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One Room Challenge : Week 6

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House of Brinson / One Room Challenge

We made it through the One Room Challenge and with only one trip to the emergency room! (Will put his hand through a glass window.) We plastered, painted, refinished floors, designed, decorated, sewed curtains and a canopy. I can’t believe it’s done. In six weeks we transformed the Queen of May guest room into an amazing retreat. Instead of being embarrassed to ask friends and family to stay in this room, we’re delighted to! There are so many goodies we want to share with you in this post. First, is our vlog which shares our design point of view and the process we focused on for completing the room design. Second is all the resources – everything in the room is linked to below. If it’s a vintage piece, I provided a suggested search term so you can find a similar item. If I have any tips or reasons why we went with certain products, I include that as a note as well. I wanted to provide as much information as possible on our process and reasoning.

Also a big thank you to all the sponsors who collaborated with us. You always hear people say it wouldn’t have been possible without the sponsors — cause it’s the truth. Lots of love.

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Furniture

Bed
Bunny Williams Home
I mentioned it on the week 5 vlog, I rarely buy a vintage bed. Bunny Williams makes furniture that feels old. If you mix and match, this is a great resource.

Bed Side Tables
Chairish / Sponsor
Tip: Chairish was the perfect place to look for matching side tables. Shopping in local antique stores could have taken forever, and my choices of matching side tables would have been limited. I found these within driving distance (outside of my normal antiquing distance!)  and decided to pick them up to save on delivery fees. If you need a very specific item, shopping online can save time.

Display Case Console
Vintage: try searching ‘display case’ or ‘showcase’ for larger cases

Rugs
Old New House / Sponsor
Tip: If you’re searching for the perfect vintage rug, establish a relationship with a rug dealer and check their store updates frequently. Melissa and Dave post sales on their Instagram account weekly. It’s a great way to keep an eye out for the perfect style of rug.

Needlepoint Chair
Vintage: Try searching ‘needle point arm chair’. If you don’t have room for a needlepoint chair in your home, foot stools are a favorite of mine and don’t take up too much space.

Table(s) (between the windows)
Both these tables are vintage. The large table is an extension table that was a hair more than what I wanted to spend, but it will do double duty for me when we have a party, I can use it as an extra side table. Try searching ‘extension table’ for something similar. For the smaller table, try searching ‘carved coffee table’.

Accent Chairs
I’m becoming a chair hoarder, and confess to loving a good vintage chair. I picked up the side chairs in the room for prices between $10 and $40 each. This is something I’ll always buy if I see something I like and worry about where I’ll put it later. Many of the chairs in this room have caned seats, search for ‘caned chairs’ for something similar.

Bar Cabinet
Vintage: This is a really unique piece – it’s a converted Victrola cabinet. Here’s what you’re searching: ‘Victrola Cabinet’ and they look like this. The one we found was already converted. If you wanted to convert one, a cabinet maker could make the conversion for you.

Dressing Room Bench 
Candelabra / Official Sponsor of the One Room Challenge
Tip: If you buy a lot of vintage don’t forget to offset it with a few newer, more polished items. This bench is glam, and the dressing room needed it to compliment the wall paper.

Dressing Room Dresser
Vintage: You know that moment when a friend calls and says they are getting rid of furniture and do you want to for free? That happened here. For a similar item, try searching ‘wood veneer American dresser’. These were popular in America around 1830 to 1880.

Dressing Room Table
Vintage: To search for a similar item, try ‘small gate legged console table’. This table also folds down in case we need the space.

Dressing Room Cocktail Table
All Modern / Official Sponsor of the One Room Challenge

Accessories

Brass Lamp in Main Room
Lamps PlusOfficial Sponsor of the One Room Challenge

Framed Art 
FramebridgeOfficial Sponsor of the One Room Challenge
Tip: We have a lot of vintage art which need framing. I like to keep framing simple – always remember to frame the art, not the room. If you want to move the art in the future you can. I worked in a frame shop for years and can’t tell you how many people matched the mat to their sofa color. We were introduced to Framebridge years ago and they’ve helped me overcome my framing procrastination because they make it SO easy.

Main Room Ceiling Light and Scones
Vintage: Search ‘crystal chandelier’. The sconces were repurposed from another room in the house.

Dressing Room Floor Lamp 
Bellacor / Official Sponsor of the One Room Challenge
This lamp has a fabric shade and provides soft, subtle lighting for the dressing room. I love how ‘heavy’ and established this lamp feels in this smaller space.

Dressing Room Ceiling Light
Candelabra / Official Sponsor of the One Room Challenge
So much love for this on Instagram. A few details: it’s made from resin, so the texture is really interesting. Resin has more dimension than glass and a softer glow to the light.

Vase
Jill Rosenwald / Official Sponsor of the One Room Challenge
I told Jill what the color palette was for the room and she custom made this! Beautifully made and so grateful she made a special vase for our room. Flowers is one if the ways we show our guest we’re thinking of them.

Baskets and Obelisks
Bellacor / Official Sponsor of the One Room Challenge

Modern Bust in Dressing Room
All ModernOfficial Sponsor of the One Room Challenge

Vintage Horse Print with Rounded Corner Frame
South Loop Loft / Sponsor
Beth has SO much great vintage. If you’re looking for a unique item, make sure to follow Beth.

Horse Wall Hook
All Modern / Official Sponsor of the One Room Challenge

Finishes

Wallpaper
Gracie / Sponsor
It’s Gracie paper! Need I say more? Joe, the wall paper hanger said this paper is like having original water color paintings line the walls. He’s so right, a true work of art. It brings me joy everyday.

Curtains
Fringe Market / Official Sponsor of the One Room Challenge

Bed Canopy
Fabricut / Official Sponsor of the One Room Challenge
This was a long time in the making and the fabric and trim and POM POM TASSELS from Fabricut made this vision come true. If you decided to make a bed canopy, they have a variety of product. It was hard to choose my favorite.

Paint
Farrow and Ball  / Official Sponsor of the One Room Challenge

Wall color: Inchyra Blue
Walls, Modern Emulsion
Picture Trim, High gloss
Top and Bottom Moulding, Estate Eggshell

Ceiling color: Vardo, Dead Flat

White Trim: Whimborn White (trim color through out our house)

Hospitality

Bedding
Annie Selke LuxeOfficial Sponsor of the One Room Challenge
There was so much love for this bedding in the house. From our friends sleeping in them with their hoodies on, to my mom saying how nice they were. Did you know my mom got 33 fancy pillow cases just like these when she got married? Those were the days! All items links here: coverlet, euro shams, pillow cases, fitted sheet, flat sheet.

Pillows, robes, decanter and glass set
Snowe Home / Sponsor  / via Mosss Design
Snowe provided items that make our guest feel like they are staying in a fancy hotel. Robes and in room bourbon? Why not! Everyone asked if we would make this room our master and I said no, but I really like the pillows! Good pillows are a must have because our old pillows were so terrible. We used the euro size, two down filled standard size and down alternative standard size.

Additional Resources

I discovered the two companies below because they are sponsors for the ORC. We didn’t use their products in our room because we used what came with the house, but I’m always on the look out for great resources and thought these were worth noting. 

If you like the trim in our room, check out Metrie. Our trim is original to the house, however if you want to add trim to a new house or restore a historic home, Mitrie is a great resource.

I was visiting the Hasbrouck House in the Hudson Valley, and noticed the hinges on the pristinely restored stone house. Of course I label checked the brass hinges and noticed they were Emtek. I recognized the brand name because I had just seen them on the list of sponsors for the ORC. Beautiful hardware.

 

Some products are sponsored for the One Room Challenge. We’ll always let you know with a note by the link. If we don’t love it, it’s not in our home. We’re very particular which sponsors we choose to feature.

Centsational Girl | Chris Loves Julia | Christine Dovey | Dwell With Dignity | The English Room

Glitter GuideHouse Updated  | J+J Design Group | Lark & Linen | Abby Manchesky

Nesting Place | Old Brand New | Old Home Love | The Pink Pagoda | Rambling Renovators

Erica Reitman | Sketch 42 | Suburban B’s | Erin Williamson  


Media Partner

House of Brinson / One Room Challenge

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  1. […] Chris Loves Julia Christine Dovey | Dwell With Dignity The English Room | Glitter Guide  House of Brinson | House Updated   J+J Design Group | Abby Manchesky  Nesting Place | Old Brand New […]

  2. Wow! What a fabulous space. Those walls are everything. Bravo on surviving the One Room Challenge and a stunning reveal!

  3. Love how you hung the artwork you hung on the doors and the wallpaper blends in the space seamlessly, great job!

  4. Betsy says:

    Where do I book my stay?? You did a great job! The bed canopy is perfect! Your mom did a great job on the curtains too.

  5. Lori says:

    This is just absolutely glamorous and spectacular and your attention to detail realy makes it stunning. Love the ceiling color, too!

  6. Ivy de Leon says:

    Congratulation! Beautiful details, color, and that Gracie wallpaper– OMG! Get some rest now.

  7. Julia@Cuckoo4Design says:

    It’s absolutely beautiful and makes me think of my favorite places in Europe. So so well done!

  8. Absolutely blown away. The attention to detail is evident in every gesture. And that wallpaper – work of art! Having barely survived a few ORCs, doing all of our own work, I can appreciate the blood, sweat, and tears. Bravo.

  9. This room is so dramatic I absolutely love it! Any guest would be honored to stay in here 🙂

  10. This is just so so beautiful and is absolutely a room that will take people on a very magical journey when they’re lucky enough to stay there. I’m absolutely in love with the colour palate, wallpaper (obvs,) mix of antiques, chandeliers (both amazing,) and curtains…the fringe and way you draped the later is just so lovely.

    Congrats on an amazing, amazing job- your space is beyond inspirational…truly magical.

  11. Terry Clocker says:

    So elegantly beautiful!! I’m curious if you are saddened that your office isn’t in the lovely wallpapered dressing room anymore?

    • We are a bit sad about our office, but moving it to the third floor is a better long term solution. With old houses we have to play the long game and working within feel of our master bedroom was a bit off putting to us. Work and rest should have some distance between them. I am excited about the possibility of doing our office! A girl can dream.

  12. Hannah says:

    I’m not sure whether to slow clap, fast clap, or weep with joy. This is the most incredible thing I’ve seen in a long, long time. Well done, you two!

  13. Emma says:

    Wow. Just, WOW. This is beyond stunning. I love everything about it, from the rug to the wallpaper to the stunning bubble chandelier.

    I discovered your blog about a year ago, at roughly the same time as we moved into a circa-1905 house in my hometown of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Your aesthetic, your attention to detail, and your commitment to historical preservation has been totally inspirational for me. Thank you for sharing your gorgeous home with us.

    I do have a (somewhat cheeky and off-topic) question for you — when can we look forward to another podcast about Stonyford history? I loved the first few episodes. Not that you’re, like, busy, or anything. 🙂

    • Thanks for commenting Emma! Let’s take the pod cast to the vlog! The history of Stony Ford is SO complex that we should do one of those ‘murder walls’, like you see in crime dramas. I could also talk to different people and y’all could see the conversations for yourself, which would be really cool. I’ve met such nice people in the preservation community, it would be nice to introduce them to all of you. And maybe with a little bit of convincing we can get Wayne, the nephew of the previous owners to give us the scoop on what he knows about the history of Stony Ford.

  14. Incredible! There are so many gorgeous details so soak-in, but I can’t help it. I love the colors of the space the most. Congrats on creating such a spectacular room you’ll enjoy for years to come! xo

  15. Emily says:

    I’ve been following since week one! It looks magnificent and I can’t wait to see it in person! Hail to the Queen of May!

  16. morgan says:

    oh my GOODNESS this just makes me feel like I am in some sort of Duke of England’s country estate. It is to textural and lush and beautiful. Amazingly well done!

    I am a guest contributor and also shared my reveal today. I’d love for you or your readers to check it out!
    http://www.charlestoncrafted.com/2017/05/10/orc-reveal-fully-diy-remodeled-walk-master-closet/

  17. Laura says:

    I found your blog through the One Room Challenge, and you’ve become one of my favorites! I hope you continue to vlog. You have such a beautiful, calm presence, and I love how you explain your design decisions. Also, that brass lamp and navy bench are AMAZING. They perfectly compliment your other vintage elements. Your room is beautiful!

  18. This room looks like it was meant to be here all along! What a rich, exquisite space you’ve created. The colour is dramatic yet looks like it could lull one to a peaceful sleep. Well done!

  19. Jolene says:

    You guys are the master of creating a mood, both in your rooms and with your videos. Congrats on a stunning room! Kudos to creating a room that is truly authentic to your place and your style, and not feeling the need to necessarily follow any trends! That’s how trendsetters get started!

    • Thanks Jolene! I love a good trend but at the end of the day, a house should be timeless. When I look back at classically designed spaces in the 1950s, you could easily update a few small things and the space would look like it was designed yesterday! Fingers crossed classicalism becomes a trend!

  20. laureg says:

    Wow! Just wow. What an incredible room- it’s so, so visually lush. And it looks collected over time, as if you inherited the home from ancestors and each generation adds a bit of their own touch. A toast to all of your hard work!

  21. Erin says:

    Wow- it’s just wow! I feel like I walked onto the set of Downton Abbey looking at these pictures and that this would be Lady Mary’s bedroom. It is so beautiful and I imagine your guests will be thrilled to stay in this room.

  22. Rachel M. says:

    I love this room so much. If I were ever a guest at your house I don’t think I’d ever leave. Just stay snuggled up in bed drinking tea and reading. Great job on all your hard work!

  23. Julie says:

    This room is so gorgeous in its elegance and stateliness, and that color is to die for! I’m sorry to hear about the trip to the ER, though – yikes!

    • Thanks Julie. It’s okay about the trip to the ER. If it’s great in our house, there is blood and a trip to the ER. At least Will didn’t loose a finger? That’s the good news. LOL.

  24. Jessica says:

    OH . MAI . GAWD !! Please do a whole post about that insane bed canopy! The gorgeousness of the materials and trim is just beyond – ihavenowords.

    • Thanks Jessica. I think we’ll have to woo my mom, and Fabricut to do a canopy bed post. It wasn’t that complicated to make, but you need about 13 yards of fabric, PLus yards and yards of the trim (which really make the final product amazing). Let’s see if we can beg mom to make another, then I need to ask my sister if I can decorate her bedroom or find a volunteer! 🙂

  25. Gorgeous makeover! The dark walls really bring out everything featured in this room Congrats!

  26. Pam Fisher says:

    Ok. You win. This One Room Challenge makeover is my favorite. The ORC brought me to your blog for the first time. I enjoy how you guys include the vlog, you do a great job at it, so creative.
    As for the room. Oh. My. Goodness. The color, the different finishes of paint, that wallpaper!, the fringe on the curtains, the floors……..I just love it. What I think is so fun is that I would never have chosen the style but I love it. Beautifully done. Looking forward to stopping by in the future.

    • Thank you Pam! It’s great to know that design that isn’t someones style can still inspire! It’s so important to get inspiration rom places we would have never expected. I’m glad the ORC brought you here! We have a big house, more soon!

  27. Dabito says:

    So romantic! I love it all, especially the wallpaper and canopy! Genius. Seriously #moodgoals!

  28. TR says:

    Absolutely STUNNING! Down to every last detail. We have a 1903 Edwardian and it takes so much effort and work to restore and maintain. So inspired by your dedication to restore Stony Ford to the beauty that it deserves. Can I ask where you purchase your ceiling medallions in this room and all of your other rooms? They are exquisite (as is your taste)!

  29. I mean…. wow. This is just stunning! I want to sell my house and move into your guest room. It’s beyond gorgeous.

  30. Sara says:

    Stunning, Susan, truly! Can you talk a little more about the process you undertook dealing with the calcimine paint on the ceiling? My husband and I are in the process of buying a 1927 home outside of Boston. We will only be the third owners and so much of the house is still intact, which is what we love about it. The player walls and ceilings, however, do need some work. The only way to keep the paint from peeling, again, over time, I keep on being told, is to Sheetrock over the plaster or remove the calcimine which involves lots of washing and is often just not possible. The paint that you used to prime your ceilings and create a barrier between the calcimine and new paint looked like it worked really well. Do you expect it to last over time or do you anticipate touch ups needed over the years? Would love any more insight as I am so hesitant to cove rober the plaster but don’t want to have to repaint every couple years, either…

    • Sara, this is a great topic and one that I think we should do a video on. Will did a lot of research and the only way to tell if something is successful, is time. The specialized primer we used seemed to work really well! And the lady at the hardware store liked it for calcimine as well. I think we’ll make a video and get one of each of the three products that is recommended for this type of problem. Our entire third floor is calcimine… so we can do a test patch and see how each product performs over the summer. If it survives the summer, it’ll probably be fine long term. We don’t have AC and the humidity can get high on the third floor. I don’t think you need to sheet rock it, I think this can be fixed? Even if you painted a sealing primer and reskimmed. It’s moisture that makes it peel, so if the moisture is controlled… in theory it should be fine. We’ll create some content around this for sure. Good luck on your renovation! 🙂

  31. Jennifer says:

    You guys knocked it out of the park!!!! Absolutely, unbelievably, breathtaking!!! I am jaw dropped in love!!! Brav fucking O!!!!!

    Biggest fan
    Xx
    Jen

  32. Margaret says:

    Love the room, especially the color scheme — it’s the color of deep sleep. What is the fabric on the bed – not the coverlet you linked to, but the blue-green piece?

  33. I still can’t get over that paint colour – everything goes so well together and it’s definitely a place your guests will LOVE 🙂

  34. Great job! I am sorry to see you had an accident. I agree, I would love to know how you created the canopy. That chandelier with the Gracie paper and the bed….so good. I love all of the details and you can see how much love went into this. Your guests are very lucky.

  35. Carla Ercole says:

    Gorgeous!!! So chic, rich colors, perfect details. So inspiring. Love that you think outside the box. So much talent. Thank you for sharing and inspiring my stylist self. A stylist can never have enough inspiration. Congratulations!!

  36. Stacy G. says:

    This room is a stunner! I have so enjoyed following along with your project. Great work! <3

  37. Coveting those Gracie wall panels! So beautiful and I love the mix of woods with the deep greens and blues. That first image just gets me! xo

    • Thanks so much Kristin! The Gracie panels make my life complete – if I’m have one of those days – I’m just gonna walk in that room and look at the wall paper!

  38. wow wow WOW where do I begin!! I love how rich and deep the colors in the room and what a beautiful contrast with the light and airy bubble chandelier! so jealous of the wallpaper and I love how you mix in different antique pieces and though different in style, they all work together seamlessly.

    so so much work for 6 weeks but you guys have done it!! now we all get to relax until Fall #oneroomchallenge!

    • Thank you SO much Tim! We’ll see if we do it in the fall. My wallet needs a break. LOL. We also have to have major work done, like electrical and plumbing before we can decorate another area of the house. We’ll see when we can get that done for the next challenge!

  39. ss says:

    Legit. Best ORC ever. By a country mile.

  40. Bre says:

    Love all those deep tones contrasted with the wood. Beautiful space!

  41. Welp, now I can officially die of envy because this room is drop dead gorgeous! I never expected anything less from my favorite power duo, but seriously, you’ve out done yourself! And why did your Mom receive 33 pillows? Is that a magic marriage number I should be adhering to? Congrats, you have truly shared the journey of this room and its been so much fun tagging along!

    • LOL. My mom received 33 hand stitch pillow cases when she got married. My moms family is Canadian by way of England – gifting linens is a very British thing to do. Now couples want food processors. LOL. Those were the days!

  42. Lauren says:

    The room turned out absolutely stunning! I really loved following along week by week with the vlog- I hope you guys can continue to make more in the future. Cheers!

  43. Kelly says:

    Seriously impressive guys. Really spectacular. I love so much I don’t even know what to mention – the molding and detail, the dark green, the bubble light fixture, furniture, linens and drapes. Wow! I would love to stay in this room! Congratulations, well done!

  44. Lianna says:

    This guest room would be the best. amazing job guys! looks gorgeous.

  45. Sheila says:

    What a treat to see all these beautiful photos! My internet connection isn’t good enough to stream video content so I wasn’t able to follow along with your vlogs but the end result is absolutely stunning. It looks curated over the course of decades, not 6 short weeks. Well done. I really want to spend time in that space!

  46. Monica Sophie says:

    Y’all are crazy and I can’t wait to see what you do next!! Your ORC was over the top and awesome! You need a show!
    xoxo
    I’ll be watching YOU!
    Monica

  47. Wow!! This room is gorgeous! I love the rich colors and all of the beautiful details. I think you’ll be having some guests that don’t want to leave 🙂

  48. I featured House of Brinson’s ORC in Home Glow’s Saturday Blog today as one of my favorites of the Spring 2017 ORC! Masterful work. http://homeglowdesign.com/2017/05/13/winner-2017-spring-one-room-challenge/

  49. Kristin says:

    Your work is simply incredible. I love the thought, talent, hard work, dedication and heart you both put into your home. I am glad that I found your site through the challenge and will be an avid follower. Thank you for sharing.

  50. Ola says:

    Hi three! Visiting as a guest participant from callingithome.com. This room screams luxe. Oh…I’m at a loss for words. Beautiful job.

  51. Deborah Johnson says:

    Absolutely stunning! The room, your presentation, the hard work and dedication that is apparent in every step. This is truly my favorite ORC. When can I visit? lol

  52. Lorelle says:

    Hello, very, very beautiful. I may have missed it, but how did you source the teal floral bed cover and where from? Thanks

  53. […] House of Brinson‘s guest bedroom and dressing room is also spectacular. The walls are covered in an aged blue gray paint by Farrow & Ball and panels of Gracie wallpaper hang in the dressing room (shown above). Simply stunning. […]

  54. […] bedroom makeover from House of Brinson as part of the One Room Challenge was […]

  55. hello, it’s very beautifully and highly decor design seriously it’s very attractive look and i loved it kept up SUSAN..

  56. mden says:

    I love this paint color so much I want to use it! I know color can change so much based on light, etc, but is this really F&B Inchyra Blue on the walls? The description of Inchyra is grey blue, and this looks so different, like a deep blue-green…

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