One Room Challenge | The Reveal!

On my last One Room Challenge, I did our basement; but, now, we’re like the Jeffersons, we’re moving on up! Not so much a big apartment in the sky, more like an attic, but it feels light and airy and like a piece of that mountain pie! You can read more about the space in Week One, but basically we have finished out the attic of the garage that my parents-in-law are building at our family mountain home.Just a few short weeks ago this is where we started with the Spring ORC:Be honest, did some of you think we weren’t going to make it in the most public and gut-churning embarrassing way?

It was scary. But I had our contractor, Mike Hall, on the job, giving his A-L-L–I mean, it’s in his name! When I asked him if he thought we could participate in this season’s ORC, he told me that he would give 110%–and he meant it! Subs and inspections were scheduled precisely, and he worked so many evenings and weekends. Things can certainly come together in 6 weeks, but it takes a whole lotta planning, effort, and sweat. I am so incredibly grateful for everyone’s work on this project that turned out so bright and cheery…let’s get on with it!

Let me introduce you to the guest suite at The Cottage, my version of Modern Mountain Granny:

If you know me and our current house, you know this is a major shift from the primaries I gravitate to and the general clown palace vibe I have going on. But there is a grandma enamored with florals and vintage bits and bobbins living inside me. This little foray into cottage charm prettiness was loads of fun for me.

The room is divided into three spaces–the entry/dining:The bedroom:And, the reading area:

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First, can we talk about the light in here? It is freaking amazing. Like, it is hard to have a sad thought in this room. The three skylights flood the room with sunshine and the double glass doors (which my smart husband insisted on) add even more solar joy. Furthermore, ladies and gentlemen, the light just bounces off the Farrow & Ball All White paint in way that makes you think you’ve died and gone to Heaven. Floating on a cloud…The elements of the suite are layered on some key players–Farrow & Ball paint, Metrie shiplap, homey pine floors, and Farrow & Ball wallpaper (keep scrolling). I wanted to keep everything crisp and fresh, and this foundation achieves the goal!

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Let’s look at the entry, and I call it dining, too, because you can prop up the leaf of the table for meals if needed:
Here is a mix of old and new-to-me. The walnut drop-leaf table is from the Tobacco Barn in Asheville, North Carolina. We bought it about 12 years ago when we lived in the area and needed overflow dining capabilities in our house that didn’t have a formal dining room. It has moved from place to place, and since I have always loved it, I am happy it has recently landed here (I swiped it from one of the cottage bedrooms).We’ve had the Bertoia chairs for awhile, from Craigslist. They were banished from the kitchen years ago when they were not “booty friendly.” I am happy they have a home here, and maybe the Designer’s Guild pillows will add a little cushion to the sittin’. I think this color way is discontinued on these pillows, which I still love, from our last house.
Both of these vases are locally made, the tall one is new from an artist who was selling her wares in a street fair in Franklin, Tennessee, on one of my recent trips. The small one is vintage from Antique Antics in Waynesville, North Carolina–a super charming store by the way. I was so lucky that the viburnum was blooming in the yard.
The beautiful magnolia painting is from Sweeten Creek Antique Mall in Asheville. It has been on the cottage kitchen shelf since 2009. Since Chris is building upper cabinets for the kitchen for my inlaws, this painting needed a new home. The mod mushroom lamp is from Chairish. The wooden box is from Robin Blu in Waynesville, that I painted white and sanded minutes before photos were taken. And, the pears are from Ingle’s, ha.

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Probably the most fun I’ve had in awhile is watching this mattress from Overstock expand once I released it from its vacuum packing. I can’t believe how small the package was in which the mattress arrived! It sits atop a platform bed also from Overstock. The rattan headboard is from Chairish.

And, Overstock totally hooked me up on dressing this bed, too. Satiny soft sheets, the green stripe blanket, duvet cover and shams, and the duvet insert all came from Overstock. Literally, you can get your whole house stocked from them! The fun green stripe rug, to play off the green stripe blanket, is also from Overstock–thank you, O.co!I can’t wait for our first night to crawl in for nighty-night in this soft set-up! Okay, I will tell you the orchid pillowcases were a last minute–like 10pm the night before photos–purchase at Walmart at two for $4. 100% cotton, baby. I needed a bit more color on the bed and orchid cases in the clearance section at bedtime seemed providential. Or, at least worth a try.I derived the color palette on the whole from two places. First, I asked my husband what colors he envisioned for the space. He said blue and yellow. Second, I found these sweet vintage pansy sconces on Chairish that had both blue and yellow and stole my heart. Done. Deal. Once I had the sconces ordered, I set about building the room. Mind you, most of the planning was done while on vacation in Mexico with my husband, so major props to him for dealing with my design scheming while on a romantic trip.
The bedside tables are ones Chris built years ago for the master bedroom at the cottage (for those of you who are new here, Chris is our friend, carpenter, and overall do-it-all here in Georgia–he did most of the work on the last few ORCs). He cut them down lower to fit in the space…I’m so thankful I didn’t have to repaint them! The wooden trunk on the floor is one of many treasures I found nearby in an old barn behind a neighbor’s house. The bowl is from Dixie Mae’s in Sylva, North Carolina, and the small wooden box is from Antique Antics.I have wanted a Z lamp for a time, and when I saw it came in PURPLE on Bellacor, I was ALL IN! I love the juxtaposition with the vintage elements. It is so fun to position and reposition and slide on and slide off. Basically I am 8 years old.As I was putting the room together, I realized I really needed to go the extra granny mile. But how? Well, how about a pillow made from vintage barkcloth drapes? And, actually, not a pillow MADE, but a pillow draped in old drapes because there isn’t time to sew a cover. You get what I’m saying? Yep, that is a drapery panel pinned onto a pillow minutes before photos. Beautiful fabric from Antique Antics. The lush green velvet pillows are from ORC sponsor Arianna Belle.

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Well, when you want to scroll your Instagram feed or actually read a real book, you can plop into this cushy vintage chair from Screen Door in Asheville. I have to hand it to Stroheim Fabrics and my upholsterer Tony–this was a last minute find, and they, respectively, rushed the fabric shipment and reupholstered the chair in like a week’s time. I know some really good people. I love this warm yet neutral fabric from Stroheim, Hampton Texture in Magnolia. The gnarled wood table is also from Screen Door, my friend Frank’s space. Pear from Ingle’s.

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A plant adds a little height to the room. Planter from Home Goods, vintage plant stand from Queen of Hearts Antique Mall in Buford, Georgia, and plant from Ingle’s…haha. The room needs something above the slant, so I asked Mike if he could add some pine beams to the ceiling after the photos…so there is more to come!We also plan on split track doors for the cased opening into the bathroom…but I kind of like it open like this. I have a feeling more private people in my life might like the option to close it. Either way, there wasn’t time to finish the track doors, but that gives me more time to figure out their design…or if they are even needed at all. Let’s go into the bathroom!

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Really, first you enter into the coffee bar area of the room. Isn’t it so cute? Emery’s Woodworks of Tiger, Georgia, made the gorgeous live edge countertop, shelf, and cabinet for our coffee bar. I’m so happy with the rustic look it adds. Such a beautiful edge:So much goodness…first, there is the Farrow & Ball wallpaper in blue Feuille. I LOVE IT! It was quite the drama getting it here and hung, but who cares now, look at it! I love it with the Metrie shiplap installed vertically and the warmth of the live edge maple planks. Vintage goodies up here like the coffee creamer and sugar pottery, the utensil holder, and the soap dish are from Dixie Mae’s. How about them oversized knobs?? They are from Anthropologie and add a playfulness here. Overstock, Overstock! The yellow mugs, the blue water glasses, the coffee pot–all from Overstock! Tray from Target. Beautiful handprinted tray from Jill Rosenwald, hung like art like it is. Tin from Dixie Mae’s. Croissants and jam from Ingle’s…hahahahaha. The sleek Delta Trinsic faucet is from Overstock. We have the Trinsic series at home so it seemed like a natural here.No coffee bar would be complete without a mini refrigerator. So thankful to Overstock for this gem from Magic Chef. Coffee is the reason I rise everyday so I am happy to have a place to keep the cream chilled. Door casing from Metrie from their Very Square series–I love how crisp this is! Working with Metrie to order trim online was so easy. I was a bit overwhelmed at first with all the options, but they talked me through it over the phone, helping me select the right trim for the space. I gave them our measurements, and BAM, it arrived promptly, primed and ready to hang.
There is plenty of room in the fridge for a long weekend in the guest suite. Stock what you want. No judgement.

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Then, the bathroom. It is, oh, so small, but so very pretty.
Emery’s in Tiger also made the bathroom vanity in maple. It is so very beautiful…I can’t stop staring. The vessel sink is from Bellacor–they are so much more than lighting! The faucet is from eFaucets.

If you know me, you know I love a globe light. I was so happy to find this double globe sconce in chrome from Bellacor. I love the mod feel it adds. Lucite and chrome mirror from Screen Door years ago. Tissue holder from Restoration Hardware Outlet. Jo Malone perfume from Neiman Marcus. Vintage green box from Antique Antics. Terrazzo plate from Target. Soap from Anthropologie. Tissue from Ingle’s…
There isn’t much wall space to hang art in the suite except by the toooooiiiiilllllettttt, ugh! Well, it will be something pretty to look at while on the throne!The acrylic on canvas Easter Frock Knot is by me and available by print on Chairish through their Print Shop. Chairish is also an ORC sponsor and delivered this Kate Roebuck print–I love the wide white mat and frame! The watercolor nudes are mid-century French paintings from art dealer Gillian Bryce, from where alllllll the good things flow!The shower door was installed this Monday morning, hours before photos! Classic subway tile is from generous sponsor Jeffrey Court. Mike installed it like a champ. Stool from Home Goods. Flow Blue plate from Antique Antics. Sponge from Ingle’s, hahahahaha!Overstock was so good to us and hooked us up with the Delta Trinsic shower fixtures. I can’t wait to floof my feathers in this bird bath! Seriously, what you lack in your life can be found on Overstock.
One of my favorite moments in the bathroom is by this window with the vintage rattan chair, found at Queen of Hearts. Okay, so maybe it was too late in the day to do math when Mike and I figured where to hang the drapes. We can’t move the rod since it is in the wallpaper…so a little puddle is a luxurious thing! But I will probably have the drapes shortened. Anyway, I LOVE this happy yellow linen velvet from Stroheim. Thank you t0 Bill for making these panels. Ribbed towels are from Overstock, of course! What about these floors?! Gorgeous honed marble from Jeffrey Court is underfoot in the bathroom. The grey and blue tones in the stone jive well with the blue in the paper. And, the tiles feel, oh, so sturdy. The rug is from Chairish. Crisp, clean baseboards are from Metrie, as is all the door and window trim in the space.Guess what?? I forgot the mirror at home to hang here in between the drapes and the sconce. But I stared down a 4-hour drive round trip to get the mirror before photos…I chose sleep. That expanse of wallpaper is still so pretty!

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Last stop on this ORC is the deck.

Let me be honest…they are still working on the grading around the cottage so most of the yard around the guest suite is dirt. My shots are tight so you don’t see……the dirt and the Kubota on the hill.

You enter the guest suite via a sturdy little staircase off the garage. I have festooned it with flowers that I hope will flourish and flounce over their planters (when in doubt, alliterate.)I love that when you enter on this level, it feels like a vintage A-frame.The Belle of the Ball on the deck is this settee from Stori Modern. So vibrant, so true, so BLUE! I love the zest it adds to the mellow yellow facade of the cottage garage.Plants from Lowe’s, hostas from the yard, pillow and white planter and coffee table from Home Goods, blue planter from Grass Roots Nursery in Waynesville. Cowhide rug from the side of the road in Clayton, Georgia. Soda, hat, magazine, and flowers from…Ingle’s! Chair and throw from Home Goods. Pillow made from vintage table cloth from my husband’s grandmother’s collection. Table from Target. Planter from Dixie Mae’s.Love, LOVE this sofa from Stori Modern!I received these classic lanterns from Bellacor for the garage exterior, in both the 9″ and 11″ versions. This is the 9″ lantern by the guest suite door. The larger 11″ ones will flank the garage door.
The month of April has been insane with work deadlines in addition to the ORC, my husband was hospitalized (he’s okay!!), I had two trips, and just the general hustle and bustle of family life…that I can’t wait to CHILL here on this deck, hearing the wild turkeys gobble-gobble as they pass by, listening to the birds sing, and enjoying my sweet family in the mountains. My gratitude overflows! To my family for the long hours, nights away, and any grumpiness that accompanied my stress. To my inlaws for delaying their own build-out so that Mike could focus on the ORC. To my sitter for her sweet dependability. To the sponsors who made so many good products available. To Mike, Tray, Carlos, and crew for making my ideas come to life for the space. To Chris for helping with furniture adjustments and painting in the last hours. To Linda for the opportunity to share our project with so many. It truly takes a village to make stuff like this happen. THANK YOU!!!!

So, I’m not the only one relishing the completion of a big project today! Check out my fellow ORC designers as they share their finished spaces. I know I’m going to enjoy a cup of coffee or three reading over their reveals:

Apartment 34 | Beginning in the Middle | Coco & Jack | The English Room | The Gold Hive