The One Room Challenge - The Final Week
Hey Hey,
WOO HOO! Hi5s for making it to the finish line of the One Room Challenge meaning we are at the end of our 6 week journey and it’s REVEAL time.
If you’ve never got the foggiest of clues about what the One Room Challenge is, here’s a quick recap:
Over the 6 weeks designers & bloggers of the interior variety have been hard at it transforming one room any way they please. We blog, sweated and tore the entire process each week and cheered each other along the way. It’s been epic.
Well wasn’t this a journey? Yes as epic as it has been, it’s been one heck of a challenge. The last 2 weeks have hardly been like riding along in the bumper cars. One dodgy driver crashes into your bumper and just then you think you can get going again some other idiot crashes into you again. Yeah, it’s been a little like that. So let me explain what’s been happening.
1. Fraud
Just getting over the disappearing cork company shenanigans, on Sunday evening somewhere between hanging wallpaper and a meltdown I was on the phone with the bank sorting out fraudulent transactions on my card. The reality of having to cancel cards and order new ones has meant I couldn’t buy a damn thing without going to the bank. Since getting hold of non-toxic, organic or cruelty-free supplies has mainly been down to the joys of internet shopping, to most I was able to do was window shop as I’ve had NO access to buying online goodies. URGH!
2. Scaffolding and lack of natural light.
Not only are the bedrooms in the basement, don’t worry we have windows, but last week scaffolding was erected around the entire house for maintenance. Totally beyond my control as I rent and scheduled outside upkeep is essential to a fab interior just shoddy for access to natural light. if I come down with a case of S.A.D. you know why.
The bedroom already suffered from crappy lights which thankfully are all sorted but here’s the thing: Installing the new light fitting was done by iPhone lights and wireless LEDs because, even in the morning, the autumnal greyness was zero help.
3. Working at capacity
Throughout the entire 6 weeks, I’ve had to rock up to my full-time job to repair historic buildings and then hop back home to service awesome clients so getting my bedroom decorated has been allocated to spare time. Factor in 3 family birthdays this week, creating space for my wellness has had to take less priority than I would have liked. Goo thing is now I can reveal where I will be collapsed in a heap. Let’s take a look, excuse the dark images, I plan to reshoot once the scaffolding has been taken down.
Time to unveil 6 weeks of space creating
A successful combo of paisley, geometric and tribal dots that hide the lumpy walls and gives a variety of texture. The antique furniture give great storage and brass elements that extra bit of blingy charm.
It was important to stay on point with the use of shapes, so throughout the room there are triangular shapes to add more edge to the many many irregular ‘dots’.
I framed a dress that me body doesn’t squeeze into for love or money and hung a necklace on the outside of the frame for cost effective art and additional pattern to the bedroom.
I didn’t look too far for artwork, I bought this ceramic Thai piece a few years back and had nowhere to put it.
Remember that the pink tropical alcoves are the spaces to store clothes? Well, they still are but I’m yet to install the rails and shelves. Yep, another obstacle that needed access to money to solve. These will be done once I get a cash card back and can order online again. I’ll do an aftermath post so you can see the finished room once I have cork flooring too. That day I cannot wait for.
Accessories
We’re still a long way to getting the house back to normal so we are still side-stepping like crabs in the hallway but luckily it is bin day and we can chuck out plenty of boxes for recycling. This means all the accessories, like photo frames and candle sticks finally have a nicer home. With the variety of shelves, I can swap and change with some simple styling so the room does not get as stale as it used to be. Thumbs down on that mess.
Accessories are the fun details that set your space part from the rest. Collate these aspects over time. This wooden lady I’ve owed for years but it never had a place in my home that showed all 90 cm of it off.
Creating Space for Wellness
Aromas
I always discuss with clients their signature aroma for each room as it is the finishing touch to creating a welcoming environment. Although I used hand-rolled incense I was stuck for some this week with the money situation so was well pleased to find a fresh jar candle around the house. I really, like REALLY, wish you could smell how gorgeous the bedroom is right now. Phenomenal I tell ya. Every time I’ve stepped into my new and improved space today I’ve inhaled as much as I can. My lungs have been totally full of good vibes all from the blessing of a scented candle that I bought last year at the Stylist Show. We’ve gone no toxic here, a blend of essential oils and vegetable wax instead of the pollution that is paraffin. Ticks the cruelty-free and vegan checkbox that I wanted for the bedroom too.
Getting hold of vegan AND healthy candle sticks has been a chore and a half though. Soy or rapeseed wax tends to come in jars, which is cool but not what I’ve been after. In the end, I ditched the search and placed tumbled crystals in my candle holders instead. It gives the room a sparkle without the hassle of flames and works effectively as a last-minute alternative. But, if you have any recommendations for vegan-friendly (yep, no beeswax around here I’m afraid) candles, I would love to know.
Headboards and sexual wellness
At last the headboard is fully upholstered and attached to the bed, it’s been way too long since it was half finished with a trail of excess fabric gathering at the back just waiting to get trimmed off. But when I showed Mr the headboard that I upholstered and upgraded, he laughed and called me nasty. Wanna know why?
I design for function as much as for wellness benefits and aesthetic pleasures. So when it came to the headboard, this was a chance to design for sexual wellness and the intimacy of exercising with Mr.
It’s always mentioned the importance of getting a good night’s sleep when they talk about the bedroom. But that isn’t the only function of a bedroom, right? Just as I would discuss with a client ways their room will be used, I had to consider the activities that would be happening in my bedroom and design for those in mind.
“Intimacy and sexercise are said to be great for combating stress, reducing pain, getting rid of a few calories and boosting your intelligence. Why not design for pleasureful activities when it comes to creating space for your wellness in the bedroom. ”
Totally for the pleasure of exercising with Mr, in comfort which was lacking, a simple rail on the top of the headboard is the missing jigsaw puzzle piece. Quick story, once upon a headboard I used to have a metal one. Not only was it ridiculously cold to touch, it also gave me headaches so I ditched it in place of an upholstered one. Great, but not. The cushiness of fabric headboard works better in terms of comfort BUT when it came to exercising with Mr, fabric-clad headboards kind of suck. There’s nothing to grab onto for either of us and definitely not anything to get our 50 Shades of Grey action going on.
Accessibility
I’ve not mentioned before but Mr is paraplegic and rolls on wheels. It’s one aspect of the design that was always essential to be factored into the design throughout the bedroom.
High shelves are fab to draw your eye up especially in low ceiling spaces. But they suck for Mr as he can’t reach a damn thing and has to rely on me. He’d rather his independence where possible, therefore rather than nagging me to get books from a high shelf I did us both a favour and installed shelves at a lower height. He can roll up and grab a book etc.
Transitioning in an out of his wheelchair takes time. This is where remote control and automation really makes life easier. The electric fire came with a handy remote enabling Mr to make the room toasty whenever he likes without having to move.
The same goes for mirrors as it does with art. Mr cannot stand so hanging the mirror at standing view height simply was never going to work. I hung the mirror low enough so he can check for spinach between his teeth. As a bonus, the upholstered vanity chair I found the other day means I can also sit a look into the mirror. So much better than digging my knees into the crusty carpet.
Verdicts
I’m pretty damn pleased with the room that I feel like a grown up. I should puff out my chest with pride or down a glass of wine or something. What I am going to do straight away is lay down, I’ve earned this wellness space and can’t wait to get my sleep on without snorting any awful chemicals along the way.
As for the buckwheat pillows, I must get back to you on how comfortable the pillows are. They smell divine but I haven’t actually tested them I have zilch to report yet. I think I’ll do a blog letting to know whether I’m sleeping better or am on the hunt for an alternative. Drop a comment in the comment section below and let me know if you would give alternatives like buckwheat hulls a try or whether you’d prefer to stick to feathers or mainstream inserts.
It’s been fun sharing my struggles and discoveries with you. I want to thank the likes of the One Room Challenge team and of course, Better Homes and Gardens (how cool that they supported the challenge this year) for the nudge to get my wellness bedroom from concept to reality. AND hi5s and curtsies to you, for reading along each week.
Before you wander off and check out other participants, leave your comment (I love reading them) and discretely like this post. Share if you care or subscribe to the journal and get your own copy of Creating Space For Wellness in the Bedroom.
