I’m excited and relieved that I completed my first One Room Challenge. My goal for this project was to makeover our office space into a toddler bedroom. I wanted to design a light and bright space that was kid-friendly and brought a city vibe to the suburbs. And based on the reaction from my son, I feel like I nailed it!
The Accomplishments
Courtesy of David Land and Better Homes & Gardens Magazine
The room was originally my husband’s office, and I had three goals. First, I wanted to make the space feel warm and cozy by insulating it better. My son’s room is the coldest place in our home, and I needed an affordable solution to add warmth to the room without a gut renovation of ripping down walls and adding more insulation. Instead, I hired a Durant Paint Company to repair the ceiling and remove all the cracks. Then I installed a wall-to-wall carpet from Home Depot and got the installation for free due to a store wide promotion for May.
Secondly, I wanted to make the space light and bright. I had a mural by Photowall installed by Durant Painting, a local wallpaper and paint installer in my town. Then my husband and I re-painted the rest of the room with Clare paint’s grayish color.
Lastly, I wanted to make it FUN!!! I added artwork with cars from Society6 (something my son loves), clear toy bins so he could easily access his toys, and a new play area. I wanted to designate a space in his room for him to build blocks, draw, and then hang up his art pieces when he’s finished.
Honorable Mentions
Photos Courtesy of Touch Life Studio | Playkit from Lalo
Photos Courtesy of Touch Life Studio
Photos Courtesy of Touch Life Studio | Wovenbyrd Chair and Ottoman
The space is only 150 square feet, but the new paint color brightens it and makes it feel kid-friendly. The updated footprint of the room is SO much better. I love our reading nook—we have a very comfortable leather chair and ottoman from Wovenbyrd to sit in and read every night. The play area is my son’s favorite spot in the room, and with a carpet, I don’t have to worry about him hurting himself when he falls.
Maybe Next Time
Unfortunately, I ran out of time to update the closet and the changing table nook in eight weeks. The wallpaper and acoustic tiles I ordered for this part of the room didn’t arrive on time, so I’ll have to show those upgrades in a few more weeks.
This project was also a lot of fun to tackle in my spare time in between work and family responsibilities. Seeing the response from my son at the end of the project and how happy he is in the room lets me know I nailed it! The One Room Challenge is something everyone should do to stretch themselves design-wise and see how much they can accomplish. Once you transform one room, you inevitably want to start digging into another eyesore in your home in no time.