One Room Challenge Week 1 Twin Shared Bedroom

Week one of the One Room Challenge feels a little surreal. I fully intended to be much better prepared this time around than I was during April's challenge - and for the most part I am - yet here I am at the final hour getting this first blog post written.

If you're wondering what the One Room Challenge is, it's a biannual event that encourages designers to share the process of a total room transformation in just six weeks. Each round highlights twenty featured designers (you can view their updates every Wednesday), and every Thursday you can view the guest designers updates (that would be me!).

So here goes. In April we did our first one room challenge by tackling a full bathroom renovation. In hindsight, that was slightly ambitious. This time we will be focusing on our twin daughters shared bedroom. When we moved into our home five years ago we decorated their room for the three year olds that they were. Two years ago I was expecting our third child and feeling slightly guilty over the big change for everyone so we made their room over - purchasing bunkbeds. Visually it was really fun, but the bunks didn't last after one of our daughter's fell off of the top. So then we were back to square one.

Here is what our twin daughter's bedroom looks like currently:

Drab - is the word that best describes this lack-luster space. And Alice and Isla are far from drab. They are full of life and wonder and energy and I want them to have a room that they both love.

I was going to wait until the end of the post but I am too excited to wait... so here goes...

Our One Room Challenge Shared Bedroom Design Plan

Wonderful partnerships that are making this renovation possible:

I am so grateful to the following brand partnerships that are supporting this One Room Challenge project!

Mitzi by Hudson Valley Lighting – Stella semi flush mount // Mitzi by Hudson Valley Lighting – Orion Table Lamp // Tonic Living - Mini Ottomans and Valentina Velvet Cameo Pillows // Mitchel Black - Ocean Waves Grey Malin Pre Pasted Wallpaper  // Loloi - Joaquin // Brooklinen Luxe Hardcore Sheet Set in Cream

The plan breakdown:

1. Install an abstract wallpaper on the main window wall and then in the nook that you see when entering the room.
2. Do away with the curtains so that the beds can move all the way back against the wall in order to maximize the space in the room.
3. Get rid of the Ikea headboards and replace them with DIY Plywood arc headboards.
4. Replace the ugly plastic ceiling fixture with an updated brass fixture.
5. Replace the too small bedside table with a floating nightstand.
6. Add reading light with a fun bedside lamp.
7. Add a huge area rug
8. Replace the mishmash of bedding with neutrals. Add fun pillows and blankets for some pops of colour.
9. Bring in ottomans, more functional hooks and book storage.
10. Paint the non wall papered walls a subtle creamy white.

More Before Details:

The light is by far the worst feature of their room at the moment. It was here when we purchased the home and is terrible to clean (hence the layer of dust). The night table was always a temporary thing but here it still stands five years later and the headboards on these beds just scream Ikea (and although I love Ikea, I do not love these headboards).

That cut out in the wall is a recent addition (this week in fact) as Andrew relocated an existing plug so that it would make room for the planned floating wall mounted nightstand.

We've toyed with having small dressers at the ends of their beds but their room is so small we would really love to optimize the in closet storage and leave the clutter well managed in there (a mom can dream right).

We replaced the floors when we moved in but will gladly welcome a large area rug into this space to break up all of the brown and to soften the (at times) elephant like gracefulness that come from two eight year olds sharing a small space.

We would love to come up with a better book solution. While I love these ledges for board books, novels and anything non board like just fall off with the closing of the door.

What's next? Follow along to see all of the projects shared by the featured designers and guest participants! Next week check back here for a wallpaper roundup!