The Most Amazing DIY Wall Mural Ever, and my Top Picks from the Fall 2017 ORC

I was going to post a new furniture maker story today, but a few days ago I realized that this was the big reveal week for the One Room Challenge! So I’ll save the other one for after Thanksgiving.

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I meant to participate in this season’s One Room Challenge over at Calling It Home, but then the wallpaper I wanted to use was backordered 12 weeks. Seeing that the ORC is a 6 week challenge, and that I didn’t get my act together until a few weeks before the start, that just wasn’t going to cut the mustard. But I followed along, as usual. To me, this season had fewer standouts. Lots of rooms turned out well, but there were few that made me say, “Wow, that’s special.” 

But, man oh man, a few entries were AMAZING. One thing almost all of them all had in common — wallpaper. First up, Gwen, The Makerista, with her Modern Parisian Girls’ Room.

I’ve always wanted to use that Bee paper from Farrow & Ball. Gwen is an original. Her style is slightly glam with a really cool sense of color. It may not be for everyone, but I think most people will think that it’s certainly beautiful. Next up, a Preppy Bohemian Guest Retreat with a British Colonial Influence, by Design Manifest.

I love this room because it is papered in another favorite of mine, Schumacher’s Katsura Stripe in Delft. It’s slightly Indian, slightly British turn-of-the-century cottage, British Colonial all over. Decorator and Guest Participant Natasha Haberman created one of my absolute favorite entries with her sexy library.

Believe it or not, that green leather Chesterfield sofa opens up into a guest bed.   I thought this Baby Boy Dino Nursery by Beebout Design was adorable, and a nice antidote to the many neutral nurseries we’ve been seeing lately (not that I don’t like those!).

Schumacher must have been a sponsor this round, because I saw a whole lot of Schumacher wallpapers, including in this lovely, classic powder room by guest participant Laura Design Co.

Schumacher’s Pyne Hollyhock, which I included in last week’s Patternful Blue & White Dining Room, made at least two other appearances in this season’s ORC that I noted.   Jennifer at The Pink Pagoda never fails to deliver. I mean, how can one go wrong with white, blue, and green????? I mean, one can… but she never does. 🙂

And she hasn’t even had time to have professional photos taken yet! I spot some painted Queen Anne dining chairs over there!

And now for the MIND BLOWING, DIY MURAL.

Guest participant Ashley at The Gold Hive DIYed the heck out of this puppy using a centuries-old etching, sourced from the Met’s open-source collection of artwork. She used Photoshop to convert the etching into simpler color-blocked image using 8 shades of gray for painting. She then used a projector to put the image on the wall, where she basically did a “paint-by-numbers” mural. She only got one out of four walls done. Can you blame her??? Hey, I said it was one hell of a DIY. I didn’t say it was easy…. I won’t be doing one any time soon, but I might pay someone to do it!     There you have it! My favs of the Fall 2017 ORC. Did I miss one of yours? Any thoughts? Hopefully, I will be back for the Spring 2018 ORC. The wallpaper is now sitting in my mud room….

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Everyone is converging on my house for Thanksgiving. And when I say converging, I mean everyone is staying at my house, not just eating a meal here. So I’ll be taking next Saturday off for the holiday to enjoy some R & R (Rambunction & Rowdiness) amongst the grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, friends, and strays who find their way here. See you in two weeks, and Happy Thanksgiving!! -Amy   P.S. You’ll be seeing a ton of Black Friday sales everywhere, I know. I don’t do gift guides, because I hate shopping for pretty much anything except house stuff.  In light of that, however, I thought I’d give you advance notice that Loom Decor, from my post on The Easy Way to Get the Designer Look (When You Aren’t Working with Designer) is having 25% off custom window treatments Monday 11/20-Thursday 11/30.  Or you could work with me to get an *even more* designer look. But I’ll forgive you if you don’t. 😉