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

Celadon

I'm a lifelong fan of the color green - in all of its variations. I've used green in all of my homes from waaaay back hunter green in the early 90's to apple, moss, olive, lime, chartreuse - and now emerald and mint.  One shade of green that is beautiful and timeless is celadon.  The name comes from the pottery and glazes that were produced in Asia well over a thousand years ago.

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Although celadon is a shade of green, it's a grayed-down version that is quite neutral.

"Blenheim Celadon" fabric by James Dunlop

It's such a pretty backdrop for pinks and lavenders.

But wait - you can use celadon as an accent color too. I love it with the warm beiges in this living room designed by Michelle Nussbaumer.

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And it looks fantastic with black and gold in this Michelle Nussbaumer entry.

Celadon is also perfect for outdoor use, since it's a color so readily found in nature.

It's also a great color choice for painted furniture. Amazing with the gold details, isn't it?

Via

So what do you think?  Do you like this neutral version of green or do you prefer something more vibrant?

The Green Room Interiors provides Interior Decorating and Design Services in 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.com

Two Steps Back

When you walk through the front door of my house, there's a stairway that leads to the only room we have upstairs.  It's a big bedroom with a full bathroom attached and two nice sized closets.

It's prime real estate for teenagers!  And I have 2, so when we moved in to this house, we let the oldest daughter choose her bedroom first.  Naturally she chose the penthouse suite upstairs.

But things have changed - and quickly.  My oldest daughter moved out a month or so ago as she is just finishing up Cosmetology School and has left our little nest. 

Which means the upstairs private bedroom and bathroom is up for grabs, and my 14 year-old is eager to claim this space as her own.  And that's fine, but there's a glitch.  She doesn't like anything girly - particularly the hot pink walls chosen by daughter #1.

And that means this big  room that I painted pink for the oldest daughter now has to be repainted - in white - for the youngest daughter.  And that's not the only project we have going down.  

There is furniture painting involved.  Mostly inherited pieces that are getting freshened up.

And all of this means that the new flooring project I had hoped to to work in our living room, dining room and foyer is moving a little farther down the list.

BUT, there's a silver lining to this musical rooms situation.  I plan to claim the soon to be vacant bedroom on the main level for my office!!!   As soon as the upstairs bedroom gets repainted, the living room and dining room get repainted, and the new flooring gets installed. 

Yeah, that shouldn't take long, right?

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

Hand Painted Walls

Are you like me and love the look of wallpaper but dread the expense/task of putting it up - and worse- one day having to remove it? Well, I've found some smart and courageous folks who have found a way around the heartache of wallpaper installation and removal. They created their own wallpaper with a little paint and a lot of talent.

Shannon Berry Designs

Exhibit "A".  North Carolina designer Shannon Berry recreated Schumacher's "Birds and Butterflies" with a Sharpie.  And some paint.  Inspired?  The link below the photo will take you to the tutorial. 

Mrs Blandings

Who could resist Patricia Shackleford's interpretation of her favorite Gracie paper in 2011?

Krystin at Lil Luna

I absolutely adore this rendition of Oh Joy!'s Petal Pusher.  

My friend Cris was inspired by the papers of de Gournay when she designed her new dining room.

Cris Angsten Interiors

Gorgeous Shiny Things

And of course, the mother of all hand-painted walls that launched a bizillion blogger "swoons", Danika Herrick's recreation of Schumacher's Chiang Mai Dragon.

I started a little hand-painted wallpaper project of my own but it fell by the wayside about an eighth of way through because of a little "Challenge" I was participating in.  I chose a pattern that I think might be foolproof.

Meredith Heron

I'll let you know when that project is back on track.  

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

Charcoal or Coral on the Front Door?

You kids were so great about offering up your opinions regarding my exterior paint selection a few weeks ago that I want to run something by you again.  Before we dive into the color selection du jour,  there's something you need to know. I didn't go with any one of the color schemes I presented on that post, but I took bits and pieces from a few and came up with something else.  If you recall, I really wanted to paint the brick white but decided against it since the neighbor's house directly to my right is white, and so is the house directly across the street.  That led me to plan "B".  I have been in love with the color of this building since it went up about 5 years ago.  

Nell's Home Furnishings has since relocated from this site to another location on Market Street in Chattanooga,  and the good folks at Nell's were kind enough to share the paint color with me.  BTW, if you're local and haven't been to Nell's, you're in for a treat!  Owner and decorator Jimmy Adams has a real flair for creating stylish and colorful interiors. 

So, on with my paint drama. The brick has been painted Benjamin Moore's Gray Wisp. 

 I love this color!  It's one of those colors you can't name in one word, and those are always the best.  It's gray, its, green, and its blue and it all depends on where you're looking from and what time of day it is.  Fun!  So, I initially painted the shutters like they are at Nell's, but the black was just too stark with my new gray roof.  The shutters got repainted and they're now charcoal (Farrell Calhoun's "Tudor House".)  In love with that!!!

Now, here's a shot of the front door, which also received a coat of Tudor House/charcoal.

Please don't judge too harshly.  Landscaping has yet to begin and we had a little communication breakdown re: the door hardware.  But that's another post.. And the burgundy threshold is a lingering reminder of the "before".  So, have I mentioned that I love the Tudor House/charcoal color with Gray Wisp?  The problem is, the front door is recessed a few feet from the front facade of the house, and it kind of disappears in the shadows.

 Who am I kidding - the problem is I want a coral door.  

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See how pretty?  I die for that door!

So I went and got a paint color that looked close, I even went with a little toned down version to ease the husband into this idea.

He's not buying.  And I'm not saying I don't love the charcoal on the door, especially after that hardware malfunction is corrected.  And P.S. my Mom just called and she likes the charcoal, but suggested a gloss - which it is, but for some reason it's reading flat in the picture.  

Luckily, I have some very smart and stylish friends who have great opinions! So I'm turning it over to you - and just know I am happy with either option.  

Charcoal or coral?

Need some help pulling your style together?  The Green Room Interiors can make your home a beautiful place to be!  Call Kim Lemmon at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com