Instagram stories, I skipped the last two One Room Challenge blog updates.  Playing by the rules has never been my strength.  But honestly, I figured it would be super boring for you to see what was happening around here: me, sitting at the end of the driveway waiting for delivery trucks, haha.  I’m kidding, sorta, but I took the 6 week challenge a liiitttttle too literally and was ordering things and finalizing decisions well within the 6-week time frame!  And well past the point that other ORC guest participants were actually working.  I did make important progress though, tearin’ stuff up, but that kind of work is boring to watch without a reveal.  Well, that’s my opinion anyway.  I think that’s why I don’t watch design shows.  They spend 55 minutes on the demo, reno and manufactured drama (oh no, foundation problems and we need to increase the budget!), and then 5 minutes on the reveal.  But today – finally! – I have a super juicy update to share (with a hint of a reveal and a little demo – in case you like those rough around the edge photos)!  The Spoonflower wallpaper arrived and my Mom and I installed it in two days!  I ended up choosing Sprigs on Ocean, in a smooth removable wallpaper.  It was so exciting to open up the box and see rolls and rolls of it – the sample size was really generous, but I was looking forward to seeing it on a bigger scale.

Verdict: I love it!  Looks at those delicate little sprigs – so pretty! 

This beautiful wallpaper is one of the biggest design elements in the room, so having that installed now really makes a big impact.  Let me catch you up quickly!  We removed the old tile, counter, sink and faucet.

Because the tile did not come down willingly, we just cut out the drywall and replaced the pieces – luckily we had some left over from the bunkie bathroom reno.

I patched other holes and primed everything, before painting the window trim, baseboard, and vanity the same color as the wallpaper.

I used my cellphone for a lot of these photos, because I was covered in paint and wallpaper glue so I didn’t want to handle my camera, so excuse the meh quality – I promise everything looks so much better in real life!  And I promise real-camera photos for the reveal. 

For the trim and vanity paint, I waffled between white and matching the paint to the wallpaper – and ultimately decided to match the soft turquoise.  A powder room is supposed to be a little jewel, right?  A place to go wild with color and pattern?  The background color of the wallpaper is a near perfect match to Behr’s Lap Pool Blue – my new favorite color.  It’s a soft aqua with lots of green and a quietness – it’s not a bright nursery mint or aqua, it’s more refined and pulled from nature.

I’ll share a more detailed post on the wallpaper installation after the reveal – this is just a sneak peek!  I’m so grateful my Mom came to help me.  She had installed wallpaper before, whereas I was a wallpaper newbie, and it turned out beautifully.  She is an expert seam-matcher. 

We also installed the Fascination light from Lamps Expo!  

Again, the above photo doesn’t do it justice – it’s gorgeous!

As my Mom and I were wallpapering, the toilet and faucet from Pfister were delivered too – and then last night Hubby and I picked up the walnut KARBLY counter, Stockholm walnut mirror, and some accessories from IKEA (the local trucking company only delivers out here on Tuesdays, so I said I’d just pick it up myself in my truck because I cannot wait).  Today we’re going to cut the walnut counter to fit and then install the sink and faucet – and hopefully everything else?  Is that too ambitious for one day?  I’m really looking forward to hanging the art and accessorizing. 

Ohhh it’s going to be tricky to photograph because it’s so small!  And the sky has been so overcast lately.  Wish me luck!  And make sure you’re following me on Instagram because I’ll be sharing updates in my stories as we race to the finish line (reveal is due this Thursday!)