ORC Week 2: Setting the Mood (Board)

Is it just me, or do you feel like you’ve already run out of time and it’s just week 2? Yikes! I’m basing so many decisions on lead times but am also hesitant to click that “place order” button because WHAT IF I HATE EVERYTHING? Pause. Breathe. OK…

I’ve finalized my mood board and I am digging how it’s shaping up. There are a couple of items on there that I worry may be a bit too ambitious with the deadline and my current schedule, but it’s a room in my home at the end of the day so I want to do it well. If you haven’t already, check out week 1 to see what I’m working with.

The first and biggest question mark is whether I should paint the walls… Libraries (lounges?) should feel super dark and moody IMHO and the white-gray walls we have right now aren’t quite right. What do you think?

Black or white walls?
Terrible Photoshop work aside: do I stick with white or do like the Rolling Stones and paint it black?

Secondly, I plan to wallpaper the dog’s den and while there is a multitude of amazing designs available, I would really like to design my own because a.) I will get exactly what I want, b.) it will cost less than the super high-end stuff, and c.) I really enjoy surface pattern design. In order to get the wallpaper produced and shipped in time to install it I need to complete the design ASAP. I know I want to do something botanical and I want to weave in hints of our mischevious pooches. This will be the likely topic of my week 3 progress post. To be continued…

Last issue? The rug. I am determined to do this room on the smallest budget possible, but I am having trouble committing to a cheap affordable rug. We have a few nice rugs and one inexpensive rug and the difference is very very apparent. The cheap one bugs us every damn day. I got a really great couch for less than $300 (woo!) so maybe that frees up some moola? I still have a little time on this one so TBD.

I’ll buy some art and accessories as I come across them, but having this mood board is a great map that will point me in the right direction and keep me on track when deciding what to get and what to pass by.

Until next week friends! And in the meantime, check out all the amazing work done so far by the 20 featured designers and the hundreds of guests participants.

Brianna Thomas

Brianna is the founder of Bloom in the Black, a home decor and DIY blog showing people how to personalize their home through simple projects, smart shopping, and good design. She encourages her readers to stop striving for their house to be “done,” and instead, make small, impactful changes one step at a time. Brianna’s work has been featured in publications such as House Beautiful, Apartment Therapy, and Today.com.