One Room Challenge: Week 3 – Airy & Colorful Shared Bedroom
Whew!!! What day is it? I feel like I’ve been in a whirlwind of “stuff” lately. The One Room Challenge is still in full swing, and this is week 3, which is about the time I’d be ready to tap out on a project. Just when I might put it on the back burner and attempt to tackle something new, I’m forcing myself to push through. I guess this challenge really is what I needed to get something DONE around here.To bring you up to speed, here is the current mood board…
I’m going for airy, colorful, comfy, and most importantly, gender neutral while trying to please both my son & daughter. That’s no easy feat, but I’m trying. The rug, bunk bed, and dresser have been moved in. And here’s where we are now….
More info on the dresser: I tried really, really hard to find something at the thrift store to use for this room, but I kept coming up empty handed. Much to my husband’s dismay, that meant we would need to buy something new. I was totally okay with that, but I wanted it to be solid wood, to provide ample storage, and to complement the color scheme & mood of the room. Oh yeah…it also needed to be inexpensive. You see…a few months ago, I spotted a gorgeous mid-century style dresser that had 6 drawers, it was on legs (I have a thing about furniture with legs, but that’s a whole other post), and it had a small scale size which this tiny room really needs. And it was only $12!!! Why did I pass on it, you ask? Because I was trying to be “practical” and only buy what I needed at the time. I had no plans to work on the kids’ room so soon, so I knew it would sit in my garage for a few months until I got around to it. LESSON LEARNED: great deals at the thrift store and practicality DO NOT go hand-in-hand. Next time I know to just buy it!
See…a smaller dresser would fit the footprint of the room best, providing the most floor space possible.
Luckily, the discount (and furniture assembly) gods were shining on us this past weekend on a trip to Ikea because we were able to score a Hemnes 8-drawer dresser (It has legs!) in the as-is section for 30% off plus I was able to use an Ikea Family $20 off coupon. It was already assembled and just had a small knick on the corner of one of the drawers. Though I was there to get a white one, this blue color is a bit cooler and goes with the whole colorful theme. And since it was fully assembled, we were crossing our fingers that it would actually fit in the truck since we had the two kids (and car seats) with us. We had to do some creative knot tying to get this baby well strapped in, but I still kept a hand on it for more peace of mind. Like I could have actually pulled it back in the car if it slipped….
Instagram photo: TheKimCollective
I still need to add more of the decorative elements, more organization and storage, and figure out how to cover that unused door, which has really become quite the thorn in my side. If anyone has some ideas, please share!
[acrylic shelves, airplane, posters]
Follow along on Linda’s site to see what all the other bloggers in on this round of the ORC are up to.
A couple of idea for that door: 1) chalkboard paint
2) cover it in cork tiles for a massive corkboard – add some painted trim to make it look built-in. If you remove the doorknob, you can totally cover the whole shebang with cork and it will really lose it’s “door-ness”
3) mod podge some maps or other cool graphic artwork all over it
It’s coming along – can’t wait to see the finished product!
Laura, thanks so much for all those great ideas! Those are things I had never even thought of but they would be great in a kid’s room. Losing the doorknob is definitely the first step!
I love what you have done so far! Love the paint colours on the wall and ceiling. Cant wait to see what you do next week!
Thanks Paulina!
I am so glad you were able to find a great dresser. I love the Hemnes. Those are great thoughts about the door: I don’t have anything to add. What is at the foot of the bed?
Hi Alana! There are two huge drawers beneath the bed. I absolutely love them! I was able to stash all of their toys down there in cute plastic bins from the $5 store. I’ll share all those little details in the final reveal post.
I have done the same thing with pieces that are too big for my car (and your bracelets are so cute!). Bummer about the $12 dresser but the Hemnes find is awesome! I agree about disguising the door with chalkboard paint and losing the knob. Does it go somewhere? That could be so fun for the kids–like a secret hideaway. 🙂
Hi Carrie! The door actually leads to the closet in my bedroom (for some strange reason). I would have left it accessible except wall space is at a great premium here, so it’s doing more harm than good. Down the road, we plan to cover it up with drywall, but until then we’ll just disguise it somehow. My kids would love a chalkboard wall!
Oh and thanks about the bracelets!
I have made the same mistake before! Just last week I missed out on some great sconces because I wanted to “think it over”. Love the bright mix of colors for a shared space!!
XO,
Krista
http://www.goodwillglam.com
Hi Krista! Thanks for stopping by. I was so bummed about missing out on the dresser but I think I redeemed my thrift store luck just today. I snagged a great upholstered wingback chair for $6!
SCORE!!!
I hate that regret of passing up on a good piece at the thrift store! It seems like it all worked out for you – good thing you were able to figure out a way to get that home!
Love it! So sorry you missed out on the dresser but I bet the Ikea Hemnes will be awesome great!
This is going to be a great room. The dresser is fantastic!