18 Nov The Living Room Salon Makeover Big Reveal | One Room Challenge | Fall 2020 | Week 6

Hello Friends! The Big Reveal is finally here!  It’s Week 6 of the 2020 fall One Room Challenge and I could not be more excited to share with you my Living Room Salon Makeover.  I’m squealing with delight that I did it…and it’s finished!! But hold on, cause that’s not all you’re going to see.  My photographer, the talented Cody Kinsfather, captured the trio of rooms that the Living Room Salon and Entryway are part of – the kitchen and breakfast/dining nook. So for the very first time ever, you’ll see how all three of these rooms fit together in one larger room in the front of our vintage South Austin bungalow. Drum roll please….as I present to you my finished Living Room Salon Makeover Big Reveal and more!

If you haven’t been following along, please catch up here and learn more about this bi-annual national event, the One Room Challenge (ORC) and why I chose to makeover our Living Room Salon:

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Out with the old

But first, please indulge me, as this is my final One Room Challenge. To fully appreciate the effort that has gone into the One Room Challenge makeovers and transformations over the last two years, you have to remember what our living room, breakfast nook, and kitchen looked like in the very beginning. Below are the three rooms, before we started the makeover process, and lightened up these dark rooms by painting the walls a rich cream in 2018. Then along came the One Room Challenge and boy, are we ever glad we jumped on board to makeover these three rooms!

Room 1 | The Breakfast Nook | dark + drab

Room 2 | The Kitchen | dark + outdated

Room 3 | The Living Room | 1980’s sofa 

Participating in the One Room Challenge made a huge difference!

Now, after being a Guest Participant in these three One Room Challenges, the entire front part of our vintage bungalow is completely redone.  As you will see below is a lot lighter and full of rich blues, greens, golds, and whites.  I am absolutely thrilled with the results and feel very blessed!

The One Room Challenge gave me the unique opportunity to not only step outside my comfort zone but test my own design skills and partner with some of the top brands in the country.  Not being an interior designer I would not have had this opportunity otherwise. I feel honored and grateful and want to thank ORC founder Linda Weinstein and all our project’s brand partners!

Thank you so much!

 

Sneak Peek of the Trio of Rooms

 

In with the new

Decorating a room with anything new adds a refreshing and invigorating touch to your space!  As you can see in the above view of our Living Room Salon, it’s like a colorful breath of fresh air blew in with the gorgeous CHABLIS SWIVEL CHAIR by partner Nathan Anthony leading the way. In addition, see in the back there, the kitchen bar on the right and the breakfast/dining nook underneath the Deco crystal chandelier.  I can’t wait to share my tabletop design with you later on in this Big Reveal post!

Below is the view of part of our Living Room Salon from the recently remodeled Kitchen Makeover I did in the spring One Room Challenge with the breakfast nook on the right.

This last photo below really gives you a sense of how all three rooms work together – the Living Room Salon on the right, the Breakfast/Dining Nook on the left in the middle and the new kitchen behind the bar.

It was my vision all along when I decided to transform the breakfast nook in the fall of 2019, to eventually redo all three rooms. It feels so fantastic to have them completely done!

I was going to paint the bar stools a high-gloss black lacquer, but my husband wanted to keep the cherry wood. Instead, I recovered the seats in a zebra pattern remnant which picks up the black in the Quatrefoil lamps on either side of vintage blue velvet sofa. I still might paint them the black lacquer in the future…you never know.

 

Welcome to our new Living Room Salon

 

Hello, I’m Deborah Main, The Pillow Goddess, a luxury pillow designer, and design blogger.  Now that you’ve seen the grand plan, it brings me great joy to personally present to you (gray hair et al!) our new Living Room Salon, which is the 6-week project I just completed last weekend for the fall 2020 One Room Challenge!

I’m sitting in the gorgeous new CHABLIS SWIVEL CHAIR by partner Nathan Anthony with the entryway behind me featuring the beautiful Sprig & Heron wallpaper by partner York Wallcoverings.

As you can see behind me,  the front door to our home and entryway are literally part of our Living Room Salon. Also in this above image, are the gorgeous custom drapery, Quatrefoil lamps, coffee table, quartz gold box, and rug. (I go into more detail about all sponsored products below.)

Now that you’ve seen above how our Living Room Salon fits into our kitchen and breakfast nook, the trio of rooms, you’ll see many more wonderful photos by photographer Cody Kinsfather focusing on the Living Room Salon Makeover.  And the finale is the tabletop I designed with three brand partners Replacements, Ltd., Cotton & Quill, and the Trim Queen.

This has been a challenging 6-8 week journey.  I have greatly appreciated your support along the way and especially through the finish line, as this is the last ORC I’ll be doing for the foreseeable future.

It has been an honor to share with you my love for these top home furnishing brands and the high-quality luxury product lines they make and carry. Several are made right in the USA. Please follow our brand partners on Instagram and visit their websites to shop their gorgeous products:

• @nathananthony  Chablis Swivel Chair
• @york_wallcoverings Wallpaper
• @kravetinc Fabric for chair and ottoman
• @nourison Teal rug
• @couturelamps Quatrefoil lamps and gold quartz box
• @replacementsltd China for four place settings and bar cocktail glasses
• @cottonandquill The Waldorf textile for a tablecloth
• @vitalia_inc Custom drapery and gold hardware
• @mitchellfabrics Drapery fabric and new luxe fabric for entryway seat cushions
• @outrageousinteriors Glass gold coffee table
• @victorialarsontextiles Heron watercolor art panel
• @trimqueen Embellishment box of hand-selected trim for the tablecloth
• @avivastanoffdesign Cobalt blue crystal
• @michelesjeweryandsilver Gilded gold accent box

 

 

Enjoy a few Before/After photos

 

The Entryway

 

BEFORE

AFTER

The Vintage Blue Velvet Sofa View

 

BEFORE

 

AFTER

The Corner with Chair & Ottoman

 

BEFORE

The Piano Vignette

 

BEFORE

AFTER

AFTER with Victoria Larson watercolor heron painting

Please PIN for easy reference

 

 

Details make the design

Now let me break down the Living Room Salon Makeover for you so you see all the details, and the brand partners, that made this room possible.

My goal for our Living Room Salon, was to incorporate the blue, teal, and green colors with which I designed the breakfast/dining nook and kitchen, and add some lightness and contemporary feel to all the heavy dark wood antiques.

Mission accomplished and design vision realized

I am thrilled that my vision worked out to create such a beautiful, comfortable, and inspiring living space.  I had some tough decisions and this was the one room, out of all three, that I did not have my in-house interior designer pal Patrick Landrum to reassure me.  Thankfully my best friend, Andrea, and neighbor, Sandy, who both love design, stepped in and put up with my relentless indecision!  You did too, thank you!

In the end, all my design decision worries were for naught,  and it all worked out. I now can take more confidence in my design decisions going forward.  I never doubt them when creating pillows, my specialty, but it’s a whole different beast designing an entire room.

Please read about each featured detail and all the partners’ sponsored products that helped make our Living Room Salon Makeover a success!

1. Luxury chair. I replaced my mother’s hardwood college chair with the stunning CHABLIS SWIVEL CHAIR by partner Nathan Anthony. Designed by award-winning furniture designer Tina Nicole, and available in many different custom fabrics, the “Chablis, a stylish, barrel-shaped swivel chair with Arabesque-inspired large ornamental quilting that sweeps across the entire back in a rhythmic pattern provides ample seating for comfort and ease when socializing.” You can say that again!  This velvet luxury chair adds instant glamour to our Living Room Salon!  I know I’ll be swiveling in it for years to come. Learn more about this innovative luxury brand and how to select luxury furnishings in Week 2.
2. Wallpaper. I installed in our very tiny entryway the beautiful Sprig & Heron wallpaper by partner York Wallcoverings.  It’s available in 6 gorgeous colorways. Selecting wallpaper was challenging to find the right balance between wanting to add a little drama with dark wallpaper and a bold pop of color while at the same time keeping the classical theme of our antique Shaker table and gold gilded mirror.  We are thrilled with our final selection and hope you like it too! Learn what a difference colorful wallpaper can make in your space and more about this incredible brand in Week 4. 
3. Pair of luxury lamps. We replaced our tiny non-functioning yard sale lamps with this stunning pair of tall lamps, the Quatrefoil Table Lamp in high-gloss black separated with gold leaf disks by partner Couture Lamps.  Available in five beautiful colors. I was absolutely amazed at what a difference a tall pair of lamps instantly made to our room! They immediately became statement pieces picking up on the Art Deco curio glass cabinet and the gold Deco crystal chandelier by sponsor CWI Lighting. Get inspired by this brand’s gorgeous lamps and new fall/winter 2020 collection in Week 5.
4. Re-upholstered chair and ottoman.  I had selected this classic blue and off-white diamond pattern, ultra soft fabric last fall when partner Kravet sponsored many of the textiles for the transformation of our breakfast nook in fall of 2019. But we couldn’t afford to have it recovered until now.  It’s just the right contemporary geometric pattern that anchors the two rooms, the breakfast nook and living room.  It’s our reading chair and I’m already curling up in it! Learn more about this world-renown brand and 8 tips to select fabric for your projects in the fall 2019 ORC Week 2.
5. Custom window treatments.
   

   Vita, owner of Vitalia, Inc., shipping out our custom window treatments after she and her team whipped them together in less than 2 weeks. Orders normally take 4 -6 weeks.

   We changed out the very light drapery for the lovely green-blue Royalton Caribbean textile by partner Mitchell Fabrics. It mimics the diamond pattern in the chair and ottoman and has a textured background and shimmery cream embroidery.  Are you surprised which fabric I finally chose? I love the softness of the blue-green pattern I selected as it ties together all our furnishings and other textile choices. And it does not compete with the wallcovering. Partner Vitalia, Inc. custom made the beautifully lined drapery and shipped it to me in the nick of time and did an outstanding job! And, my photographer Cody Kinsfather saved the day by loaning me his drapery installer the day before the photoshoot. No pressure, right? Phew! Learn more about this talented workroom and fabric brand and 5 Tips in Week 3. 

6. Different area rug.  Evidently in interior design, you’re supposed to select your wall paint last and rug first.  Well, since when do I ever follow the rules!  Changing out our traditional red Persian rug for a more contemporary rug was imperative.  I couldn’t believe that we found THE perfect teal rug from partner Nourison that brings the entire room together.  Yes, one foot longer would have been best for this narrow, small living room but there aren’t many high-quality 8 x 12 rugs out there without placing a custom order. So I was absolutely  thrilled Nourison had this amazing teal rug in stock, ready to ship, and I think it works beautifully. Teal is a hard color to select online as it can go blue or green.  Ultra-posh, alluring, and soft underfoot, this gorgeous teal rug could not be more perfect! Learn how to transform your space with a rug and more about this ever-popular brand in Week 4. 
7. Glass coffee table. Now this one my husband had a small fit about.  He said, “Why would you get rid of your grandfather’s perfectly good antique coffee table?”  But guess who was the first one to exclaim, “I love it!  The glass really opens things up in the room and you can see the pretty rug through it.”  You got it, my husband, David. Case closed.  We are thrilled with this gorgeous hand-forged iron, heavily antiqued, gold-leaf, beveled glass top Alyana coffee table by partner Outrageous Interiors.  I specifically selected one with traditional tapered curved legs to go with our antiques so it would not feel too big and heavy or too modern for the room.  It has a much larger surface space, is taller than the furniture which again is another rule broken, and we absolutely love it! Learn more about the top home furnishing brands this brand carries in Week 5.
8. Plants. One of my goals was to add more greenery and indoor plants to our kitchen and living room.  I made two terrariums (not perfectly, but hopefully they’ll survive!). One long one for the kitchen bar and one multi-faceted one for an end table. In addition, I borrowed a wonderful Victorian plant stand from our dear deceased 94-year-old neighbor, Hazel, and a large broadleaf evergreen, colorful plant, a Croton Mammy, from my friend and neighbor Sandy, both for the corner with the chair and ottoman.
9. Art.  Every room in your home needs art. Whether it’s made by your children or purchased at a gallery, art is what brings character to your home and helps tell your story.  I’m very blessed to be a collector of local artist Roi James.  We have a classical painting of his over the Art Deco cabinet filled with my mother’s teacup collection, and a modern painting in the corner behind the chair and ottoman.  Roi’s oils are rich in color and add so much depth to our home.  We also collected an antique embroidered piece in our travels to China.  It fits in beautifully with the bird theme on the pair of Chinese vases and the new wallpaper.  And lastly, I partnered with a wonderful new artist I discovered, Victoria Larson, who so kindly sponsored one of her beautiful heron watercolor panels for our recessed art wall in the alcove. (All her paintings, textiles, and wallpaper are made in America.) Her delicate artwork adds a real lightness to that little alcove and at night has a spotlight on it.
10. Accessories. No room is complete without styling it with the right accessories.  It’s not my strong suit, except for luxury pillows of course, but my dear friend Sandy helped me. Some wonderful partners, Aviva Stanoff Designs provided the cobalt blue crystal, Michele’s Jewelry and Silver provided the lovely gilded gold box on one end table, and the piece de resistance, which totally made the coffee table come together, is the gorgeous Astoria Quartz boxes in lacquered gold leaf by partner Couture Lamps. Learn more about these brands in Week 5. 
11. Luxury pillows. What’s a room without pillows, right?  Our studio made all the pillows in the breakfast nook last year for the fall ORC.  In addition, for this fall, I made (between midnight and 5 a.m. the day before the photoshoot! Yikes, just under the wire!) a small kidney pillow from a fabric sample for the swivel chair and a pair of brass, blue, and black floral pillows for the vintage blue sofa – this silk fabric is a Valentino I adore and purchased in a little shop in Florence, Italy. Lastly, I made my first round seat cushions for the entryway with a gorgeous new Forenza-Aegean textile.  I love this new Luxe Velvet Collection by partner Mitchell Fabrics. It’s eye-candy, it’s glamour, it’s sophistication—all in one.  The rich blue velvet oblong modern dots are striking against the metallic background and speak to a style that says modern luxury. Available in two other colorways. I trimmed it with a cording by the Trim Queen. Shop our luxury pillow line on The Pillow Goddess website and the many fabrics available at Mitchells in Week 3.

 

 

The Living Room Salon

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

Living Room Salon Makeover Details

 

BEFORE

AFTER

 

 

Tabletop Design in time for the holidays

 

Did I have to design a tabletop for our Living Room Salon Makeover?  No.

Did I really want to? Yes.

I was thrilled that the number one largest inventory in the world for tableware, Replacements, Ltd., wanted to partner for this special ORC occasion. Replacements, Ltd. is all about helping people create experiences that last a lifetime and I loved collaborating with them for this tabletop design.

My love for setting a beautiful table comes from my mother and grandmother, and lighting candles at dinnertime from my stepmother. I’m lucky to have heirloom china from my Great Grandmother Fannie Main for whom I was named.

To me, there’s no happier time than sitting at a beautiful table enjoying a delicious meal with family and friends.  I wanted to set an elegant table with color and texture that can be used for any occasion, whether it be for the holidays or a special date night dinner for four.

As we all re-imagine a new kind of Thanksgiving holiday experience, I’ll share more photos of my tabletop design in the coming weeks.

Just remember this, that no matter where you are, or whom you’re able to be with this holiday season, there is always a reason to give thanks.

I give thanks to all my ORC partners for this project and to Replacements, Ltd., for the gorgeous china, Cotton & Quill for The Waldorf Art Deco pattern textile I made a tablecloth with, and for the Trim Queen who came to my rescue at the 11th hour.

Trim Queen to the rescue

 

It’s funny to have such a vast collection of vintage French trim in our studio, but not have quite enough blue trim for this gorgeous textile by partner Cotton & Quill.  So I reached out to my friend Jana Phipps, owner of Trim Queen, and sure enough, she whipped into gear and overnighted me one of the boxes she sells to makers EmbellishBox and TQ Ornament Kits

The Trim Queen has curated her high-end and vintage trimmings into collections for others to use as a form of self-expression in decor, fashion, and DIY. She also now offers Instagram Agility trainings and I am definitely going to take one so I can learn how to do Instagram REELS!

 

 

Below is the beautiful wide blue and black, textured, raffia trim that Jana sent me and gold cording.  Above that, I split the one vintage piece of gorgeous teal velvet I had to complete the edging.

Making a tablecloth for the first time and designing its very special trim really got me back into the studio “making” and “creating”. I get such joy from diving deep into solving a problem and it was midnight the night before the photoshoot that I finally figured out how to attach the rich vintage blue velvet piece (which I did not have enough of) to make the triple edging for the tablecloth with the Trim Queen’s textured raffia and gold cording. The result is below.

I’m tickled pink (or shall I say blue for this occasion!) with how it came out as it was very challenging! It complements the beautiful Waldorf textile by Cotton & Quill. I also love how all the china, especially the green and gold crystal, all work together.  Let me know what you think of my tabletop design! I’m so very pleased with the result and am very grateful for the late-night inspiration from my dear friend Jana, the Trim Queen. Us Queens, Divas, and Goddesses stick together! Thank you all!

This is one of the four gorgeous place settings I designed, with the help of Creative Designer Julie Robbins of Replacements, Ltd., for my tabletop design. I will definitely be going into much more detail in future posts about my selections, and highlighting each one, and how you too can design a beautiful tabletop for the holidays. Looking for gorgeous china for the holidays? Look no further than Replacements, Ltd.!

Please PIN for easy reference

 

 

While the fall 2020 One Room Challenge has extended it’s deadline until November 29th, this is the final post, the Big Reveal, Week 6, of my Living Room Salon Makeover as a Guest Participant.  As always, it has been a wild, exciting, challenging, exhilerating and exhausting experience.  I have met so many wonderful people, from expert interior designers to Mom and Pop DIYers along the way.  I thank each and everyone of you, my readers, for following my journey and supporting my design work.  It has been such an enriching experience these last two years and I feel blessed to be part of the One Room Challenge community.

Please be sure to explore all the Big Reveals for the 20 Featured Designer and 200+ Guest Participants on the One Room Challenge Blog.  I hope that my participation and designs have inspired you to take the leap into redecorating your own home. With all of us stuck at home this winter where we need to be to stay safe, this is the perfect time to paint a wall, or take on another home improvement project. If I can be of any help to you in any way, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m a great listener and problem solver and I would be happy to assist you.

Please follow me on Instagram @thepillowgoddess where I will be sharing many more behind-the-scenes images and videos of my process for designing the Living Room Salon Makeover. Also follow hashtags #oneroomchallenge #BHGORC and #thepillowgoddess to discover more fabulous interiors!

Again, a huge thank you to my partners and sponsors of the Living Room Salon Makeover and to you my friends! Until next time, when I dive deeper into my tabletop design, stay safe and have a very Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families!  xo PG

Note: This is a sponsored post by all the partnering brands. I have received product in exchange for marketing their brands on The Pillow Goddess blog. All professional photography is done by Cody Kinsfather; amateur photography is done by me. All opinions are my own.