ONE ROOM CHALLENGE - WEEK 2| CREATING THE MOOD FOR A SHARED KIDS SPACE
It’s week 2 of the One Room Challenge and things are falling into place. There’s a bit of demo happening, packages arriving almost daily, a few selections still being made and lots and lots of juggling. Last week I shared some pretty big news. I’ve been selected to participate in the One Room Challenge (ORC) as a featured designer! You can check out all the details here. Nor sure what ORC is? I’ll explain..
What is the One Room Challenge?
Created by Linda Weinstein, the One Room Challenge (ORC) is one of the most highly anticipated interior design events. This event challenges designers to completely transform a room of their choice from start to finish in 8 weeks. Each week leading up to the big reveal, designers document their progress online and share a behind the scenes look at the design process from inspiration and furniture and paint selection to installing and styling the space. We’ll also be sharing our sources and some professional advice along the way. With powerhouse media sponsor, Better Homes and Gardens on board as the official media partner, the season’s ORC is guaranteed to be a blast! ,
If this is your first time here, I hope you enjoy following along this process with me. If you’ve been here for a minute, welcome back!
Project Update: How’s it coming along?
As you can imagine, with 3 bedrooms being transformed simultaneously, there’s a ton of moving parts to this project. I’ve affectionately titled my Fall ORC “Project Suite Dreams.” I will be transforming all 3 bedrooms on the 2nd level of the house: the master bedroom, my teenage son’s room and my younger children’s shared bedroom.
This week I’m going to be sharing the design direction and goals for Zaria and Samori’s (Zaria is 6 and Samori is 8) bedroom. They are each others best friends and totally inseparable. When we moved into the house a little over a year ago, they insisted on sharing a space.
While the idea of a shared bedroom sounded fun to them, my designer brain started swirling with ways to creating a space that both a boy and a girl would love and wouldn’t require redecorating anytime soon. So when the Fall ORC rolled around, it was the perfect time to kick things into gear. I’ve created a list of goals for their bedroom they share and will be using it as a reference as I select items for the space.
A tall order for sure. But with thoughtful design choices I think we’ll knock this one out of the park. As part of my design process, after listing the goals for the space, I typically create a mood board. This really helps build and tell the design story for the room.
DESIGN TIP : Creating mood boards help to visualize ideas and concepts and is a great starting point for any design, It helps you hone in on your ideas and better define your game plan for the room.
Mood boards are one of the best visual communication tool in a designers tool bag, The arrangement of images and materials help to convey the overall vibe of the space you want to create. Here’s a look at the mood board I created for Zaria and Samori’s room.
Art as inspiration
The art selection in your home should always be intentional. Art with a message that inspires, reminds or evokes emotion are important to me and have always been key for creating a home that reflects who we are. Messages of affirmation/ motivation along with positive images and reflections of oneself are so important in the development of our precious little ones. It instills a key sense of awareness and self confidence. The We Will Prevail print by artist Michelle Robinson was a huge inspiration in the design direction of the space. This piece reminds me so much of our past as well as the future and sends an inspiring message that collective strength can lead to transformation.
Adding drama with paint
Instead of primary or pastel colors, I enjoy using more non-traditional colors in children’s spaces to add a touch of unexpected sophistication. I’m in love the warm rich hue of Brazen Orange from Kelly Moore Paints. The rich bold color is versatile, gender-neutral, and adds a bit of drama in the other wise calming space.
Anchoring the room with an area rug
Another great way to add sophistication to a space for little people is to anchor the space with a timeless rug like one I’ve selected this Terracotta/Sky rug from Loloi’s Loren Collection. Created in Turkey, the vintage, hand-knotted look is an instant classic and really provides a great foundation for the room design.
Texture, Texture, Texture
The Sherpa accent chair is extra cozy with thick cushions and a fleece like exterior . It will be the perfect spot for our little readers to curl up with a good book. The neutral color palette makes this accent chair easy to incorporate into any space really, ensuring its longevity as the kids grow older in the space. I’ll also be adding in a few ball shaped textured pillows pillows for good measure.
I’m loving the way the plan is coming together but I cant give away all the good stuff just yet. Head back here next week when I’ll be spilling the beans on some of the fabulous sponsors for this 3 space transformation! Want to see what my fellow Featured Designers are up planning for their spaces? Check out the links below!
Albie Knows| At Home with Savvy | Beth Diana Smith | Eclectic Twist| Erika Ward Interiors
From House to Home| G. Lebron Interiors | Goldalamode | Home Made by Carmona| Impeccable Nest
Jeweled Interiors| Joyful Designs Studio| Joy Street Design | Our Fifth House| Peony & Honey
Pinch Plate Party | Rebecca Propes | Reem’s Design | Saudah Saleem Interiors | Whitney J Decor