WEEK 4 // FALL 2017 ONE ROOM CHALLENGE: CALIFORNIA CASUAL LIVINGROOM

Slow, but notable progress was made against my One Room Challenge living room design in Week 4. With art selections and other purchases that might otherwise delay an on-time finish finally completed, attention has been almost exclusively paid to the large wall of windows over the last few days. But before I talk about this aspect of my design plan, I want to share a bit about the work we did several months back to upgrade the windows. 

I should preface this part of my post by saying that the windows in this house were one of the things that attracted me to it in the first place. Plentiful and expansive, they allow a lot of light into the house - something my husband and I both prioritized while house hunting. Living in the house, we've been challenged with that same bright light that also brings with it a lot of afternoon heat which slowly worked to fade furniture and raise our electric bill. Furthermore, all the windows in the house were gray metal which did not provide a polished look within the interior.  We also painstakingly removed a reflective tint on the windows that had helped to filter the light, but looked ugly and dated. 

While we haven't yet made an investment in steel case windows, both paint and trim have gone a long way to lift the finish around our original, single pane 1960s windows.  That gray metal was painted out black using an oil based Rustoleum, which has held up very well to everyday use by the way. That allowed us to get the look of a steel case window while we save for the real thing.

As part of the One Room Challenge, my goal is to complete the design with woven roman shades to replace our current vinyl pull down shades and drapery. This past week, shades were delivered and mounted just outside each frame. A black metal wrap around curtain rod was hung high in preparation for ivory linen curtains which will be draped on each side of the frame.

I'm also giving you a sneak peek at the rug, which was unrolled so I could measure out and cut the padding I purchased to give our flat kilim a plusher appearance. 

Man, I love this rug. Tino, don't get any ideas. 

So while this week's update may not be especially exciting, progress made will undoubtedly make a big impact in my final finished design.

One thing to note - the reveal date for the guest edition of the One Room Challenge has been extended by one week. It's been a rough couple of months for some participants with fire, floods and other natural disasters. The additional week allows for a bit of catch up for those affected. So the new reveal date has now been set for Thursday, November 16. So mark your calendars - for over 200 inspiring before and after room reveals to be unleashed onto the interwebs. You can check out progress reports from all over at Calling it Home.

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