#OneRoomChallenge Week 1: Vintage Bohemian Dining Space

I’m beyond excited to be joining the prestigious One Room Challenge for the first time this season! If you’ve never heard of it, it’s a biannual design challenge created by Linda Weinstein of Calling it Home in 2011. Held every Spring + Fall, 20 featured designers and hundreds of guest participants (like myself!) cheer each other on as we embark on a six week journey to transform one room of our homes. Originally shared on blogs, the forum has now migrated to the Instagram world as well. Better Homes and Gardens is our media sponsor (gasp!) and they even pick two of the guest participants to be featured designers the next season!

Choosing the space to be redone was the easiest part for me. Since moving into our rental in early December, our dining space has lacked color and cohesiveness, and just needs a general refurbishing of dated pieces… but not for much longer! A few steps of the process were completed before I decided to join the challenge, such as painting the table a soft gray before weathered wood boards adorn the top, and I stenciled the bar console table. It took everything I had to halt designing until the challenge started!

The design for the space was inspired by this already light and airy room. Vintage bohemian like the rest of our home, but grounded by a rustic farmhouse style table and high, sage wainscotting. Navy chairs with gold tips and lots of plants add a pop of color, and gold accents add a touch of modern glam. Oh, and don’t forget the pièce de résistance: an extravagant beaded chandelier steals the show.

The Design Board

The Inspiration

Großer Esstisch im Vintage-Look #Wohnidee

Step inside a bright white kitchen makeover with a dash of modern detailing_

Source: clockwise from top: Instagram @collected_eclectic, Style Me Pretty, Pinterest, House Beautiful

The Before

Shall we begin with a little back story? If you follow me on Instagram, you know nearly everything in my home is either handed down or thrifted- I own only two pieces of furniture that I bought brand new (our blue couch and one book shelf) and no, I’m not kidding. I prefer timeless pieces that tell a story, especially when it’s my own family’s.

The pine dining table is about 80 years old, and was passed down to my parents when they got married in 1975. It lived in our garage for about an eternity, until my mom passed it down to me when I was in college. Unfortunately, my 19-year-old self was in a spray painting everything glossy black phase. Thanks, 2006.

The chairs, also pine, are from the 90’s, and used to flank my parents’ Wedgewood blue dining table when I was young. My mom still has the table, but the chairs also became mine in college. Confession: also the last time they were painted.

I salvaged the rug off Craigslist when I lived in Austin (don’t judge me too hard,) and the bookshelves belonged to my cousin and were also passed down to me when I was in college. A few years ago I relieved them of their original light pine and stained them this deep espresso.

The plant stand and vintage floral prints belonged to my grandparents, and the antique fiddle (I used to play) was found at The Other Side Vintage back home in Tallahassee (along with half of my house!)

So finally, I am taking the time and the funds to give this room a face lift. I like to think of it as giving these pieces multiple lives… and I’d like to thank the One Room Challenge for giving me an excuse to do so! Can you tell Marley’s excited too?