I’ve always been a fan of a great at-home bar. I strongly believe it’s a must-learn life skill to mix up classic cocktails, and as an avid host, it’s important to provide an array...
Looking back on Easter as a child, I remember how excited I was to dig through my Easter basket. Full of chocolate bunnies, malt ball Easter eggs, Peeps, golden coins, and my favorite Cadbury...
Lets be honest, salads can be boring. So I’m always trying to think outside of the box to come up with salad recipes that I’ll thoroughly enjoy, but are beyond easy to make. Enter...
Lets be honest, salads can be boring. So I’m always trying to think outside of the box to come up with salad recipes that I’ll thoroughly enjoy, but are beyond easy to make. Enter...
It’s that time again, friends! The 2016 fall One Room Challenge officially starts TODAY. I’m absolutely thrilled to participate, and as an ORC vet, I’m feeling good with a few past projects under my belt (my home office, upstairs loft and the WOM team office). Though vet or not, I assure you, there are unforeseen disasters that are just waiting to happen during the 6-week whirlwind that is the ORC. But disaster be damned, I’m betting big and promising to make this my best and by far the biggest ORC challenge I’ve done to date.
So how exactly will this be our biggest? Because this go around I’ll be taking on not one room, not even one home, but I’ll be designing TWO “homes” (surprise Linda) in just six short weeks. Our 2016 fall One Room Challenge official mission: make two model apartments feel like home. The goal: ridding the space of impersonal, nondescript details and bringing in warm, welcoming design full of textures, motifs and decor that anyone would want to call home.
Luckily for me, both apartments are brand-spanking-new with gorgeous fixtures, flooring, and spare no expense kitchen and bath areas. Plus amazing natural light (hallelujah), with floor-to-ceiling windows. But this won’t be a cake walk by any means. Both spaces have extremely tricky floor plans and NO allowance for my standard big statement moves such as wallpaper, dramatic light fixtures, and bold paint. Remember these beauties are about to be for rent, so it wouldn’t be fair to have tenants fall in love with details they aren’t allowed to implement.
In true ORC form, I only have six weeks to transform both apartments, and just to clear up any misconceptions, these apartments aren’t even fully completed yet. So if you think I’ve had months to work on them, you’re wrong. I’ve only been allowed in to measure and it was a complete construction zone, so when I say we’re doing this in 6 weeks, I mean we’re doing this in 6 weeks!! And the reason we’re sharing this transformation all in one ORC is while they’re two distinct homes this really is one large project.
Next week, I’ll be sharing my mood and inspiration boards for the spaces, and who exactly I had in mind when I designed them. But for today, I thought I’d just hit replay on a few of my favorite moments of ORC‘s from the past. Truly, MKR
SHOP THE STORY / CLICK LEFT & RIGHT ARROWS TO EXPLORE
Two years ago when our house was being built, we could only pick from a certain range of options for cabinetry, countertops and flooring. As you can somewhat see here, the countertops are a mixed neutral, and the original cabinetry a cream with all bronze fixtures. I did my best to stay true to my personal design aesthetic, but the result has never felt quite right. If I had free reign, I would have picked white marble for the countertops and white cabinets with silver or gold fixtures. And if this was our “Forever Home”, I would consider ripping it all out and doing just that, but it’s not.
So what does one do when they don’t want to spend the money or time to demo it all and start from scratch? You go bold to make a big impact and you change what can be changed, specifically four different things: paint, lighting, fixtures and accessories.
Beginning first with paint, since color always set the tone for the space. I took to Snapchat, username WAITINGONMARTHA, and asked everyone to vote on the color theme they liked best. As you can probably deduce from the photos, green defeated purple and deep burgundy by a landslide. Once we had color chosen, the next logical step was to swatch numerous shades of green on the walls and trim before I settled on the winning three. I chose three different greens because I’m a big proponent in painting with various shades within the same color family. This way, you add dimension and can instantly accent specific details.
Then I used three different shades of green from BEHR Paint. Longmeadow S430-5 in eggshell on the walls,Brook Green N410-2 in eggshell on the ceiling and Forest Edge S430-6 in a satin on the trim, doors and cabinetry. A semi- or high-gloss would have looked fantastic as well on the cabinets, trim, and doors, but because I have so many doors in the space, four to be exact, I was worried the high-gloss might be just a tad too much. And don’t be afraid to paint doors; I didn’t even take the doors off to paint them. Going bold with the doors was a move I think definitely paid off in the space.
Second, to carry a big impact through the entire space, I switched out the bronze faucets for silver ones. The new faucets were easy to install, and inexpensive finds at The Home Depot. I then changed out all the bronze cabinet knobs to these beauties. Now, I definitely splurged on these gorgeous knobs. But to me, these additions were the jewelry on the space, making the Forest Edge green pop bringing it all together. I did, however, keep the original bronze hardware so that I can replace them when I move…shhh don’t tell whoever buys this house…and take the fancy knobs with me.
On a side note, I initially wanted to go gold; brass and acrylic knobs are something dreams are made of and would look insane on the green. But I also wanted to keep expenses down. I knew that if I went gold, I would have had to invest in some pricier faucets, and again, it’s not worth the investment in a home we don’t plan to be in too much longer. And honestly, it was fortuitous as now that I’m looking at the silver fixtures, gold wouldn’t have looked as good with the countertops!
Next up, lighting; an easy and significant way to change up any space. I removed my very sad looking bronze wall mount lighting and opted for these fresh, clean and striking 3-arm fixtures. The bright white and polished nickel gives the space a more elevated and modern feel; I couldn’t be happier with my choice. And because my ceilings are quite high and because you know I always like a big statement, this decopauged chandelier from Stray Dog Designs seems to have been built specifically for this space! It’s SO beautiful, and would look equally as good in a breakfast nook or nursery. This piece will definitely be coming with me to the next house, for sure!.
Lastly, accents and accessories. When I settled on green as the color theme, I immediately called my friend Dorothy Shain to commission a few pieces. I’d been lusting after her itsy bitsy bikinis and knew that together with the green, they would be jaw dropping…especially this particular duo in matching floating frames. Don’t you just love how you can see the Longmeadow green through the floating frames?!?! Other than art, I zhushed up the space with a new shower curtain whose stripes happen to be almost the exact same Brook Green color I painted on the ceiling, a vintage turkish runner, and a caddy complete with all of my favorite soaps and scents.
All big statements, all relatively easy updates, and it all started with a little green paint from BEHR. I know it can be scary to go bold when painting, but it really will pay off in the end when you see your totally transformed space. And if you’re thinking about tackling a project like this on your own, and are still a little uneasy about painting cabinets, and an entire space with such a bold color, tune in tomorrow when I’m sharing a few quick DIY tips to help you master it all. Truly, MKR
Photography, Rustic White for Waiting on Martha | This post is in collaboration with BEHR Paint, a brand we love and adore. All opinions are 100% our own.
It’s really no surprise that blue is one of the most calming and healing paint colors you can choose. We’ve seen it often used to create a relaxing oasis in the bedroom, while at the same time it promotes a cleansing, tranquil feel in the bathroom and a bold, fierce ambition in the home office. The versatility and wide range of beautiful blues is infinite; the color is a go-to when infusing depth into spaces all around the home (check out these nine different rooms that prove it!).
I, of course, have always gravitated towards blue when decorating my own home. I’ve learned how the endless shades can work perfectly together, whether that’s through throw pillows, accents or paint colors. Decorating with blue offers so many possibilities as it’s a lot like the ocean; a multitude of blues, constantly changing and effortlessly mixing. And unlike most colors, decorating with a myriad of multiple shades works no matter what.
When settling on your own blue paint options, rest assured that this color family is probably one of the best ones for you if you’re a little hesitant to paint. It’s a classic, timeless color that both men and women can usually agree upon, and it can transcend redecorating for years to come. But as you decide on what exactly blue to paint with it’s good to remember a few things. Blues, much like greys, can take on a chameleon-like quality on your walls as light changes throughout the day so test swatching all over is a must. Dark blues can have some sneaky purple tones in them, and the darker the shade the more it will affect the amount of light you actually get in the room. So when going bold make sure you’re ready, and remember the paint on your walls usually reads darker than you planned. When painting with light blues keep in mind they can read very baby-ish so best to keep them to nurseries, small powder rooms, and accents. And lastly, never forget about the ceilings and doors. I turned to a deep, almost-indigo blue on my ceilings, doors and island (rather than paint the entire downstairs) to keep things light and airy, while still giving a nod to my absolute favorite color around.
Below I’ve rounded up my favorite blues and provided some helpful insight as to how I’d use each shade. Let me know which shade is your favorite and I’d love to know if you’re as big of a blue fan as me? Truly, MKR
Photography, Rustic White for Waiting on Martha | This post is in collaboration with BEHR Paint, a brand we love and adore. All opinions are 100% our own.
