This was my first One Room Challenge (ORC), and it was a great learning experience. Just having a deadline and an expectation to post once a week gave me the structure I really needed. I’ve already started thinking about what room to tackle for the Fall ORC (I’m leaning towards the master bedroom). But, importantly, I’ve also been reflecting on how I can make the ORC a better experience and apply some of the things I learned from this challenge.

The Original Plan – What Worked & What Didn’t

As a casual observer of the ORC, I didn’t really appreciate the nuisances of participating. I went into this challenge with a pretty simple plan – complete a beautiful room by the deadline. I did not think about social media, engagement, or connecting with my fellow DIYers/designers. The plan I put together was solid, and I achieved my original goal. However, I quickly learned that my plan was missing some vital parts. I’m definitely going to discuss those things a little later. For now, let’s talk about what I did this time around.

Order Large Pieces 3 Months Before Deadline

I knew the timeline would be tight since most home-related suppliers were estimating 10+ weeks for delivery. I ordered all the large or essential items in April. Overall, this worked pretty well. The slight delay in the cabinets created a marathon at the end, and the chair not arriving was a bummer but not a deal-breaker.

Next time around, I would like to have all the items on-site before the ORC even begins. The next ORC is in October, so I am guessing I should order items by August 1st.

Dedicate One Weekend Day Per Week

Jeremy and I have full-time jobs. We also have a son and want to see family and friends, so we decided we could dedicate one weekend day and a weeknight per week to the project. That means the scope of whatever project we picked needed it fit within that schedule. This didn’t include photographing or writing up the post (I usually do that early in the morning before everyone wakes up). For the most part, this worked out fine, and we could generally stick to this schedule and completed all the tasks without work seeping into the other days of the week. Of course, the last week was a complete marathon. I think that was a result of the cabinet delay versus any planning issues. But maybe this last week of the challenge is always going to be this crazy? I’ll have to remember that!

On a personal front, the schedule had challenges. Jeremy and I need time to relax and recharge. One day per week to recharge and do all the shopping, cleaning, laundry, and errands were hard. We fell behind on the laundry, and there was an embarrassingly large mountain to do once the challenge was over. I also think it was hard for my son at times. He is old enough to entertain himself, but having both your parents tied up for a whole day is kind of a drag. I’m not sure there is an answer to any of this since actually doing the work is essential to the challenge! Ha!

Next time around, I am going to be more cognizant of our personal life. October through December is a crazy time for our family (so many birthdays and events!), so I don’t think we’ll have as much time anyways. This will probably mean picking a project with a smaller scope, scheduling a few vacations days, and seeing if Grandma could spend a couple of days with our son.

Stick To the Plan & Schedule

I am a planner. That means I usually have the majority of the details worked out before jumping into a project. For me, this was essential for the ORC. Having the full design plan allowed me to create a realistic schedule and spend each week focused on what needed to be completed. As a result, I didn’t have to worry about making any big design decisions. That gave me peace of mind and decreased the stress.

There’s also something satisfying about seeing your original plan come to life. It’s affirming and confidence-building! I had a few “messy middle” moments (you know, when something doesn’t look exactly the way you hoped), but I trusted my original plan, and it worked out as I had hoped.

Next time, I am going to do exactly the same thing. I’ll have 90% of all design elements identified (the 10% was mostly accessories). Then, I’ll generate a schedule and stick to it, only slightly expanding or contracting it as needed.

New Things for Next Time

Not long after the challenge started, I realized I had not planned for key things. I was confident in the design and execution plan, but the sharing and connecting aspect was not even a thought in my mind. Over the course of the 8 weeks, I made a note of some of the things I needed to do for next time. If you are a newbie like me, I think these tips may help you too!

Plan Time to Connect

One of the best things about the ORC is connecting with all the other DIYers/designers. I budgeted zero time for engagement which was not fair or all that fun! I was delayed in responding to the lovely people who commented on my updates. I tried to like, follow and comment on other people’s posts, but it became harder as I had less time during the challenge. It was also difficult because it seems that most people are posting and engaging on Instagram during the day – the same time that I am working my regular job. It was clear from the first week that I should have made this a priority.

Next time, I am going to build into my schedule time for engagement. I will start with an hour on “progress update days,” and see how that goes.

Think Strategically About Progress Pictures & Social Media Posts

I underestimated how much I should have thought about my social media posts. I thought a quick progress picture would be sufficient, but I noticed that most accounts had a styled and thoughtful image for the weekly ORC updates. The images were beautiful and could easily draw viewers in. In addition, many people had video and Instagram stories about their updates. I’m not sure I am a “stories” kind of person. I don’t have any desire to be in front of the camera, but I may experiment with some video in the future.

Next time, I will dedicate a small portion of our project time to styling a photo. I will also be cognizant of the schedule to make sure that I can get some kind of nice-ish photo each week. I’ll also think about key moments that I can capture on video or things that would be helpful to discuss rather than write about.

Good Photography All The Time

Honestly, taking good progress pictures was not a priority for me. Most of my pictures were haphazard, captured randomly in the middle or near the end. I rarely broke out my fancy DSLR and usually opted to use my phone because it was convenient. While I don’t think it was terrible, having better photography is always a win in my book. Also, I didn’t always capture some key moments because I was too busy doing the project. Moving forward, I know I need to remember that documenting the process is just as important as doing the project.

I plan on having my DSLR charged and mounted on the tripod while working on the project every week.

Writing Detailed Posts While Being Super Busy and Tired is Really Hard

The first couple of weeks, my blog posts were pretty good. They were detailed and provided lots of relevant information. As the challenge went on and I was busier and tired (ha!), the posts became shorter and less detailed. I am not a quick writer, and it takes many revisions to create something that I am happy with. This multiple revision thing is extremely time-consuming and about 10 times harder when I am tired. I’m not exactly sure how I am going to overcome this. Any suggestions?!?

What did you learn and what are your tips and tricks!?

I would love to hear what other people learned. What are some things you wished you would have done? What are you going to do next time?

It’s finished! The office is all done.

This last week was a marathon. We worked late nights, ignored other parts of the house, and have a mountain of laundry to tackle. BUT we are done! Now, let’s get to the finished room. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane and remember what the room looked liked when we first bought the house.

And now….

It looks and feels like a completely different room. Not a single part went untouched. Every wall and detail was modified. We started the one-room challenge by wallpapering the room with the Alma (gold & buff) wallpaper by Cole & Son. The paper has a metallic quality that creates a nice sheen on the walls. That made the room difficult to photograph at times, but it creates a nice experience in the room. We also painted the trim bright white and laid new white oak floors.

The new cabinetry added much-needed storage and beauty. These white inset cabinets from Cabinet Bar were economical but also high quality. They were “ready to assemble (RTA),” so it was a ton of work but so so so worth it. I never really appreciated how complex it is to assemble and install cabinets properly. I have a much deeper appreciation for the people who do this regularly! It’s tedious work that requires lots of patience.

The cabinets have soft-close doors/drawers and are solid. I added wood knobs to create a casual but warm look. For countertops, we installed birch butcher block. They are so solid and heavy.

I haven’t moved everything back into the office, so most of the cabinets are empty. I want to take my time and ensure that everything is well organized. I’ll definitely be writing a post about that in the future.

I styled the open shelving with a combination of boxes and pretty objects. I’m sure it will evolve as we start living in the room.

We have the original white chair, side table, and my DIY rope art on the opposite wall. I’m still waiting on the new chair. October can’t come soon enough. When it does, I’ll install the swing arm sconce above the table. Right now, it’s looking a little bare. I promise the sconce will wrap this corner up nicely!

Here’s a close-up of the snail rope art. It only took a couple of hours to create (you only need rope, a mat board, and a hot glue gun), but man, it creates a big impact. It’s 3-dimensional and textured, so the visual interest is intensified. I found this old frame at a thrift store for $25. My husband and I removed the original artwork and glass. We slide this guy into the frame and attached it, leaving the glass off. I’m really enjoying the look, and I have a bunch of ideas for future rope art projects.

And that wraps up the office reveal…for now.

What’s Next

While the office is technically “done,” there are still a few things I want to share later, including the full review/guide to the Cabinet Bar cabinets and how I organized the office. The office will continue to evolve, and I can’t wait to share all the updates here. I’m also planning on revealing our dining room, living room, and B’s (my son) room. It should be a fun summer! Lastly, I want to write a wrap-up post about participating in the One Room Challenge. I have learned so much and want to share my thoughts and tips. If you participated in the challenge, what did you learn?

Details & Sources

Wallpaper – Alma by Cole & Son – Buff & Gold

Trim Paint – Behr Ultra Pure White Semi Gloss Enamel

Cabinets – The Cabinet Bar – Inset White Cabinets (Snowbird Shaker Style)

Flooring – Bellawood 3.25 in White Oak Hardwood Flooring

Counter Top – Unfinished Birch Butcher Block

Knobs – Birch Round Cabinet Knobs

Chair (has not arrived yet!) – Braxton Culler Belmont Accent Chair

Table – Rattan Round Side Table

Basket Under Table – White Rope Leather Basket

Sconce (not hung yet) – Brass Swing Arm Sconce

Bamboo Shade – Cordless Bamboo Shades

Pillow Fabric – Stout Mignon 2 Lagoon

Magazine Files – Rattan Magazine Files

Desktop Organizer – Marie Kondo Rattan Desktop Organizer

Photo Box – Marie Kondo Rattan Box

Book Ends – Striped Marble Book Ends

Paper Organizer – Green Paper Drawer Organizer

Light – Whitewash Bead Light (sold out)

Chair – Upholstered Dining Chair – Stone

Small Painting – Sailboat Watercolor Painting

Large Painting – Lobo Overlook Print by Rogan Taylor

Print – “I don’t know what I’m doing” Print By Kat Schneider

Print – Bay Bush by Karin Olah

As always, check out the other guest participants and the featured designers to see updates on their projects!

Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8

The cabinets arrived! I am writing a big ole’ post about them that will provide lots of details regarding ordering, assembling, and installing (I’m currently working on it, and it will be a doozy). Right now, I am just trying to wrap up this project and ensure I have something to reveal next week.

The cabinets were very intimidating at first. They are ready-to-assemble (RTA), which basically means that my husband and I were responsible for putting them together. The pieces/parts arrived on three different pallets. It’s not like buying a cabinet from Ikea where all the components are in a box or two with the directions. Instead, all the like-components (all the backs, fronts, etc.) across the whole order were packaged together. In addition, nothing was labeled, and I didn’t get a list of parts to verify that I received everything. It was very much a figure-it-out kind of project (which is totally fine by me!). I did my best to sort things out the night they arrived.

The next day I knew I had to create a parts list to confirm that we had everything (our delivery guy told us we were missing a pallet). I made a spreadsheet and listed the different parts that I expected for each cabinet and headed out to the garage with post-its and a tape measure to identify and label each piece.

Luckily we had everything!

At this point, we were ready to assemble the cabinets. The Cabinet Bar has a short, animated video that describes how to assemble the cabinets. It also provides written instructions in a PDF document. However, neither one of these are by any means step-by-step. My husband and I read them three times and tried to get started. We ended up watching videos by The Cabinet Joint (they sell cabinets made by the same manufacturer). Their videos were beneficial and informative. In my big write-up, I’ll list all the videos to watch.

After two days of work, the cabinets were assembled and ready to be installed. We wanted to make a few modifications first. Primarily cutting holes in the box so that we could access the electrical outlets.

As for the installation, Jeremy deserves 100% of the credit. He researched, planned, and problem solved every part of it. I just assisted. Actually, that word may give me too much credit. I told him when things were lined up and held the cabinet box when he did all the important stuff.

We used cabinet jacks to hang the wall cabinets. Typically, people install a ledger board, but we didn’t want to mess up the wallpaper. They worked great! We still need to install the base cabinets (maybe tonight?). Jeremy assures me it will be much easier than the wall cabinets.

We have one week left and the to do list is still long! Here is what we have left to do:

1. Install Base Cabinets
2. Attach Filler Pieces
3. Install Counter Top
4. Add Trim/Fill Holes/Caulk/Paint
5. Hang Art, Style
6. Photograph

As always, check out the other guest participants and the featured designers to see updates on their projects!

Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8

The to-do list for week 5 was pretty short: complete the floors and sew a pillow. Happily, we completed both and had time to relax and enjoy the holiday. We are going to write a separate post on installing the wood floors. Specifically, how we approached the transition and how to create a tongue on a cut board. The office has a couple of angles (see below) that created some challenges. But, overall, it wasn’t bad.

As for the pillow, I asked my mother-in-law to help me. As I mentioned last week, I’m pretty new at sewing and don’t have much confidence in my skills. So I took my fabric and little sewing kit over to my MIL house over the weekend, and we sat down and made the pillow in an ~hour. My MIL suggested I start with an envelope pillow (one without a zipper). We followed the directions from Home Stories A to Z.

I ordered 1 yard of the Mignon 2 Lagon Fabric and cut it down to size (20″ x 46″). I was meticulous when cutting the fabric. The cut had to be straight (if it were uneven, the pattern would look crazy, and it would be harder to sew straight). We then sewed the short sides to create nice edges. From there, we folded the fabric to the size of the pillow (basically creating the cover) and sewed the open edges. You should really check out the post linked above for step-by-step pictures. After sewing the open edges, we just put it on an insert and, ta-da, a beautiful custom pillow!

I used a 20″ x 20″ pillow insert from Ikea. They are my favorite, and I have purchased many throw pillows (some may even say too many). The feathers never come out; they last for years and are so economical (only $6 bucks!)

Somehow the pattern on the back of the pillow lined up too. I have no idea how that happened…I definitely did not plan on it. I honestly couldn’t be happier with how the pillow turned out, and it was SO SO SO easy! My MIL and I are already planning on sewing a few more since it turned out so well. I think it was a combination of careful cutting, careful sewing (thanks, MIL!), and beautiful fabric.

I also picked up a few tips and tricks on the sewing machine! It felt like a very productive 1 hour!!

As always, check out the other guest participants and the featured designers to see updates on their projects!

Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8