ORC Fall 2024 Week 2 | Great Great Room!!

If you are just falling into this Fall's One Room Challenge a little late...welcome to my Blog! I signed up at the end of the first week, a bit late too, to jump on in for my 8th season!! This is a great challenge to rework a space in one's own home and my gratitude goes out to Linda Weinstein the original creator of this event for Designers, Do-it-yourselfers, and Enthusiasts. For this season, the official media partner is Apartment Therapy, pay them a visit. This time around I am facing a pretty large project for what I believe will be my final refurbish for this Gardner 2000sh model, 1 1/2 story ranch in a woodland setting of the Carolinas. Hopefully, in 8 WEEKS!!, I will be able to complete the first phase of this open-concept space, that includes the living room, kitchen, and flexible space. Each with its own set of challenges and requirements for specific functions for daily living.

And if I am being very honest here, designing the Great Room living space has always been my favorite space since the building of this house. I chose this Gardner model home for its simplicity, and absolutely relished over its 2-story volume in the great room! The passive placement of the expansive wall of windows were carefully positioned to the southern exposure of the deciduous woodland forest. This was consciously done to bring in more daylight to warm the home and create a cooler space in the hot southern summers once the trees regained their leaves in the Spring. In addition, I wanted the home to have an earth-friendly vibe with an outside/inside marriage of the two. And it most certainly has!

But in its almost 2 decades of wear and some tears :), it is TIME!!....to remodel, renovate, refurbish this grand old space! Thanks for following along with me as we transform the beloved, and true heart of our home-

Here are the before photos of the living space area:

The Great room is a great space, and my family and I do a LOT of living here! But as you can see...it's a bit tired in here. 

For the scope of my project I have come up with a plan--

The Plan

:: Maximize the Window and Doors

• Curtains/Blinds:  My curtains are of an eco-friendly linen fabric, so they will remain, and provide us with the warmth we need when drawn on chilly nights .To create an airy feel, I will need to replace the current blinds or eliminate.

:: Furniture Updates

• Modular Sectional or Sofa: I love the flexibility of a modular sectional, and would like to replace the existing one in an eco-friendly textured weave in a soothing color.
• Accent Chair: Introduce perhaps a velvet or faux leather chair next to the fireplace for a cozy reading nook.
• Coffee Table Swap: Replace the current coffee table with a more modern option, maybe with some curves and a bit artistic.

:: Revamp the Fireplace Area

• Mantel Styling: Keeping the mantel simple, I will opt for a painting or wall hanging and some greenery. Also, will add some earthy decor element, like a vase or candlestick.
• Fireplace Accent Wall:  Am considering updating the fireplace wall, with some contrasting feature or paint finish.

:: Textiles & Rugs

• Add  New Rugs: Replace with a softer wool variety
• Throws & Pillows: Introduce pillows and throws in earthy tones like  warm oranges, taupe, or muted greens. I will choose fabrics that align with a natural feel and are easy to care for.

::  Decor & Lighting/Fan

• Lighting/Fan: Considering adding more lighting to the seating arrangement with a floor outlet, ceiling fan, and adding more led options. 
• Minimalist Wall Art: Looking to add  a woven wall hanging or other artistic piece along the staircase wall to add vertical interest and add cohesiveness to the space.
• Sustainable Side Tables: Add natural wood or stone side tables next to the sofa or accent chair to enhance the organic aesthetic

I really feel that if I can achieve some of these changes, it will transform this space into a more contemporary, eco-friendly living room that reflects both comfort and modern aesthetics!

The Floater

Since I love to "float" a sofa or sectional within a living room space I asked my Virtual Assistant in ChatGPT to create a visual for me, and these were what were generated....

FUN FUN FUN right?  Wish I could just wave a magic wand!

A more realistic vision for my space....

Well I can see I have my work cut out for me! I plan to infuse some playfulness into the new design...just haven't figured out yet how I will achieve that. 

Off to High Point Market!...

Later in the month I'll be attending the High Point Furniture Market. This year it is happening later than earlier, which for me is a bit more challenging if i am to order anything that will be installed in time for the reveal, so i am considering some local purchases as well. Also, unfortunately we have had catastrophic proportions in relation to the mountain region of the Carolinas, so that would need to be taken into consideration as well. My heart goes out to all those folks affected by mother nature's wrath and am praying for a quick and healing recovery.

...from the light of my home to yours,

* Deb *