It’s ORC week 6 and all is revealed! The One Room Challenge is a wrap and I finally get to show you all this phenomenal moody library. Pour yourself a scotch, neat, and read on…
OK, so this room is 95% done and 100% epic. I love it so much! And my 7-year-old declared it beautiful (unprompted) so I declare this a win.
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Initially, I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to get enough shots of this fairly standard-sized, box-shaped room but, you guys, this room has so many moments. So much going on. So much to look at. My problem was narrowing down all the beautiful things to show you. Don’t worry, I’ll probably blow up Pinterest with the rest 😉
So without further adieu:
Ain’t she a beaut? Let’s go back to the beginning, shall we?
The Before and the Built-In
Ew… no. Changed my mind. I kid, I kid. There was already a lot going for this room. For starters, the gorgeous built-in had been completed a few months ago and, let’s be honest, was stunning. NS Woodworking created this masterpiece and I highly recommend him to anyone in MA or southern NH. All custom, all amazeballs.
Is it just me, or does a moody library require leather? These leather chairs from Restoration Hardware are showstoppers. They’ve moved from room to room over the past year, just looking for their forever home. But this room was doing neither of these stunners any justice.
The Sofa and the Art
Do I start with the sofa or the art? Both are spectacular. Painting the walls black was the best choice I have ever made in my life. The sofa was fine against the whitish walls but is positively sumptuous with the black. And those beautiful ladies against that velvety dark wall? Stop. Just stop.
The Lamp and the Layout
I mentioned in week 3 that I was having issues with symmetry and furniture arrangement and figured out that adding some height and angles to balance the gap to the side would solve a lot of problems. I found this super cool lamp on Joss & Main — perfect height, perfect vibe, perfect angles.
In that same week, I was all angsty about the coffee table and finding the right one. I have a secret… this isn’t the real coffee table. I stole it from another room in our house because the real one hasn’t arrived yet. Honestly, I haven’t even received an update. I’d be nervous, but it’s a pretty reputable company so I have high hopes that it will get here sometime in the next month or so. Frustrating? Yes. Tragic? Hardly. I doubt anyone would realize this wasn’t “the one” unless I mentioned it to them.
And the layout! I initially had something completely different in mind but the coffee table conundrum (and the ever-present deadline) made me think way outside the box, throw out ideas I was initially attached to, and come up with something completely different and so much better. This bar cart is the perfect accent for a moody library:
Bar cart (backordered), similar // Art above the bar, Woman on Lily Pad // Frame // Vintage style rug
Please pause for a moment to take in this rug….
It’s so so pretty. Every person who has visited my house since we got it has asked about it. The rug is super soft and the wear looks very realistic (faux vintage).
The Vignettes and the Wallpaper
The great thing about my first ORC challenge has been that a big part of the room was already done (the built-in), but I did take the liberty of making updates to some of the shelves…
If you need help in that department, I have a whole post dedicated to how to style bookcase shelves.
And how about that wallpaper?? It came out just how I’d hoped. I wanted to get a shot of it with the dogs lounging in the den but they were being punks and I had to banish them to another room while I took photos. The coffee table was originally styled out with a lovely charcuterie board but Franklin kept (aggressively) stealing the food. So yeah, the wallpaper design is fitting. It was inspired by the dogs tearing apart all the pillows and beds we give them. I call it Puppy Pillow Fight, ha.
Part of the 5% that remains undone is the doors to the den. In week 1 of the challenge, the dogs were playing with Matt and Franklin ran headlong into one of the doors and split the frame in half. SMH. The new doors are almost done but haven’t been installed yet so we remain doorless for now.
The Details
And because the details are everything…
Bar cart (backordered), similar // Art above the bar, Woman on Lily Pad // Frame // Vintage style rug
This challenge far exceeded my expectations. I’ve designed rooms on a tight deadline before and it’s always a great kick in the pants to get ‘er done already. But all the love, support, and accountability makes this event truly something special. I met some cool people on the interwebs and got some awesome ideas from my new tribe. I will definitely be back for Spring 2019!
Source List
Wall color: French Beret by Benjamin Moore
The Conclusion
This was a fabulous experience and now I get my dream moody library to enjoy with my family over the holidays. Alrighty, time to settle in and check out the rest of the participants. There are some amazing rooms to behold…
