ONE ROOM CHALLENGE: WEEK ONE

inspiration image via: Erin Williamson // Design Crisis

Well, even though I vowed never to do this again...I'm doing it again! What am I talking about? The One Room Challenge and it starts up today.  If you're not familiar with this, in a nutshell, the ORC was started a few years ago by Linda from Calling It Home. This six week challenge consists of twenty design bloggers who will attempt to do re-do a room in six weeks. 

Last year I crazily agreed to participate in this while moving, literally.  The room that I chose was the kitchen... #nbd. . The added stress of the whole experience almost broke me, but I did end up (eventually, not exactly within the 6 weeks) with an awesome kitchen.  Fast forward to this year, I've learned a few things. First - not moving. Second - small, small room (aka K.I.S.S. keep it simple Sue)

So, the room that I'm hoping to transform in six weeks is our guest bathroom. Above is my inspiration. In a full circle moment, this beauty of a bath is the product of an ORC past. If you follow Design Crisis than you're already familiar with the amazing job Erin did with this space...and if you don't follow her, your'e missing out.

Back to my challenge room... Here are some shots of the room as it is. Not too awful, just very ho-hum.  Basically, when we moved here about a year ago, we didn't touch or change one thing. I had some nice window shutters installed for privacy, hung up a shower curtain and that's about it. Whenever we didn't know where to put something from an old bathroom from our old house, it pretty much just ended up in here.

It's a long awkward L shaped space, with some weird wall angles...but I think this bathroom has a lot of potential. All those hours spent watching HGTV will finally be put to good use!

And here is what I would like to see happen in this space.

1. Dramatic wallpaper. I LOVE wallpaper, and there's no better place to use it than a bathroom. I chose the inspiration image above because I'm obsessed with this Martyn Lawrence wallpaper Erin used (Bullard Romeo in Carrara for Schumacher.)

2. Lose the weird lighting and get some nice, possibly brass lighting. (that pendant in that cramped spot/door opening makes no sense to me.)

3. Lose the brown counter top and replace it with a nice bright white stone one.

4. Get some brass hardware happening in here: faucet and knobs and towel bar (also from the inspiration image.)

5. Get rid of that square mirror - (a round brass one just like the inspiration image would be great.)

6. In a perfect world, lose the tile up the walls as well, but honestly don't see that happening...

7. New shower curtain with some personality.

Today I'll be ordering up a bunch more wallpaper samples from DecoratorsBest - it's finding the right wallpaper that is stressing me out the most here. It needs to look great AND be available in stock. I actually had the Martin Bullard Lawrence pictured in the first photos, but I'm convinced it's way too busy with the tiles on the wall- if you squint you can see it in the mirror in the second photo. I'm not ruling it out yet-looking into demo for the wall tiles but also scouring Pinterest for even more inspiration. I'm all about an inspiration image!

Be sure to keep up with all the other participants.. you can find them right here:

Apartment 34 | Arianna Belle | Because It’s Awesome | Coco+Kelley | Design Darling | 

Design Indulgence |Design Manifest | Christine Dovey | The English Room | Vanessa Frances | 

Hi Sugarplum | Honey We’re Home | Jojotastic | The Pink Clutch | The Pink Pagoda | 

Simplified Bee | Style Your Senses | A Thoughtful Place | Kimberly Whitman | The Zhush | TM by CIH