Small But Mighty Bedroom-Study-Lounge Reveal

one room challenge interior design home improvement decor diy makeover

We made it to the finish line of the Spring 2017 One Room Challenge!  This bi-annual event virtually brings together hundreds of designers and interior design bloggers for a six-week room transformation challenge.  Thank you to Calling It Home, the host and ORC founder, as well as media partner House Beautiful, for organizing another successful ORC!

Let's get to it!  Six quick weeks ago, we took the smallest bedroom in our home - a 10 ft. x 11.5 ft. design-deprived and under-utilized space - and started transforming it into a triple purpose bedroom-study-lounge!

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The following links will get you caught up on the room's weekly progression:

We spent the last few weeks executing the conceptual design plan...

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...which primarily revolved around smart SPACE PLANNING and the power of PAINT to improve the look, feel, and functionality of the room.

Now here we are, six weeks later...

CAD Interiors bedroom makeover reveal interior design decorating diy one room challenge brass art aged bronze lighting ceiling semi-flush mount light fixture black walls oil painting art

...and the room has been successfully turned into the "SMALL BUT MIGHTY BEDROOM-STUDY-LOUNGE" that I envisioned!  Come on in and take a look around...

one room challenge bedroom makeover interior design decorating diy home improvement black brass modern vintage eclectic decor

one room challenge bedroom makeover interior design decorating diy home improvement black brass modern vintage eclectic decor

one room challenge bedroom makeover interior design decorating diy home improvement black brass modern vintage eclectic decor



one room challenge bedroom makeover interior design decorating diy home improvement black brass modern vintage eclectic decor

one room challenge bedroom makeover interior design decorating diy home improvement black brass modern vintage eclectic decor

Painting all the walls in the same dark color that was previously just on an accent wall made a big difference in the overall feel and appearance of the room.  Contrary to common thought, the room actually feels larger wrapped in the dark paint color.  The lesson here is to NOT be afraid to go bold and dark in a small space.

ALL ABOUT FUNCTION

Despite its modest 10 ft. x 11.5 ft. footprint, we maximized every square inch of the room and packed it with function! Designating specific zones - Study Nook, Bedroom/Lounge, Media Area - was integral in the space planning.

one room challenge bedroom makeover interior design decorating diy home improvement black brass modern vintage eclectic decor

A study nook was created by outfitting this wall with a simple parson-style desk.  One of our dining room chairs is currently standing in as the desk chair until I find its replacement. 😉

one room challenge bedroom makeover interior design decorating diy home improvement black brass modern vintage eclectic decor

I had originally planned to add a patterned fabric treatment on the square insets of the closet doors, but it looked too busy.  The insets were finished with chalkboard paint instead you know, just in case we want to write on the wall!

one room challenge bedroom makeover interior design decorating diy home improvement black brass modern vintage eclectic decor

CAD Interiors Bedroom Study Lounge Reveal interior design decorating one room challenge home diy improvement makeover modern vintage eclectic decor

My favorite addition to the study area is the oil painting I salvaged from my parents' house.  It adds vintage "soul" to the room.  Love that it came in a brass frame too!

When conceptualizing the room, I knew a daybed would suit the dimensions and intended purpose(s) of the space.  However, I used a frameless twin mattress set instead to achieve the daybed concept.  Going frameless helped maximize floor space, which was important with limited square footage.  The bed serves as a "sofa" when lounging, and acts as an actual bed when needed for sleeping.

one room challenge bedroom makeover interior design decorating diy home improvement black brass modern vintage eclectic decor

Blankets and pillows in various patterns and textures were layered on the bed for softness and dimension.  The textiles were kept in a monochromatic color pallet of cream, black, white, and gray to keep things streamlined.

one room challenge bedroom makeover interior design decorating diy home improvement black brass modern vintage eclectic decor bedding textiles black white cream gray


One of the unspoken goals for the room was to give our boys (ages 8 1/2 and 12) an alternative space where they could entertain their friends.  When our kids have friends over, they usually hang out in the family room unless they're playing outside.  Installing a television and eventually moving their gaming console to this room enables them to have a "private" place to watch movies or play video games (without bothering us and vice versa 😆).

one room challenge bedroom makeover interior design decorating diy home improvement black brass modern vintage eclectic decor

CAD Interiors one room challenge bedroom makeover interior design decorating diy home improvement black brass modern vintage eclectic decor

Love the abstract geometric pattern and brass detail on this planter!

one room challenge bedroom makeover interior design decorating diy home improvement black brass modern vintage eclectic decor

By the way, the leather bench by the bed...

one room challenge bedroom makeover interior design decorating diy home improvement black brass modern vintage eclectic decor leather storage bench

...actually doubles as extra seating AND storage!

Here's a combined look at all the function we packed into the room:

one room challenge bedroom makeover interior design decorating diy home improvement black brass modern vintage eclectic decor

GALLERY WALL OF MIRRORS

one room challenge bedroom makeover interior design decorating diy home improvement black brass modern vintage eclectic decor mirror gallery wall

A feature aspect of the design plan was the gallery wall of mirrors.  Since the entire room was painted a dark color, I used mirrors rather than art to help visually "expand" the space.  Mirrors also reflect and bounce light.

one room challenge bedroom makeover interior design decorating diy home improvement black brass modern vintage eclectic decor mirror gallery wall

The wall of mirrors provided huge design impact for very little money.  The gallery wall was curated by sourcing mostly inexpensive vintage options to compliment our existing aged brass mirror (purchased at Bombay Company years ago).  The only exception was the antique silver starburst mirror, which I found on clearance at Home Goods!

one room challenge bedroom makeover interior design decorating diy home improvement black brass modern vintage eclectic decor antique silver mirror

Mixing different mirror finishes - aged brass, "metallic gold" (via spray paint!), antique silver, and wood/rattan - helps to achieve a more collected look.

BEFORE & AFTER

My favorite part of any makeover is to take a look back at where things started so you can really appreciate the transformation!

one room challenge bedroom makeover interior design decorating diy home improvement black brass modern vintage eclectic decor

one room challenge bedroom makeover interior design decorating diy home improvement black brass modern vintage eclectic decor

one room challenge bedroom makeover interior design decorating diy home improvement black brass modern vintage eclectic decor

one room challenge bedroom makeover interior design decorating diy home improvement black brass modern vintage eclectic decor

one room challenge bedroom makeover interior design decorating diy home improvement black brass modern vintage eclectic decor

one room challenge bedroom makeover interior design decorating diy home improvement black brass modern vintage eclectic decor

I am so glad I made the last minute decision to jump into the #oneroomchallenge.  There is nothing like a tight deadline to motivate you to pull a room together.  My family and I LOVE how cozy and functional the room turned out!

Thank you all so much for following along, and sharing your support and encouragement throughout the process.  I am so grateful to be able to share the transformation of our beloved fixer upper with you, room by room!  I'll dig into the specifics about this room in a separate post, so come back soon.




Visit the room reveals of all the ORC participants:

FEATURED DESIGNERS HERE
GUEST PARTICIPANTS HERE


Shared with: TDC

22 comments :

  1. Yay - congratulations on completing this challenge and creating such a gorgeous bedroom/study space! I LOVE every detail from the mirrors to the textiles used. That rug is gorgeous and I love all those pillows. So glad you decided to jump into this challenge! Are you up for fall? LOL. Enjoy this new space and cheers to being done! Xo

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    1. Thank you so much for the positive encouragement along the way! So glad to have another room in our home spruced up and ready to be enjoyed. Fall ORC?! Oh, why not! :)

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  2. The dark color works so well in here!! I really like the whole space but I'm freaking in love with the treatment that you did on the closet! Seriously, wow!

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    1. I'm anxious to bust out the chalk and write on the closet doors! I was too nervous to do it before the reveal. :) Thanks for the support, my friend!

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  3. ooooh it looks so good, carol! i love love love the dark walls and doors! looks so awesome! oh and the gold against it.... yes please!

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    1. Aww, thanks Cassie! It was so fun to do a dark room this time around. So cozy in there! Thanks for your never-ending encouragement and support!

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  4. This room is sexy!!!!! I love the black and dark wood, absolutely stunning!

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    1. Lol, it does have a "sexy" vibe huh?! I'm loving the cozy feel in there. Makes me want to do all dark bedrooms. :)

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  5. Oh, how I love this reveal! The paint color really sets the stage for drama and all the beauty you added with mirrors, furnishings, and accessories! The styling is amazing!

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    1. Thank you so much for all the kind words, Julie! This is the first room where I used a dark paint color on all the walls, and I love the results! Looking forward to doing more ORC rounds with you?! :)

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  6. what a great transformation! It's beautiful!!!!

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    1. Thank you, Cathy! Come see it soon. The room looks so different... and better in person! :)

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  7. Looks great Carol!! I love the wall color, office chair, pillows, area rug and mirrors!! So cozy and warm!!

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    1. Thank you so much, Karrie! The room definitely feels cozy and warm, a huge improvement from the before! :)

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  8. It looks amazing Carol! I LOVE the black walls in here, and the use of the mirror gallery wall to bounce light around was such a great idea! So much function packed into this one room, it definitely is MIGHTY!!

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    1. Thank you, Lisa! It's so nice to have another room "done" that we can truly use. I've been spending some time in there enjoying the new space! :)

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  9. I absolutely LOVE this room!!! Those dark walls! You have created a gorgeous space full of function. Isn't it so nice to get a whole room finished in such a short time?

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    1. Yes, it's SO nice to "finish" a room despite the tight deadline! The finished product has a way of making you overlook the hectic process along the way. :) Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

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  10. This is such a cool room! I love the moody vibe. Great job!

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    1. Thank you, Nicki! We are enjoying the new space. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. :)

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  11. Carol it's gorgeous! What a great study and I'd lounge in that room all day!

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    1. Thank you, Stephanie! The room is definitely getting a lot of use. I've been spending evenings in there watching a favorite show on Netflix! :)

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