Welcome to Week Six of the One Room Challenge – The exciting final reveal! My husband and I are thrilled with our newly remodeled great room. I was happy to say goodbye to the 90’s jewel tones and Hello to 2018’s navy, caramel and creams.
One Room Challenge – The Final Reveal
Come on in and tour our home in Columbus, Ohio. I hope you enjoy looking through this dramatic makeover. The before and after pictures say it all.
I took on the challenge of remodeling our great room which is large. It’s 22 x 29 feet! To make it cozy, I created three separate living areas. Follow along to see how we redid each area.
Game Table Corner | Before & After
One corner of our great room houses a dining table that we use as a game table for playing cards or board games. It’s also ideal for additional seating when entertaining.
I love the striped fabric on the chairs. It’s crisp and clean looking.
I selected an open chandelier so it didn’t block our beautiful view of the outdoors.
We also decided to forgo any window treatments. We live on a golf course and there is a substantial amount of wooded area between the fairway and our home so we don’t need the privacy.
Reading Nook Corner | Before & After
Every weekend you will find us in this corner of our great room where we enjoy having our coffee and reading the paper. The caramel color chairs and ottoman lightened up this area immensely.
Island Update
When we purchased our house, this area was just a knee wall that divided the kitchen from the great room. My genius husband came up with the idea to create this fabulous counter for additional serving space. We use this area every time we entertain! This is where we serve appetizers and hang out.
Our bar stool cushions were previously a boring green fabric. This wild geometric design livens up this island.
TV Area | Before & After
Neutral walls, re-upholstered furniture and newly finished hardwood floors were the clean slate I needed to put the finishing touches on our great room. Our Oriental rugs were in great condition. We had them cleaned, replaced the fringe, and added new pads for extra cushion. They look fabulous on the wood floors.
Throw pillows add pops of color and another level of design. New lamp shades updated my existing lamps.
A few years ago we converted our fireplace to a ventless fireplace. We love how it warms up the room.
During the winter months I face our slipper chairs towards each other to create a chaise lounge. It’s the perfect spot to sit and enjoy the fireplace. I just place a throw where the two chairs meet.
Accessorizing – Personal Mementos are the Finishing Touch
Our home is a collection of wonderful memories and mementos. It’s what turns a house into a home. What I enjoy more than anything is pulling these personal mementos together in a creative and stylish way.
In this vignette we incorporated a chest and lamp from my mother-in-law. They are classic pieces.
The stack of books are from our travels overseas. My husband made the ceramic elephant when he was a child. And the oil painting belonged to my Uncle and I had it reframed.
Fireplace Mantel | Before & After
New artwork and accessories brought my mantel current. The pair of horns are so trendy, yet they are over 30+ years old where they graced my uncle’s coffee table.
Frame It!
I’m on a first name basis with my framer! I love creating one of a kind accents for my home. One of my favorites is my father-in-law’s flag which I had framed as a surprise for my husband.
Other items that I have framed include a pencil etching of my grandfather’s name on the wall at Ellis Island and a picture of my hand with my 100-year-old grandmother and my mom. It reminds me of how blessed I am to have had these two women in my life.
A stained glass lamp that my uncle made also graces the table. He was a gifted artist!
The binoculars are for my wild life sightings which are many!
Family Photos
Because of the scale of our great room, I used a dining table as my sofa table. I have always had a collection of family photos on display. As part of the remodel, we updated the frames. We went completely clear with acrylic frames placed on acrylic easels. I love how the photos float and give a clean look, even from behind. I especially like how they add a contemporary flair to old photos.
Keeping Sentimental Gifts
This globe was a gift I gave to my husband when we were dating. He had become my world then and still is today! Between the windows, entertainment center and fireplace, we have very little wall space to display artwork and accessories. I decided it was okay to float this sentimental globe on a pedestal in front of a window.
Making Room for a Larger TV
My husband’s main request in this remodeling was that he wanted a larger tv. The problem was that we had a built-in cabinet that housed our tv and stereo. But where there is a will, there is a way! We hired the carpenter that built our cabinet 20 years ago to come out and retrofit the cabinet to go from a 44 inch tv to a new 65 inch tv.
Styling Bookshelves
Styling bookshelves isn’t an easy task. It requires a lot of trial and error. I incorporated personal mementos to give our shelves meaning. Everything but the plant has a sentimental value to either me or my husband.
Baskets and Trays for Staying Organized
A leather tray keeps my flowers, candles and coasters orderly. A tray on my ottoman stores some magazines, books and reading glasses.
I also love using baskets like this seagrass one to store our throws.
Decorating with Plants and Fresh Flowers
Every room can use a touch of greenery and fresh flowers are a wonderful addition when entertaining.
Plants make the room come alive! As I mentioned in a previous post, I wanted something different than the fig trees which are so popular. I love the look of them and my local nursery had dozens of gorgeous fig trees but I wanted something more unique. Off in the corner of the greenhouse, I noticed this lonely Bird of Paradise and I knew it would add the perfect pop of color.
I have always been obsessed with flowers – both in my home and in my garden. They make me happy!
The rectangular vase below is one of my favorite ways to display fresh flowers. It was a housewarming gift from a dear friend who has since passed away. The metal plate that sits on top of the base has holes which are so helpful in arranging flowers, especially top-heavy ones such as these Leucospermu.
Hydrangeas are one of my favorite flowers and were in my wedding bouquet. I love the collection of dainty flowers creating one large hydrangea ball. I like layering vases with trays or platters to make a statement.
Lastly, I fell in love with this feathery baby kale. I paired it with some greenery and it is one of my favorite floral arrangements.
Additional Inspiration
It’s been a fun journey and I want to give a special thanks to Linda of Calling it Home who graciously invited bloggers to join her One Room Challenge.
I also want to acknowledge Better Homes & Gardens and Home Love Network for helping to promote this wonderful event. Thank you!
Grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and head on over to the One Room Challenge site to see the other participants final reveals.
Thank you for joining me on this remodeling adventure.
To peruse the previous week’s posts and the makeover process, see below:
Wow, Elaine! This is a SPECTACULAR transformation! It’s hard to pick a favorite part! I love how open and bright the space looks now and all of your accessories, mementos and of course flowers make it so inviting and homey! Wonderful job!
Thanks Lydia for your kind words! We are thrilled with the new look!
Elaine,
I am soooo glad you are back! I absolutely love everything about your new room! (esp. those striped chairs!) The room looks so updated and comfortable with a touch of elegance. Excellent job!
Thanks Carol! The stripe chairs are one of my favorite parts of the room too! They really brightened up that corner! I appreciate your following along!
Looks great, so updated and bright!
Thanks Aunt Elinor! We love the new colors and how bright the room is.
WOW, you did a great job, Elaine! I love the added greenery, the white walls, and the windows with no window coverings. Everything looks great!
Thanks Sherry! We are really enjoying the update!
The transformation is AMAZING! Love everything about it. You have talent and vision.
Congrats on One Room Challenge.
Thanks Carolyn! Can’t wait for you to come down at Thanksgiving! xoxo
Love it Elaine,you’ve done a fantastic job. Xx
Thanks Jason!
Elaine, I am from Charleston SC, so blues and caramels are my jam. Redecorating a room makes it like new all over again and you have done a wonderful job with this transformation. I also like that you used items and furniture that you already had. It shows that you can be creative and do not have to purchase all new things. Hope you make many new memories in your home!
Hi Penny. Thank you for your kind words. We bought good quality furniture 20 years ago and loved how each piece fit in the room and also how comfortable it was. By re-upholstering, we made our room new again but can still enjoy furniture that we loved. It was a fun project! Thanks for following along!
WOW!!! Looks GREAT! The wall color alone made a huge difference! Love how all your windows pop!
Thanks Stephanie. We love how bright the room is now! It’s amazing taste can change over 20 years!
It looks great and so much more with it! You did a really nice job! Do you mind sharing the wall color? I am looking for a neutral wall color to update as well. Thank you!!
Thanks Suzanne. I will email you the formula.
BEAUTIFUL!! I love it! Wish you could come and redecorate my house.
xoxo
Thanks Linda! I wish you lived closer! xoxo
Hello from Washington state!! I love the changes you made! And I’m a huge fan of leaving windows without treatments, especially when they’re that gorgeous!
Thank you Jenn. The drapes we had previously felt so heavy – and we are blessed with a gorgeous view of nature and lots of wildlife so we wanted to try leaving the windows bare. I appreciate your comment!
What an outstanding job you did, Elaine! It’s fun to start over, isn’t it? I particularly love the lighter colors and your floors… Then there’s the new frames and easels for your photographs–Really beautiful–and that you’ve displayed so many things of sentimental value to you and your husband. The slipper chairs for a chaise and the Bird of Paradise and its basket… Gorgeous! I’ve been looking for two great baskets like that but haven’t found them yet. Brava!! xoxo, Brenda
Thank you dear Brenda! You are so sweet. It was fun to start over but at the same time, it feels comfortable and homey because we re-used all of our furniture! It’s well made, comfortable and fit perfectly in our room so it was nice to not have to shop for new furniture. My house is full of sentimental art, accessories and mementos. Love being reminded of loved ones or places we traveled to. I found my baskets at Crate & Barrel! If you don’t have one near you, you probably can buy it on line. Thanks again! Enjoy your weekend! xoxo
Elaine,
The room is stunning, and you did an amazing job on picking out everything, I love it all and wish you could come help me out with my house someday, . Wishing much happiness in your newly renovated and joyful room.
What a beautiful transformation – I love the bold blue chaise (I think thats what it is called). Wondering about your fireplace – did you paint it recently? Would you prefer it painted or natural brick (I see your rug has the brick color in it so interested on your thoughts)? I have a brick one that is floor to cathedral ceiling, I feel its so outdated – wondering how you feel about painting it and if you think white/cream is the way to go or try to match the wall color – more a gray tone?
Just happened to come across your blog as I was looking at ways to plant amaryllis and force bulbs. Love it! Thank you!
Hi Jennifer. I love painted brick fireplaces in white or cream to update darker brick. Ours was already painted when we bought the house. Would love to see a picture of yours!
Elaine, What an absolutely amazing makeover! Love those blue and white striped chairs. The whole room looks so enviting and thoughtfully decorated with an air of elegance!
Thank you for your kind words Linda!
Hi Elaine,
Let ne begin by thanking you for the gorgeous photos and stories ( so wonderfully written) that you so kindly share with your readers.
Although I have been a fan of yours for years I used your site for inspiration as we have intended on re-modeling our home for years. Now we’re ready and I can NOT locate one of the photos you posted a few years ago. The photo was a master bedroom and it appeared to have large windows and French doors and the color scheme was in more neutral tones. Orange, browns also (I think) I believe this master bedroom also had a view of tall tree tops. Is there any way that you might point me in the direction where I might find this?
Thank you in advance,
Marie
Marie – Thank you for your note and kind words. I am just getting back to my blog from the holidays and saw your note. I will email you the photo – it is one of my favorite bedrooms! For others that are interested, here is the link to that post. https://omglifestyle.com/omg-worthy-reads-week-23/ That was a popular post – over 23,000 people pinned one of the pictures in that post to Pinterest!