All of a sudden, we’re halfway through the spring 2019 One Room Challenge and things are FINALLY happening. (Follow-up on Week 1 and Week 2 if you’re just tuning in, and welcome to any new readers! I’m Rachel and I’ve never met a color I didn’t love. I’m an interior designer, blogger, and mom in Oklahoma City.)
The biggest things to happen this week kind of all happened at once — the arrival of that gorgeous Annie Selke rug — it’s the Twiggy — as well as several of the pieces from American Leather and Bungalow 5. It was kind of like Christmas!
STYLE IN MOTION
In the newly-minted living room, I initially wanted to do a sectional to maximize how much seating they could get in there. The frame, though, was specifically one that Amy & Eric fell in love with after a furniture expedition to Dallas a couple of months ago and when they told me that it was a motion sectional, I was like huh. Really?
Motion furniture isn’t one of those things that gets a good rap typically. Clunky and more suited to theater rooms, the mere idea of motion sofas conjure images of overstuffed leather and, well, unstylish bohemoths. To be honest, I had low expectations but then some further research and a trip to the American Leather factory in Dallas to see the nuts and bolts of their innovation had me pretty impressed with their modern take on motion. In short, I was legitimately surprised when I sat in it. Make no mistake — this is luxury. It’s pure comfort, and frankly, Amy was right: the Turin was perfect for their living room.
Fun fact: American Leather has a clearance center at its factory in Dallas. So we perused what was available, keeping an eye out for one of the motion sofas or sectionals. And then! The Turin popped up in a gorgeous deep green. The color was a challenge because initially we were thinking that everything would be really neutral, and bring in color through accessories or art. But I was intrigued — this color is so rich and I felt like it would pop beautifully against their otherwise neutral backdrop. Amy and Eric were super trusting to go along with it, but I think that it’s going to be totally a showstopper. Since there was only a sofa version of the Turin, we changed plans and rolled with it. NEVER A DULL MOMENT IN THE ONE ROOM CHALLENGE, GUYS.
We also did a pair of Comfort Air chairs in a yummy butterscotch leather which are currently residing in the living area for now, until we can get the rest of the furniture cleared out. They aren’t staying there permanently — but more on that soon!
The technology alone is pretty amazing. It’s a deep sofa by the numbers at 46 inches — but it does house a fully-reclining element to it, AND you don’t need any additional space for it to do its thing. In other words, you can put one of these sofas right up against the wall and still have full use of the reclining function. Each seat of the sofa has its own controls, meaning that you can fully recline no matter which seat you’re in. It’s a pretty heavy piece – the delivery guys were making me nervous when they had to call in a couple other guys to help them lift the whole thing. It does plug in to the wall, but the battery itself is guaranteed for a pretty substantial amount of time, so you don’t have to leave it plugged in if you prefer not to.
Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the room is the stunning Ansel 4-door cabinet. It’s a beautiful linen finish — a delightfully subtle texture. It plays beautifully against the brass details and the hardware (which can be customized, incidentally – there’s a few different shape options).
The black rectangle is a mockup showing how I envision the TV looking once it’s installed there. There’s also holes pre-drilled in the cabinet so you can run all the wires, etc. from any cable boxes or Apple TVs.
MEANWHILE, IN THE DINING ROOM
Changes are a-happening! Au revoir to the French country dining table, and hello to a modern update. We paired a tulip table with the Bungalow 5’s Danish armchairs which I’d seen at market. They’re crazy gorgeous with a satiny finish, and much like the versatile tulip table style, the midcentury lines of these chairs could work in practically any setting.
COMING UP
Tomorrow, the wallpaper’s getting installed in the entryway and we’re awaiting some lighting to start showing up. Barstools are also on order as well as the last few shipments from a couple other sources. The finish line is in sight!!
SPONSORS & THANKS
The One Room Challenge only happens with a ton of help from amazing sponsors who are willing to take a risk to provide items I’ve requested to help make my vision a reality. These are more than just brands – they’re a team of amazing people behind each line and I’m immensely grateful for their support. Do hop over and check them all out!
AMERICAN LEATHER // BUNGALOW 5 // HUNTINGTON HOUSE // CRYPTON // THIBAUT // ANNIE SELKE // MINTED // HUDSON VALLEY LIGHTING
Likewise, thanks to Linda at Calling It Home for organizing the One Room Challenge for yet another amazing year, and thanks to Better Homes & Gardens for their media sponsorship!
