07 Nov Inspiring Home Decor for Your Living Room and Tabletop | One Room Challenge | Fall 2020 | Week 5

Happy Friday friends. We’re in the home stretch now. This Week 5 is the last blog post I write about the progress of my Living Room Salon Makeover for the 2020 fall One Room Challenge (ORC).  I also have a few exciting new brand partnerships to share with you.  Next week, Week 6, between Nov 11th and the 29th, is the Big Reveal for all designers. I will be sharing the before and after photos of my transformed Living Room Salon Makeover, so stay tuned. Please enjoy inspiring home decor for your living room and tabletop!

Don’t know what the One Room Challenge is?

Catch up here on the ORC website, where both 20 Featured Designers and 200+ Guest Participants share their rooms (some virtual rooms!) and my recent posts. Also follow @oneroomchallege and @betterhomesandgardens plus hastags #oneroomchallenge and #BHGORC and of course, #thepillowgoddess:

Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Last Week Hustle

Whoo! This last week, Week 5, was another busy one. I’ve been incredibly blessed to have so many brands wanting to partner and sponsor product for my Living Room Salon Makeover that it’s been a little challenging juggling them all.  I think I emailed one person by the wrong name and totally spaced out on the press that one brand emailed me a month ago. But I can’t wait for you to see their amazing products in the Big Reveal!

The photoshoot has been rescheduled for either Nov 13th or 14th, depending on when window treatments from partner @vitaliainc and coffee table from partner @outrageousinteriors arrive. So please mark your calendars, as I hope to have my Big Reveal LIVE no later than November 15th. Fingers crossed!

The perfect coupling

Here I am assembling the green velvet chairs we found on Overstock.com that are perfect for our breakfast/dining nook.  One down, one more to go.  We’re really happy, after waiting a year, that we finally found the perfect size and color! And they’re comfy too.

Hanging beautiful wallpaper on an accent wall adds color and visual interest

Week 5 has been the week of “getting down to business” and “pulling together my design” for our Living Room Salon.  And, thankfully, I have not had any delivery issues like other designers and almost all of the products I ordered have arrived. I can’t wait to start unpacking the china from Replacements, Ltd.!!!

My friend, and studio seamstress, Kim Schlinke, who’s assisted me in all my ORC rooms except the kitchen, came Tuesday.  We knocked out hanging the gorgeous York Wallcovering wallpaper in 4 hours!  We were mighty proud of ourselves as it seemed to be so much harder when we hung wallpaper in my blue and white bedroom during the 2019 spring One Room Challenge.

Here I am rolling out the paste on the final piece of wallpaper.

Since 100% of you voted that you wanted to see my wallpaper selection before the Big Reveal, I have relented.  Please see below. Think this selection was easy? Think again. See the decision-making process in Week 4.

Relief – wallpaper + rug anxiety is finally over!

The two major design decisions that I’ve been the most nervous about have been the wallpaper and the rug, not to mention the current election.  The brand partners have been so fun to work with and are fabulous!  It’s me that has been the problem.  I’ve been a nervous nelly, constantly second-guessing my decisions and worrying about the intensity of the colors. Will they work together?  You saw in my prior posts how difficult the wallpaper, fabric and rug decisions have been for me. (One caveat though, is I don’t think I would have worried as much if our nation wasn’t in the middle of a very stressful election.)

I worried for nothing!

“Worry is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere”
– Erma Bombeck

I fret over little things and sometimes have trouble making decisions, but my husband is really the big worrier in our family.  I know worrying truly accomplishes nothing, but I’m still learning to trust my design instincts.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the wallpaper!! And the rug arrived tonight and the color is absolutely perfect!!!  I’m SO happy with my selections and can’t wait for you to see them in the Big Reveal.

As promised, I selected the beautiful, classical Sprig & Heron pattern by York Wallcoverings wallpaper with a brilliant blue background.   It’s absolutely gorgeous!  It met my desire to go bold but stay classical with all the antiques in our living room. Here it is as Kim and I hang the wallpaper this past week. To learn more about York Wallcoverings and my decision-making process for this wallpaper, see Week 4 HERE.

This coming week in my Instagram Stories, I’ll feature more of the process, unpacking the Replacements, Ltd. china, and sewing and styling, so please follow me @thepillowgoddess.

 

With the wallpaper up, I feel like I accomplished a lot this past week:

• Hung wallpaper in the entryway
• Moved furniture out of living room
• Rolled up the current rug to make way for a new rug
• Laid out and cut fabric for a tablecloth
• Received lamp shipment
• Received china shipment
• Started search for gold and brass home accents
• Started fabric selection for pillows, bar, and entryway chairs
• Assembled pair of dining chairs
• Finalized arrival date and installation of window treatments
• Received and installed new rug
• Discovered artist sponsor for art on alcove wall
• Breathed a huge sigh of relief to have the wallpaper and rug turn out perfectly!

 

While a stressful week, with the beautiful York Wallcoverings wallpaper hung, I feel like I can now breathe and focus on pulling my design together. Also, the Nourison rug just arrived tonight!! YAY!! (Okay, I just repeated myself due to lack of sleep.) I’m so happy it arrived because now it allows me to begin to finalize my fabric decisions for pillows and seat cushions.  I need to get on the stick and get sewing!

Inspiring Home Decor for Your Living Room and Tabletop

Now let me introduce you to a few new brand partners and those featured in this post:

• Couture Lamps and Home Furnishings
• Replacements, Inc.
• Cotton & Quill
• Aviva Stanoff Design
• Outrageous Interiors
• Victoria Larson
• The Fabric Shield

 

 

Home decor is an important element to any room design. Once your furniture is in place and key anchors like wallpaper, window treatments, and a rug are selected, then it’s time to get to the more relaxed parts of the design process. At least for me, it is making pillows and styling the room.

Please meet the amazing brand partners that are helping me put the finishing touches on my project. They have sponsored home decor products for our Living Room Salon Makeover and tabletop in our breakfast/dining nook. I still have more accessories to hunt down and more to arrive, but this is a huge start and I am so grateful for their generosity.

Make a statement with gorgeous table lamps

 

Lighting is often the jewelry of a space and table lamps are a beautiful final touch for your home decor. Especially in your living room it can really elevate and dress up the room.  Above is the Quatrefoil table lamp in blue by partner Couture Lamps and Home Furnishings, which is available in five colors.

I ordered this striking Art Deco-style lamp in their newest color, jet black, and it looks exactly like the one pictured above. The Quatrefoil lamp is one of Couture Lamps “heritage designs” and the black colorway is the 5th color iteration they now offer. I must admit I had to look up the word “quatrefoil”.

This unique shape of the shade in off-white linen mimics the shape of the base in a high gloss lacquer “Quatrefoil” separated with gold leaf round disks. What a fresh and innovative style to “WOW” a living room.  It is Artisan-crafted in Vietnam.

I am totally in love with this lamp and can’t wait to see it in our Living Room Salon!

On time, means on time

Partner Couture Lamps and Home Furnishings caught my attention a few years ago at Las Vegas Market for their one-of-a-kind artisan designs. Their executive team has been in the lighting industry for three decades and they recently released a new fall 2020 line up at High Point Market.

When Couture Lamps says their high-quality products are delivered to customers in a timely manner, they are not kidding.  From my order date, the lamps arrived in 3 days!  I was so excited to open the boxes and see the pair of lamps I ordered. The two tall boxes on the right (below) hold the pair of lamps I selected. I’m so excited to see them in our Living Room Salon. (All the rest of the boxes are china from partner Replacements, Ltd. which I also can’t wait to open. It’s like Christmas!)

It will be a true test of my ability to design with scale and proportion in mind, as I selected these lamps to 1) help make the room feel less like it had miniature furniture in it,  and 2) feel more like a more complete and taller space. Follow along, as next week we shall see during the Big Reveal if I succeed!

What I love most about Couture Lamps and Home Furnishings is that each lamp – full of rich texture, color, natural elements, and depth – is handcrafted and made by artisans.  They’re so beautiful you can instantly tell a lot of love and care went into making each individual lamp.  Couture Lamps and Home Furnishings are made by “trusted, ethical factories throughout Asia.”

Another thing I admire about the Couture Lamps, is they give back to their community by supporting the wonderful work of Dwell with Dignity, Habitat for Humanity, and Design on a dime. These are three non-profits I also support, that help create beautiful homes for the less advantaged.

I never take for granted that I have a home and roof over my head. I recently donated about 20 pillows to Community First Village, who builds homes for the homeless. I get a lot of joy by brightening up other’s homes and making my own home more beautiful one room at a time.

NEW 2020, Fall/ Winter Collection

Here are three of a dozen exciting new designs Couture Lamps debuted at the October High Point Market. I can see many of my interior designer friends incorporating these lovely lamps into their client’s homes for sure! Shop their beautiful fall/winter collection HERE. 

The Aurelia Table Lamp

The Cristina Table Lamp

The Rockefeller Table Lamp

 

Setting a beautiful table

There’s nothing I love more than setting a beautiful table.  I think I owe that love to my mother and spending a lot of time at my grandmother’s home where everything was formal. We now have my grandmother’s massive antique dining table (with the Lamps Plus chandelier I won on Instagram above it) and the table is used for everything from rolling out wallpaper to entertaining 12 guests, during those glorious times when we could have dinner parties. The table has about 10 leaves.

 

But that’s not the table I’m setting for the One Room Challenge.  It’s the faux marble round gold pedestal table in our breakfast/dining nook in the kitchen and Living Room Salon.  See how I designed it last fall in the 2019 One Room Challenge.

This year I’m super excited to partner with Replacements, Ltd. to decorate the table and I cannot wait for you to see their spectacular china!!! I’ll be unpacking it this coming week, so be sure to watch my Instagram Stories @thepillowgoddess. 

I have long admired Replacements, Ltd. for many years.  I first learned of them from a designer friend while searching to replace dinner plates for my mother-in-law’s Limoges set we like to use in the summer.  Then, all of a sudden I kept noticing many of my interior designer friends had gorgeous Replacements’ china on the tablescapes they designed for showhomes and pop-up stores at High Point Market. I recently learned this is part of the exclusive new Designer Program which Replacements. Ltd. started in 2018.

We believe every space tells a story, which is why we’re launching a program that gives designers and influencers access to more than 450,000 patterns from a wide range of vintage and modern design eras. It’s a great opportunity for designers to unlock the potential of everything we have to offer, in a way that shows how and why Replacements is an essential resource for entertaining, gathering, and turning a house into a home. – Chief Marketing Officer Linh Calhoun

Below is a stunning table designed by Julie Robbins, the talented Product Specialist/Staff Designer of Replacements, Ltd. I love the amber and gold, and of course the leopard chairs, she selected for this gorgeous vignette.

 

This place setting below, by Jeanne Chung of Cozy Stylish Chic for the breakfast table in the Pasadena Showhome, inspired me to reach out to Replacements for my own tabletop decor for the One Room Challenge, Isn’t it stunning?  Enjoy a few more tabletops I love.

 

 

 

It all started in the attic

It’s amazing to think that the founder Bob Page, took his weekend passion of collecting china in his home attic and, in 1981, started Replacements, Ltd.. He has built the company into the world’s largest retailer, of vintage and current tableware and collectibles, with a facility the size of 8 football fields.  Now THAT is quite an accomplishment!

Known worldwide for their unmatched inventory and innovative workplace initiatives, the company’s half-million square foot facilities house a massive inventory of more than 11 million pieces from over 450,000 different patterns. Headquartered in Greensboro, N.C., Replacements, Ltd. purpose is “dedicated to helping millions of customers around the world create experiences that last a lifetime.”

I have Product Specialist Julie Robbins to thank for such incredible customer service!!  For without Julie, I would still be looking through 11 million pieces of china!

Shop for holiday tableware on the Replacements, Ltd. superbly organized website and reach out to them for any assistance. I know they will be happy to help!

 

Adding beautiful textiles to your tabletop

I’m super excited to not only be incorporating china from partner Replacements, Ltd., but making a tablecloth for our breakfast/dining nook with a colorful textile from partner Cotton & Quill.  I’ve never met owner Mary Catherine, but she seems like such a warm and friendly person and I’ve seen her beautiful textile designs on many tables by interior designers.  I was thrilled she wanted to sponsor the Waldorf textile for my tabletop because the Art Deco pattern works beautifully with our new Deco crystal chandelier from sponsor CWI Lighting. Plus the colors coordinate perfectly with our breakfast nook decor.

Below, after removing the rug and cleaning the room, I’ve spread it out on the living room floor, so that I can cut it and prepare it to sew, as it’s much larger than our studio cutting table. Normally,  I would love to take the edge of the fabric to the floor, as I think it creates a more dramatic look. However, since we use the nook every day, and I want the gold pedestal of the table to be seen, I’m making a shorter drop.

Owner and textile designer, Mary Catherine Folmar, started Cotton and Quill in 2013. After obtaining her degree in Industrial Design and taking jobs in product design, her southern roots drew her back to Alabama where she married her childhood sweetheart and launched Cotton and Quill.

Mary Catherine is extremely talented and draws inspiration from bold colors and patterns in her travels around the world.  Most recently, her collections reflect her southern upbringing influenced by two generous women who made everything beautiful, her mother and grandmother.

Currently, Mary Catherine has designed a bar area for the Birmingham Home & Garden 2020 “Inspiration Home” with textiles from two of her collections plus a new design. The showhome runs through Nov. 29th and benefits Ronald McDonald House. Learn more about this exciting showhome and get tickets HERE.

Other exciting news for Cotton & Quill is that Holly Stuart Home is now carrying Mary Catherine’s new placemat and coaster collection.  Such bright and cheerful colors to look forward to for a promising 2021!

 

Cotton & Quill’s hand-illustrated patterns are featured in up to 17 different collections.  Whether you’re using Cotton & Quill’s patterns in a pillow, tablecloth, or wallpaper, “each pattern is as unique as the space they are in.”

Since I’m shopping for gold and brass home decor for our Living Room Salon, I was wondering how to polish brass. And lo and behold, Mary Catherine has a tutorial on it right HERE.

Take inspiration from Cotton & Quill gorgeous textiles and go bold in your home!

 

I love this striking, gorgeous “Nessie” pattern below from the Highlands collection.  I almost selected it for our ORC tablecloth, but instead I’m super excited to showcase The Waldorf pattern from the Art Deco Collection.

 

 

 

Add healing crystals to your home decor

The purpose of home décor is to have connectivity with other people. Home is for gathering, entertaining and wellness, and it is with this in mind that I maintain a focus on Deliberate Luxury. – Aviva Stanofff

 

Aviva Stanoff is an award-winning design icon, a textile designer that I look up to and greatly admire.  We started our businesses in the same year, 2004, and, as a dynamic and fearless entrepreneur, she has taken hers to levels that dreams are made of. I think of Aviva as a spiritual Goddess touching those in her life (or Orbit as she calls it) with the same power that makes her sparkle with positive energy, incredible talent, compassion, and love.

Having been raised in a multi-cultural home as a child of Japanese and Russian immigrants, Aviva is on a mission to make our world a better place.  Whether it’s through Aviva Stanoff Designs’ gorgeous textiles, made in the USA,  or the hand-curated minerals and crystals, Aviva’s drive and passion to honor those makers before her and support women and art all over the world is an unstoppable force of energy.  Through her comprehensive business Aviva Stanoff Designs, Aviva strives to heal, inspire and balance all who she comes in contact with. I’ve seen her in action painting silk at Dallas Market Center, and she is something to behold! Magical and inspiring and genuine!

Please visit Aviva’s website as I cannot even begin to share all there is about this amazing woman!

I knew I wanted to reach out to Aviva and bring some of her beautiful energy into my own home. I am thrilled and honored she is sponsoring a crystal for our Living Room Salon.  I can’t wait to see it and learn more about the healing properties of crystals in our homes. Thank you Aviva!

To me freedom of speech equals freedom of art. This gives me a fire in my belly to be heard. I feel blessed to be a member of such a strong tribe made up of talented women everywhere, and makers from so many nations. – Aviva Stanoff

 

Every home needs a little bit of outrageous

A funny thing happened on Google while searching for a glass coffee table, I met the owner of Outrageous Interiors, Patti Gosch.  I love it when I meet brands, that even though they don’t know you from Adam, they get excited about the One Room Challenge and want to be part of it and support your project.  That was Patti from the get-go! She immediately wanted to partner and sponsor a piece of furniture for our Living Room Salon Makeover.

Founded in 1988, Outrageous Interiors has evolved out of a passion for home decor and everything beautiful.  As a family-owned business with four stores in Metro-Atlanta, they serve their diverse clientele by creating beautiful spaces both near and far. Outrageous Interiors offers full-service interior design, working closely with clients to create homes that can be enjoyed by family and friends for years to come. They carry a wide variety of top-of-the-line brands.  From elegant chandeliers to  rustic wood coffee tables, furniture and rugs.

I love how you can shop by room on Outrageous Interiors website!  It was so helpful to search “Living Rooms” when I was looking for a glass coffee table to replace our antique one.  We wanted a more contemporary coffee table, but still with a classical feel, so that the small Living Room Salon would feel more open and the rug more visible. Alayna Gold Coffee Table is perfect and I can’t wait to see it in our Living Room Salon! Thank you Patti!

Let art take flight

 

Please meet artist Victoria Larson, whom I only met yesterday on Instagram!  She paints beautiful patterns and nature, making them into wallpaper, textiles, and art. I thought it very serendipitous that we connected.  You will immediately understand why during my Big Reveal on, hopefully, Sunday November 15th.  Victoria’s artwork is the perfect piece for our entryway art niche.  Thank you, Victoria for sponsoring your art for our Living Room Salon! Be sure to see her beautiful work on her website.

 

I’ll let Victoria’s words speak for themselves:

“Launched in 2010, my collection of printed fabric, grasscloth, wallpaper and wovens are the fusion of my life-long love for painting, interiors and surface design.

My prints tell stories of wanderlust; of long, lazy summer days; life on the Chesapeake; of a passion for painting and of the constant lure of the sea. Hand-designed by me and crafted by artisans in the USA, my textiles are at home in both classic and modern interiors.

Most days you will find me in the coastal town of Annapolis with my husband, twin girls, and a rescue doodle.”

 

Protect your home furnishings with The Fabric Shield

I am so excited to be able to test out The Fabric Shield. I met owners Rene and Scott Schleicher on Instagram and have so enjoyed learning about their top-notch product and the educational videos they share about textiles.  Be sure to follow them on instagram @thefabricshield.

This family-owned business is graciously sponsoring enough product for me to protect the new Nathan Anthony Chablis chair and our new window treatments and rug.

 

The Fabric Shield is a full-service fabric protection brand that offers complimentary spot cleaning aftercare. See The Fabric Shield Process and video HERE and watch for my own before/after demos coming next week!

Week 5 wrap up – what’s left to do

I am so honored and grateful to have such amazing brand partners supporting my ORC project and sponsoring products for our Living Room Salon Makeover. Please be sure to see the complete list of partners at the end of this post, for if not for them I would not be transforming our living room at all. Thank you so much!

Here’s how Week 6 is shaping up:

1. Open and install new rug
2. Pick up antique end tables that woodworker Austin Boatwright fixed
3. Finish cutting and sewing the tablecloth
4. Finish assembling one of the green velvet chairs
5. Watch for the arrival of window treatments, coffee table, and crystal
6. Watch for a possible “savior” shipment from my friend The Trim Queen
7. Finalize pillow fabrics
8. Sew! Sew! Sew!
9. Spray furniture and drapery for stain protection
10. Continue to shop for gold and brass home decor
11. Style the Living Room Salon for photoshoot
12. I’m sure I’ve forgotten something….oh yes, install the new drapery panels!

 

Thank you my dear readers for reading my lengthy blog posts. I know it’s been a lot of information, but I wanted to share with you all the beautiful products from the wonderful brand partners for my final ORC project. I hope it inspires you to add some new pieces to your home decor.

Also, get inspired by all the many other rooms being transformed in the 2020 fall One Room Challenge on the national blog HERE. I know I can speak for all the designer participants in the ORC, we greatly appreciate the enormous support you give us, thank you!

PIN FOR EASY REFERENCE

Till next time, after my to-do’s will be completed and I’ve styled my room for the photoshoot, get ready for the BIG REVEAl from Wed. November 11th through the 29th.  Stay safe and well my friends, xo PG

Note: This blog post is sponsored by the brands featured. Photography is by the brands, myself, and other photographers identified in the images. Opinions are my own.