A Dozen Design Tips from the One Room Challenge – Spring 2015

Hi there,

Thank you so much for your comments on my One Room Challenge reveal post as well as all the love on instagram, twitter etc.  I really appreciate it!

In case you didn’t get a chance to read the other 19 designer posts, I’m sharing a few design tips/things of note gleaned from their reveals. I just loved seeing their visions come to life in a few short weeks. Very inspiring!

1) Jana showed us that patience when searching Craigslist pays off. Her bamboo chairs and table were exactly what she needed to create the Palm Beach vibe she was after. (I must admit that I have zero luck while searching Craigslist or similar sites. Do you?)

2) She also convinces us that faux floral is so realistic these days. Those are not real peonies!

3) Cassandra showed us that paint in an unexpected colour can really transform a space. This blue (Prussian Cadet from Valspar) is the perfect backdrop for the light wood tones and art.

4) Kimberly from Manchester, England DIY’s an ebay find to perfection, showing once again that items don’t have to be expensive to look fabulous. She (well, her husband) painted a bland desk black and added gold hardware. Also, love her judicious use of wallpaper on a small part of one wall.

5) One of my mantras for the past ten years as a designer is that art does not need to be expensive. Framing personal photos and hanging them in ready made black frames is a simple way to add punch to a bare wall. Jen does it well as shown here.

6) Large scale art looks fabulous and I love the piece that Kirsten chose from Minted to hang over her daughter’s bed. So fun!

7)  Stephanie also worked on her daughter’s bedroom and I love the details like the velvet trim on the drapes and the contrast piping on the headboard – both created by ORC sponsor Loom Decor. Details like this add so much to the overall look.

8) Another detail I loved were the old french nails on Kimberly’s dining chairs. She had the chairs sitting in storage for years but refreshed them with new fabric, trim and the nailheads which are a subtle detail – they are not ostentatious like some nailheads can be.  Less is more!

9) Gabrielle demonstrates that you don’t have to give up style when living in a 500 sq’ space. She has styled and decorated every corner of her home to perfection.

10) Jenna found a vintage buffet on Craigslist and refinished and modified it to become a vanity in her guest bathroom. The floors are pretty spectacular too.

11) Statement lighting over a kitchen island is always a good choice and I love these gold ones that Jill used in her kitchen.

12) And of course I had to include a tip from my daughter’s bathroom! Just wallpapering one wall is enough to bring interest and playfulness to a space.  If I had wallpapered all the walls, it would have definitely been too much of a good thing!

Did you have any favourites from the 20 designer reveal posts?  Or the 145 linking participant reveals?

Have a great week!