My son's bedroom revealed!

Thanks for your wonderful comments on my son's bedroom last week! Some of you have asked me if my son loves his bedroom, the answer is yes. The proof? My son, Isaac kept saying he loved his "beautiful bedroom" for a few days in a row after the room was finished and that makes mommy really happy!

Before we go into the details, I would like to say a big thank you to Linda from Calling It Home, the creator of The Room One Challenge (ORC) for inviting me to participate in this challenge. Without this challenge, the bedroom will never be completed, knowing full well the ultimate procrastinator that I was. If you are new to my blog and unsure of what the One Room Challenge is all about, you might want to check out the details here. 

As promised, I will discuss my thought process behind the design of this room and share the resources at the end of this post. 

Before the transformation, I had a general idea of what I wanted for the room. My goal is to turn the room from claustrophobic to bright and airy. This room started out as a bright lime green box with white mini blind and Pergo laminate wood floors. I knew the wall color and mini blind had to go!

I decided to have the room primed and painted in white with a focal wall. My initial idea is to have horizontal wood planks as the focal wall (we even saved the wood planks from the deck removal) but my husband rejected the idea in the end. He was concerned that the wood planks might contain harmful chemicals so I went with Plan B and painted the focal wall with stripes instead.

My goal is to create a fresh, fun and functional bedroom for Isaac on a tiny budget. This small bedroom has to multitask as a place for him to work, play and sleep so it needed a desk, a play area, a storage for toys and a bed. I had to admit, it was definitely a design and budget challenge but I love a good challenge so there was a lot of measuring and online product sourcing during the initial stage! :)

Like all rooms in our home, we decorate on a small budget so I always purchase inexpensive items that will give me the most bang for my buck. The design for the whole room started with the wall decal that I found at Meijer a few years ago. The wall decal were colorful and playful and most importantly, it was on clearance. It only costed me $12.99. 

I knew I wanted the wall decal to make a design statement so instead of adhering them to the wall like they were intended originally, I put my wall decals on large canvases so they look like a series of artwork. 

Remember the problems I had with the peeling decals? I used super glue for a quick fix (okay, not so quick fix). I was being careful not to get any of the super glue on my fingers but alas, I worked for almost an hour (pressing and lifting the decals) so I still ended up with some of the glue on my fingers. I cleaned with vinegar and nail polish remover for the next half an hour. Note to self: Always remember to wear a disposable glove when I am working with super glue! 



Anyway, I stumbled upon a striped rug on clearance with a similar color scheme like the wall decal the following year. To be honest, I got the rug because it was a steal and I love the colors and size for my son's bedroom, not realizing that it had all the colors found on the wall decal! When I got home, I put the rug and wall decal side-by-side and realized they were a perfect match! I was ready to make them work even if the colors don't go together so I scored on that one!

Before I started this project, I thought about getting a navy blue or olive green velvet headboard (preferably with nailheads) for the bed. However, knowing that we planned for a second child in the future, this bedroom will be shared. And that means we will need two identical velvet headboards.  Two velvet headboards are definitely out of our budget, plus, with two beds inside this small room, my son will not have an area to play at all. 

Since getting two beds are out of the question, another option is to get a bunk bed. After a lot of thinking, I realized that a bunk bed might overwhelmed the small room. In the end, we got a white trundle bed because it was the perfect solution for a small (shared) bedroom and for our budget.

For the window treatment, getting a roman shade with a blue trim would be ideal but it will threw our budget off so we got these beautiful striped curtains on clearance instead. 

Since we already have the striped wall (thick stripes), colorful striped rug (colorful stripes) and striped curtains (thin stripes) in the room, I decided to introduce a similar yet different pattern for the quilt or comforter. While stripes is my all-time favorite pattern, adding another striped item to the room will be too matchy-matchy and over the top. So, chevron it is for the bedding!

The cardboard moose head was not part of the design plan earlier but I decided to incorporate it when I had a chance to do a review. I thought the moose head added a bit of quirkiness and an unexpected element in the bedroom.

The desk lamp I received from Rejuvenation was a great addition to this room. It is perfect for balancing the light from the green teardrop table lamp I had earlier. The desk lamp was even more stunning in person and felt very solid. Did I mention it came with a wonderful CFL light bulb, too? I had been going back and forth about getting one in aged brass but I knew the polished nickel would be a better choice for this room. 

I have changed the shade for the green teardrop lamp because the original lamp had a yellowish shade that I didn't like. I think the bright white shade looked better for the clean, crisp look I was going for in this bedroom.

I actually bought the 'Now Panic And Freak Out' pillow for my living room (I bought the same pillows in 3 colors- red, green and black so I could switch them every now and then) but decided the red one would look best in my son's bedroom so the pillow is officially his now.

Because the room is so small and Isaac had a ton of toys, we got him two vertical storage systems to fit all (most of) his toys. I didn't plan for a laundry hamper in the room at first but I thought the nook was perfect for it. Now my son knows where to put this dirty clothes and pants.

I got 'The Country Gentleman' canvas art not knowing where to put it earlier but I guess it worked for this bedroom.

I had to remove the clock's battery before taking pictures so the "moving eyes" wouldn't turn out blurry.

This clock was actually the first thing I bought for Isaac's bedroom when I visited a gift shop about 6 years ago. I was drawn to the whimsical element of it. If you have noticed, the clock had the same colors as the puppy hooks so they worked well together, again happy accident! 

When the clock was hung, Isaac was extremely excited! In his own words, he really "likes his beautiful clock".

The puppy hooks make me smile every time I look at it. I just love how adorable they are!

Isaac's very own mini art gallery. 

I had plans to incorporate more artwork next to each side of the curtains but decided against it because I was afraid that the room might look too busy. By leaving the walls blank, I thought it gave the room the breathing space it needed.

The floating branch was actually a DIY project that I had been procrastinating for over a year. I have always like the DIY yarn wrapped branch idea I frequently stumbled upon on Pinterest. I decided to make a similar one for my son's bedroom when one of the branches from our Birch tree broke one day. What can I say? The project was meant to be!

The initial idea was to make a branch mobile by hanging a few paper airplanes from the branch. However, I didn't like how the airplanes turned out so I just hang the branch instead. I also felt the paper airplanes might compete/ clash with the rest of the colorful accessories I was planning to add later. So, floating branch art installation it is!

I hope you enjoy reading about what goes behind my crazy design brain in this long-winded post. Now, let's get to the best part, the resources!

The resources:

Wall paint: Decorator White from Behr

Wall paint (stripes): 780E- 3 Sterling from Behr

Wall decal: $12.99, on clearance from Meijer

Blank canvases: $7-$8 each (using 40% off coupons) from Michaels

Green teardrop table lamp: $18, on clearance from HomeGoods

Polished nickel desk lamp: Free (sponsored) from Rejuvenation

Cardboard moose head: Free (in exchange for a review) from  Uncommon Goods

Leather rhino: $5-$6, on clearance and I used my credit from Pottery Barn

Small trains: $2 from neighborhood yard sale

Alarm clock: $12.99? from Target

Pencil cup: Free (in exchange for a review) from See Jane Work

Pencils: $3-5 from Meijer

Branch: Free

Yarn: $9-$10 (all 3 colors) from Michaels

Striped curtains: $35 each (discontinued), on clearance from PB Teen

Curtain rod: Free, inherited from our previous master bedroom (discontinued) from Z Gallerie

Trundle bed: $350-$400 (discontinued) from Daz Furniture

Rug: $29.99 (discontinued) from Crate & Barrel

Chevron quilt and sham: $130-$140 on clearance (discontinued) from PB Teen

White sheet set and pillow case: $120 (out of stock) from PB Teen

Now Panic And Freak Out Pillow: $17.99 from HomeGoods

Desk: $69-$79 (out of stock/ discontinued?) from Ikea

Chair: $79 from Ikea

Trash can: $5 from Bed, Bath and Beyond

Laundry hamper: $7.99 from Ikea

Hooks: $2.99 each from Ikea

Wall clock (Karlsson): $35 from a gift shop

Toy storage system: $39.99 (each) from Ikea

Blue storage box: $5 (each) from Ikea

Red storage box: $4 (each) from Ikea

Green storage box (each ) from Ikea

Frames: $3.74 each (on clearance) from Target

Sphere: Free (I used my design dollars), (discontinued) on clearance from West Elm

Apple: $5-$6 from HomeGoods

Artwork: $29.90 from HomeGoods

Curtain wire: $12.99 from Ikea

Curtain hook with clips: $2.99 from Ikea

Art frame: $9.99 from Ikea

Printable art: Free design (giveaway win) from Plum Street Prints (printed on glossy paper at Target for $2.89)

Bean bag: $17.50 on clearance (discontinued) from Target

I hope you enjoy checking out my son's bedroom. Thanks again for all your lovely comments last Wednesday! I really appreciate it.

If you need help decorating your home, please click here for further information regarding my design services.

Product review- Looptworks Phone Wristlet!

Recently, Looptworks sent me one of their wonderful products to review. Thanks, Looptworks!

Looptworks is an online retailer that offers environmentally friendly products by rescuing high quality, unused materials and turn them into limited edition, handnumbered goods

For today's review, I have selected the Shiji Phone Wristlet. The phone wristlet comes in three colors. 

Shiji Phone Wristlet (Orange/ Pink)

Shiji Phone Wristlet (Black/ Gray)

Shiji Phone Wristlet ( Bronze/ Coral)

This is the color I picked!

Front

Interior

Back

Interior (with my business cards, credit cards and iPhone)

I love my new phone wristlet! Crafted from excess genuine leather, the quality is amazing. Additionally, the workmanship is marvelous, too. Most importantly, it protects my iPhone well because it fits snugly and securely.

The interior of the wristlet is thoughtfully designed, featuring a small opening for the camera and another opening at the bottom for easy access to the lightning port. It also includes a money pocket and 4 credit card slots. 

This wristlet is perfect for someone who likes to have the  convenience of having everything in one place especially for running short errands, casual strolling in the park, dog walking, etc. Oh, and did I mention that it comes with a lifetime guarantee as well? Beautifully constructed, high quality and environmentally friendly, what's not to love about this product? Highly recommended!

You can get yours here. Happy shopping!

*I received this product to review for free but the views and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Guest post- Top Tips When Buying A Garage Door!

You may think that a garage door probably would not have that much of an effect on your home. However, you would be wrong. Your garage door is one of the first things people would see when looking at your home.

Usually at the front of the house, it is visible to passersby as well as your visitors. This is why when choosing your garage door there a few things you need to think about, not just in regards to the aesthetics but also any technical issues.

Check The Positioning Of Your Garage

Wherever your garage is placed will depend on what door you can have. It is best not to have an up and over automated garage door that can open from the inside if it opens directly onto the pavement. This is extremely dangerous as you can not see if any pedestrians are walking past as this can cause serious injury if they are hit by the opening door.

Even if the garage is positioned further back on your property, if you do decide to choose an up and over automated door, you should check that it is safe to use on your property, especially if you have small children. You should advise your family not to walk directly in front of the garage to prevent any unexpected injuries.

Check The Positioning Of Any Internal Garage Doors

If you decided to have a garage door with tracks such as sectional garage door or a retractable one, you need to make sure that it does not have any effect on any other doors leading into the garage. Internal doors need to be able to open fully without being restricted by tracks, as this will make it useless.

Check The Height Of Your Car

If you are going to be using your garage to park your car you need to ensure that your car actually fits in there. When choosing your garage door be careful that if it does reduce the usable height of your garage, you can still drive in without a struggle. You also need to ensure that the door you choose would not take up too much space on the inside of the garage if the space is relatively small. If that is the case, a roller or sectional door may be best for you.

Check Where You Live

If you live close to the sea you should be careful about what type of material you use for your garage door. Timber doors are not suitable for these areas as salt can have a negative effect on the wood. In this scenario, it may be more beneficial for you to choose a more hardwearing material such as GRP (Glass Reinforced Polyester).

Now that you what types of things you should be looking out for that you probably did not think about previously, you can get a move on and pick out the garage door that will be best for you. At least you would not be making some of these simple mistakes that are often overlooked.

This post was written by Ekta Mair who, when looking for a reliable and trustworthy garage door specialist, decided to choose Eastern Garage Doors. They provided excellent advice on what garage door would suit her property and lifestyle so she had the best for her needs.

The One Room Challenge- Week 6: The Big Reveal!

I am honored and thrilled to be invited to participate in The One Room Challenge, the brainchild of Linda from Calling It Home again. Without this challenge, my son's room will not be completed in another year or two, I am sure! Thanks, Linda!

If you are here for the first time and want to catch up, please check out the links below.

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5

It has been a crazy 6 weeks of planning and working on this challenge and I am so excited that my son's room is finally done (for now)! This tiny room ( 8' 8"x10' 4") needs to function as a place for my son to sleep, do his homework, play and store his toys. And most importantly, it has to be done on a tight budget. 

My goal is to transform this crazy lime green room into a fun, fresh and creative space by using happy colors and modern elements. Do you think I nailed it? Let's find out, shall we? 

The befores and afters.

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Did I have a change of plan from start to finish? Certainly. At first, I wanted to make a branch mobile with hanging paper airplanes but I figured it might look a little busy with the rest of the colorful accessories so I ditched the idea and hang just the yarn wrapped branch instead. I decided to add another desk lamp at the last minute because I figured an adjustable lamp will be more practical for reading and homework. It helps to illuminate the desk area better as well.

Overall, I am pleased with how the room turned out. Would I changed anything down the road? Most probably! I might replace the curtains with a roman shade, paint the closet gray (the same color as the stripes opposite the wall) and style the room differently. 

I am planning to discuss my thought process behind the design and share the resources for every item you see in this room next Wednesday so don't forget to stop by! (Update: You can check out the list of resources here.)

Please visit the rest of the participants from The One Room Challenge below to see their finished rooms.

Calling it Home 

Chinoiserie Chic 

Classic Casual Home 

Cottage and Vine 

Design Addict Mom 

Design Crisis 

Design Indulgence 

Design Manifest 

The English Room 

The Green Room Interiors 

Henhurst Interiors 

Little Black Door 

Maddie's Nest 

Mix And Chic 

My Notting Hill 

Pawleys Island Posh 

The Pink Pagoda 

Shelter 

Simple Details 

The Vault Files 

Book review- Staircases: The Architecture of Ascent!

I have received another book named, "Staircases: The Architecture of Ascent" from The Vendome Press lately. This big and beautifully illustrated book, authored by Oscar Tusquets Blanca, Martine Diot, Adelaïde de Savray, Jérôme Coignard, Jean Dethier is a great addition to my collection of coffee table books!

Inside this book, you will be introduced to the different types of staircases and the astonishing diversity of staircases, from the stepped pyramids of the Maya to the exquisitely proportioned stairs of the Renaissance, to the elaborate balustrades of the Baroque period.

Here is a sneak peek!

This volume not only showcases a diverse range of dazzling staircases over the centuries but also the magnificent architecture that surrounds them. Filled with awe-inspiring images and interesting historical facts, this book is highly recommended for those who are interested in architecture, interiors, design or history. 

You can pick up your copy here.

*I received this book to review for free but the views and opinions expressed are entirely my own.