One Room Challenge Linking Event - It's Reveal Time!

Okay, okay.  I know you have many blogs to visit today so I will keep the written part short and sweet.  It's been a tough 6 weeks and I didn't accomplish everything I had hoped to get done for the reveal, but I think you'll get the picture - actually you're about to get lots of pictures.

First, the obligatory "before" shot.  (If you'd like to catch up on the posts leading up to today's reveal, you can do so here.)

Oozing with charm, right?   Sure it is!  See the "afters" below.

Please don't judge my photos too harshly - I took them myself because my room is not yet totally done (as if that will ever happen)  and I worked on it up until it was time to post the photos. Oh, and some of my DIY projects might be a little rough around the edges.  Still working on those finishing touches!

I'm still playing musical chairs around the dining room table.  Bench and chairs or just chairs?

Do you recall the Chinoiserie fabric that inspired this entire space?  

Sadly it's nowhere to be found in here - yet.  Due to unavoidable circumstances, my upholsterer was not able to get my host dining chairs done in time for today's reveal.  Sad face  :-( . As you read this, my chairs are getting upholstered with my Chinoiserie print fabric on the backs and they will flank the ends of my dining room table.   Kind of a bummer they're not here yet but I'll be sure and take photos when they arrive.

And lucky you!  This reveal is a 2-for-1 because I did my living room too!

Leopard pillows - I'm all in.

Most of the items I used in both rooms are vintage and "found" items. People always ask me about decorating with vintage finds, and I always give the same answer.  It takes time, people!  And patience too.

Just look at how excited Ellie is over this new space!

And that's where we are today!  I owe a giant "Thank you" to my Mom who spent a weekend with me placing  furniture and accessorizing. And a big thank you to everyone who's followed my progress along the way and taken the time to comment with such kind words. It's much appreciated!

UPDATE:  At the 11th hour, the upholsterer that was redoing my chairs emailed me to tell me he got one finished up.  Hurray!  Here's a look at that

Finally, a Super Sized thank you to Linda for providing the motivation and for hosting the One Room Challenge and The One Room Challenge Linking Event.  Make sure you head over to Linda's blog where you'll find the links for everyone who participated in this round's event! 

The Green Room Interiors provides Interior Decorating and Design Services in  Chattanooga, TN.  If you'd like to discover the joy of living in well designed home, contact Kim Lemmon at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com

One Room Challenge - The Current State of Things and the Direction

Welcome to this week's drama installment of The One Room Challenge.  If you're new to this thing called the Internet then here's the story.  Linda came up with the idea to have a group of bloggers participate in an online room makeover one week at a time for 6 consecutive Wednesdays and Thursdays sharing our progress (or lack thereof) each week and culminating in a big reveal on the last installment.  I'm tired just thinking about it.

My chosen room is my living room/dining room combo at my own little abode known as Project Dollhouse.  I'm happy to report that some progress has been made on some major design elements. Like the floor. We have one now.

And paint on the walls.  Want to know what color it is?  If only I knew.  I originally painted it Benjamin Moore's Symphony Blue (after I painted 1 coat of Farrow & Ball's Brinjal) and it was a little too intense.  Like being trapped in an oil painting.  So I added a little of this and a little of that of the leftover paint I had and this is what I got. I would describe it as navy teal, or marine blue.  It's darker than it appears in these images, as is the floor.

I also pulled the Craigslist green velvet sofa out of storage so here's a gander at that.

Classic tuxedo with brass nailheads.  The craigslist gods were smiling on me that day.  My iphone photos do not accurately capture the brilliance that is this sofa.

So, where am I going from here?  In the end I'd like to have a space that feels collected, colorful, layered, and mostly classic with a sense of age - but still feels like right now.

Some rooms that are inspiring me:

Are you still with me?  

The obligatory mood boards:

I created these mood boards months ago so naturally a few things have changed. Or more than a few things.  But I think overall it will have the same feel and color palette.

Makeovers start next week - sneak peeks on my Instagram.  Follow me!

The Green Room Interiors provides Interior Decorating and Design Services to happy homeowners in Chattanooga, TN.  If you'd like to discover the joy of living in a well designed home, contact Kim Lemmon at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com

One Room Challenge Link-up: Project Dollhouse Living Room/Dining Room

Goodness that's a long name for a post title!    As you have surely gathered, I'm going to attempt to do my long neglected living room and dining room here at Project Dollhouse.  And you would think with all of the great ideas I got from my people during the Pimp My Dollhouse series that I would have a clear plan at this point. Almost.  The truth is there were so many great renditions of these rooms that I've decided to take my favorite ideas from each plan, run them through the design blender, and create my own little concoction.

Anyway, here is what these rooms looked like waaaaaay back when we bought the house.  We won't say how long ago that was.

And, just like in the Pimp My Dollhouse Series, I will be incorporating some things I already have

What you can you expect over the next 6 weeks? There will be furniture makeovers, a lighting diy, and big ole' serving of indecisiveness/self doubt. The usual!

Hope you will follow along for the next 6 Thursdays! And if you just can't wait until next week for an update, the best place to find me is Instagram, so follow along!

Collected Family Room Project Reveal

Monday again!  How was your weekend?  Mine was a mixed bag of work, play and rest, with an emphasis on the "rest"  portion.

Most noteworthy this weekend was a nice surprise in my Inbox from a lovely client who happens to be a talented photographer.  She snapped some photos of her family room we've been working on and I wanted to share them with you.

A little background info - this is a very well traveled young family that just relocated to Chattanooga. They've lived and traveled all over the globe and have amassed a nice selection of meaningful keepsakes and family heirlooms - many of which we are working into their decor. Their design style leans very classic, light and family friendly.  They're not afraid of color, and wanted their home to be a reflection of their family and their lives.  

Nearly everything you see in the room above was theirs, with the exception of the drafting table against the back wall, the lamps which I sourced for them and the Asian wing chair, (which was purchased from me and reupholstered).   We also reupholstered their existing sofa and love seat with a neutral velvet and had her throw pillows re-made with a mix of new fabrics. The walls were coated with Benjamin Moore's Manchester Tan for light, neutral envelope. 

Just a few weeks ago we installed the photography wall so it could be seen from the new banquette in the kitchen (photos will be coming soon!).  I think the photography wall is the thing they love most about the space.  

The end tables are antique family pieces and the coffee table was purchased while they lived in Asia.

Everything we used to style the mantel has special meaning to this family.  The oars belonged to the husband's side of the family and we hung them with jute.  The brass lantern and green camping box also hold special meaning, as well as the books and pottery items. We have since added some fresh greenery to soften the look.

This is my favorite shot. I think it really speaks to my client's photography skills. Such a beautiful image!

While most of our efforts have been concentrated in the main living areas downstairs, we also added a book case in the upstairs loft area. Just last week I styled the book case for them using some of their favorite possessions.

I'm excited to share more of this special home with you as projects get completed, so please stay tuned for more!

The Green Room Interiors provides Interior Decorating and Design Services in Chattanooga, TN.  If you'd like to discover the joy of living in a well designed home, contact Kim Lemmon at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com

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Thinking Ahead for The One Room Challenge

Are you planning to link up to Linda's next One Room Challenge event?  It kicks off on April 3, and for 6 consecutive Thursdays the blogosphere with be up to its elbows in progress reports and DIY victories.  If you didn't get a chance to participate in the last ORC Link party, I highly recommend it.  Participating in The One Room Challenge is truly the most exhilarating, stressful, and exciting things I've done since I started blogging.

If you check in on my blog from time to time then you already know that my house (aka Project Dollhouse) is a work in progress.  We're doing mostly cosmetic changes, but even these types of projects can be costly and time consuming.   I have to admit that the One Room Challenge has been instrumental in bringing a few of my rooms to completion.

In the first ORC I made over my family room.

And in the second One Room Challenge I made over my sweet little kitchen:

So what do I have my sights set on for this round of the ORC?  My living room and dining room. They're open to each other and so this ORC will be a 2-fer.

This shot was taken before we even moved in.  We are still enjoying those plywood sub floors only now this space is cluttered with moving boxes filled with all the stuff that goes into these rooms once they get done. It's the perfect candidate for an ORC intervention.

And here's a teeny tiny sneak peak. There will be blue walls.  Don't hate because I painted.  Look at the plywood sub floors.  There is plenty left to do to bring this project to completion.

So who's with me?  Will you be linking up for the next One Room Challenge?  It will be upon us sooner than you think!!

The Green Room Interiors provides Interior Decorating and Design Services to happy homeowners in Chattanooga, TN.  If you'd like to discover the joy of living in a well designed home, contact Kim Lemmon at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com

Decorating for the Night

Hey Butterballs! Did everyone have a good turkey day?  Mine was great too!  And while most of you are trimming your trees and decking your halls, I'm still pondering the decoration of my formal living room and dining room at Project Dollhouse.

Here are some thoughts about these spaces. They'll be used mostly for larger than normal family meals and holidays. At night.  So how do you go about decorating a room for night time use?  My plan is to embrace the darkness of it all.

Mario Buatta in Architectural Digest

Dark walls are a must. They make a dramatic backdrop for night time entertaining.

And do you know what looks amazing against dark walls?  Gold accents!  They add warmth and keep the dark spaces from feeling too somber.

 I also plan to use (mostly) classic furnishings. Since these rooms will be used as gathering spaces for family and friends,  I want them to feel homey and comforting.

Smart fabric choices are also important for night time rooms. I think it's a great idea to add in fabrics that have a sheen.  Consider using silk

and/or velvet in your night time spaces.

And finally - have fun with it!  Alex Papachristidis used modern art and textiles to add another dimension to this mostly classic living room.

So there you have it.  Do you have any rooms you decorate specifically for night time use?

For more updates on this and all of my decorating projects, make sure you follow me on Instagram and/or follow The Green Room Interiors on Facebook.

The  Green Room Interiors provides Interior Decorating and Design Services to happy homeowners in Chattanooga, TN.  If you'd like to discover the joy of living in a well-designed home, contact Kim Lemmon at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com

Pimp My Dollhouse: designPOST interiors

Good Monday, folks!  Today I'm thrilled to welcome Beth from Design Post Interiors to share her take on making over my Dollhouse!

If you recall, I've asked a few of my favorite bloggers to come up with some ideas for making over the living room and dining room of my house using five items I already own.

And so now, here's how Beth sees the makeover of these spaces:

Hello all, Beth here visiting from designPOST interiors!  I am so excited to be here today pimping 

Kim's dollhouse!  I have been following along this series and drooling over all the designs.  When 

you are working without a budget, it really doesn't get much better!  Maybe it was the endless budget

or the fact that I was working with pieces so different from my usual style, but I decided to go way

outside of the box for Kim.  I try to always choose styles that work for my client's but since we were 

going all fantasy on this, I decided to push the limit a little bit.  I veered a little from chinoiserie and 

brought the elements together in a more casual bohemian way.  I love taking traditional pieces and using

them in an unexpected combination.  And of course I believe every room needs a touch of nautical!

For the living room I decided to use Kim's dream fabric as roman shades.  I love how they add a bright
punch of color!  Working from those colors I was able to tie in some new patterns on the rug and
throw pillows.  I love the idea of using a bold green sofa instead of a boring ole neutral.  After choosing
metals and wood tones for the accent furniture, I love how the wheat sheaf table base adds the perfect
golden pop.  I tied that in with the sconces as well.

I envision the dining room being right off of the living area so I wanted to continue with a version 

of the same palette.  This time the fabric ended up as throw pillows.  Again it livens up the space 

with all the beautiful colors.  I chose a mixture of chairs that would bring a more casual vibe to the space.

I love the juxtaposition of the Duncan Phyfe table with laid back slip covered and rattan chairs.  The rug 

ties back in the navy from the living room but in a little more formal version.  I wanted both rooms to

have a more casual and natural feel so I used one of my favorite wallpapers from Paperboy Wallpaper 

as well as leafy topiaries and a seagrass mirror.

I love this challenge as I always love to see how I can meld different styles.  Although Kim and I have 

different takes on decorating, I love that we can both use the same pieces to create rooms we love.  I 

hope you enjoyed my take and I'd love for you to come visit me at designPOST interiors!

So, what do you think?  I love Beth's idea of using my gorgeous Chinoiserie fabric to make roman shades.  So smart and tailored, don't you think?  I also love that little punch of yellow at the dining room table - the entire palette feels so fresh!

Thanks for participating, Beth!

What do you love most about Beth's plan??