Sorry I’m a little late this morning! The Spring 2017 ORC wrapped up Wednesday and Thursday. A few weeks ago, I picked out 10 of the featured designer/bloggers and guest participants to watch. I knew I’d have more than 10 favorites in the end. Here are the contenders for my personal favorite rooms.
The Color Lovers
Not many people can live in color as vivid as these rooms sport all the time, but picking a room and wrapping it in something really dramatic can really make your home feel like a masterpiece. I did it in my Farrow & Ball Stiffkey Blue library/music room. The following designers take color to the next level, balancing bold hues and patterns with skill.
Holy Shmoly. House of Brinson totally knocked it out of the park. First of all, that Bunny Williams bed is one of my all-time favorites and one I’ve ear-marked for myself. It’s a reproduction of antique faux bamboo beds, but you can usually only (and rarely even then) find them in a full size. Dramatic, gorgeous color and fabric. Tons of shining vintage furniture balanced with newer finds, every thoughtful detail, and Gracie wallpaper. (Sponsored — Hey Linda, I want some Gracie wallpaper! May I be a featured blogger?) However, you can have all the sponsors in the world but you need the God-given talent to put their products together to look like this. Wow.
Old Home Love continued the theme of bold color and vintage accessories and furniture. This one is going on my Killer Coral Pinterest Board. Very daring use of an unusual color that totally works when it wraps the whole room and is balanced by some neutrals.
I don’t think yellow gets enough play in the design world. Probably because not enough clients objectively like the color. But whether or not you’re a yellow fan or if your design style bends toward mid-century, you have got to admit this is an awesome room. Every detail thought out, from the moldings, to the updated Windsor chair black referencing the chandelier, bits of green in the vase refer to the side chairs, blue in lamp and art…. It’s a really great lesson in balancing bold colors with a subtle and sophisticated touch.
So much happiness from J&J Design Group that doesn’t overwhelm because of all the white. Modern meets farmhouse without going industrial. Just gotta smile.
Kelly Rogers perfectly balances color and pattern with a masterful hand to create a room that walks a fine balance between sweet and grown-up for a pair of sisters. Joyful without being in-your-face. Totally love it.
You have to take a look at the “before” pictures of this space. It was one of the awful rooms in early 1980s houses with aspirations to grandeur and lots of stucco, weird entries, and spaces. Micaela thought way out of the box here and came up with something stunning. Her ideas make me look at a lot of those Florida McMansions that I see on Realtor.com with a whole new set of spectacles. Thanks, Micaela!
Kate Smith did an adorable boy’s nursery in blue, white, and red — a combo that used to be popular but has fallen somewhat out of favor in the current obsession for grey and white nursery decor. She shows you how to do it without feeling like the 1980s version of Country Living. I feel the pics, while lovely, don’t quite do the room the justice I feel it probably deserves. There’s a wonderful faux bamboo red lacquered dresser that doesn’t make it in this picture.
Doing White Right
A few white rooms caught my eye as well.
I LOVE the Pink Pagoda’s use of white with blue and green. Notice how lovely her formal dining room set looks with fresh color all around it — the green on the inside of the china cabinet is brilliant. (For more ideas about how to freshen up those Baby Boomer formal dining sets for generations X & Y, see my post on the subject here.)
Rambling Renovators created a lovely but livable white living room with by adding indigo, a little plaid, texture, and brass.
Blue does seem to be the unifying factor in all the white rooms I really like in this season! Lisa Canning does a masterful job with a kitchen renovation in just six weeks. A deeper cobalt blue on the island than you usually see. I dig it. You can tell this lady is a professional designer.
And the Winner IS….
Of course, there are no winners in the ORC. It’s all about support and inspiration and getting a room DONE! But I truly think, this year, there was an “unofficial” winner.
Beyond a doubt, the star of the 2017 Spring ORC was …
This chandelier.
You saw it first in the Fall 2016 season with Hi Sugarplum’s dining room, which was pinned EVERYWHERE!
Crystorama liked Cassie’s room so much, that they now use her photos to advertize their Luna Chandelier.
This season, the Luna was here.
And here.
And here.
And I really felt that I saw it in a few more guest participant rooms that I can’t re-find right now. Anyway, you can bet that Crystorama feels that its sponsoring the ORC definitely pays off in publicity this year. 🙂
Do you have some favorites that I missed? There were LOTS of great rooms, I’m just outta space and outta time!
See you next Saturday!
-Amy
1 thought on “The Winner of the 2017 Spring One Room Challenge”
What a great roundup. I too loved all of these rooms, but I have to say the standout, for me, was The Pink Pagoda. Thank you for including our shared girls’ bedroom! Definitely one of my favorite projects to date.
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