I made it! Today is the official conclusion of the One Room Challenge. Over the past six weeks, I have been one of about 150 crazy bloggers racing to do a complete room makeover in our homes. I chose to transform an empty basement room with ugly red floor into my very own craft studio/office space, and I am thrilled with the results. Now this room has a purpose! It’s my own creative happy place, and I cannot wait to show it to you today.
This is my first time participating in the One Room Challenge, which is hosted by Linda of Calling it Home two times each year. It was a great motivator to keep myself working away each week and also helped me stay focused on one room as opposed to bouncing around from project to project like I tend to do. I have loved decorating my new space, but I’ve enjoyed keeping up on the other room makeovers just as much. Seriously, so many epic room transformations have taken place over the past few weeks. I cannot wait to check out all of the before and afters this weekend!
If you haven’t been following along with my weekly One Room Challenge updates, you can catch up on my weekly progress updates here:
First, let’s take a good look at the ugly before photo:
To help you get your bearings, we have a walkout basement. That door you see opens out into our backyard. I took this photo while standing right by the doorway that leads out of this side room and into the rest of our basement. And on the other side of the door behind me is a few feet of space that includes this wall of shelving.
Here is the mood board I designed for this space at the beginning of the challenge. My goal was to mix jewel tone accents with lots of white and a punch of black.
And here is the after photo (insert trumpet fanfare):
Here’s a classic before and after photo so you can get the full effect:
Now, prepare yourself for a ridiculous number of pretty photos. I’m going to keep my comments to a minimum and instead show you around the space. Join me as we take the grand photo tour:
There’s so much planning in store for this giant calendar, which is a second-hand find.
When dreaming up my plans for this room, a comfy sitting area never made the list. But, when your sister gives you two amazing and cozy gold chairs, what else do you do with them? I love these chairs. My sisters and I found them while thrift shopping years ago and we’ve since passed them back and forth many times.
This little gallery wall is sure to grow and morph over time. I started with one wire, leaving room to add another underneath it in the future. This is a great place to display inspirational quotes, artwork, and other pretty goodness.
I’m very excited for the future brainstorm sessions that will take place on this idea wall, which is a roll of white paper hanging from the ceiling. That way, when I’m done with this brainstorm I can cut it off and unroll some fresh paper.
Next up is the shelving area. This is where many of my craft supplies are now stored. There is also a whole wall of shelving behind that blue curtain.
I will admit that I had every intention of designing super cute labels for all of these boxes and baskets. However, it was down to crunch time and I made myself take a few things off the list. So labeling will have to wait for another day. Until then, at least everything is in pretty storage containers (my guilty pleasure!).
Now let’s move on to the big work table in the center of the room:
My giant white tablecloth looks a bit wrinkly, but that’s the best I could get it ironed. It’s actually a cheap plastic shower curtain liner. How nifty is that? My table happened to be the perfect size for a standard shower curtain. It’s perfect for cleaning up messes of paint and glitter, and it’s so cheap that I don’t care if I ruin it (like when I melted a hole in it while ironing curtains – oops). I jazzed it up with a couple rows of black vinyl triangles.
I had planned to paint four chairs (yet another thrift store find), but only got two done in time for this post. I ultimately decided to spend my time finishing up other components of this room makeover, and then work on the last two chairs later on.
Finally, this weird room had a pencil sharpener in it when we bought the house last year. How random is that? I left it where it was, just added a bit of washi tape to liven it up a bit.
Although this is the end of the One Room Challenge, I’ll be sharing tutorials from several projects in this room over the next several weeks, so stay tuned!
I am thrilled that I was able to participate in this round of the One Room Challenge, and want to thank Linda from Calling It Home for organizing the challenge. It has been so fun to make over my craft studio, but even more fun to follow the progress of so many of my blogger friends. Today is such an awesome day, because there are so many room reveals to go check out. It’s practically like Christmas! I’m eager to curl up with a cup of hot cocoa and my iPad this weekend so I can tour everyone’s room transformations.
What do you think of my new room? Would working in this space get your creative juices flowing? Want to come over for a crafting night sometime?
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Gorgeous! And very inspirational. I love how you decorate with thrift store finds and make it look so professionally done!
Thanks much, Kim! Thrifted finds are a great way to save money and to create a collected look.
Wow! You did such a great job! That’s a dramatic transformation. You made your craft space look so much brighter, and I’m a sucker for jewel tones. So pretty!
Thank you, Emily! I wish everyone could see the transformation in person!
Um, what?! This is astounding! You did such a great job 🙂
Thanks!!!
So bright and colorful! What a transformation! I know you will put that space to good use now:) Great job!
Why thank you, Sherry. I hope you got a few ideas for your own space, too.
I can’t even believe that is the same room. This is amazing. Well done, and your color selection is perfect.
Thank you sooo much, Linda! The One Room Challenge was a ton of fun. Thanks for hosting!
Hello Emily!! Just stopping by to let you know that your post has been selected as a Feature over at the Welcome Home Wednesdays Link Party! Come on over and see your link and grab a Featured Button as well!
Yay! Thanks for hosting the party!
I love all of the color combinations. I just can’t get over the transformation, to something completely bare bones and hard to imagine what it COULD look like, to this. Job well done, good for you hun. I love it! 🙂
Thank you so much, Lindsay! It’s been so rewarding to turn this room into something functional. It has a real purpose now!
Wow, what a lovely place to work in! Well done:)
Thank you so much, Anna!
Your studio is just the happiest place! Love all of your details…Thanks for linking to Monday Funday~xo
Thank you, Robin!
Wow! This space is amazing! There are so many great ideas in here that I absolutely LOVE. The white board calendar, the giant paper roll for ideas, a shower liner for the table cover. Great job! I just love it! I’m pinning this room for sure!
Shucks. Thank you for your compliments, Erin. And thanks so much for stopping by!
What a difference! You totally transformed it. I’m impressed!
Thank you so much! It’s been so rewarding to give this room a true purpose. It’s finally getting used!
Oh my goodness I love it all! I think my favorite parts are the gallery wall and the washi tape on the pencil sharpener! What a great idea to jazz it up. I’m so glad you kept the pencil sharpener.
Come do my house next!
Thank you!!! The pencil sharpener feels right at home in this room. Let’s plan a visit so I can help you decorate!
Way cool, Emily! Love it!
Thank you!!!
Great job, Emily!!! So many great detailed shots of yummy craft supplies! Love it!
Thank you, Megan. I certainly enjoyed taking all the pretty craft supply photos 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
What a fun space! I’m sure this room gets your creative juices flowing. Well done!! 🙂
Thanks Sarah! I’m definitely wanting to spend more time creating now that I have my very own space for it.
Yay! It looks wonderful! I think this means we need a craft night soon. ;). The guys can play call of duty or something. 😛
Totally! Let’s find a day to get together. We can have some awesome crafting adventures.
I wish you could hear me shrieking right now. You did a fantastic job on your transformation Emily! The colors that you chose are perfect =) I can imagine an epic girl’s night in your new craft room. Fun!
Awww, thank you soooo much Lyn. I’m glad you enjoy the colors. Come to Iowa and we can have a craft night together 🙂
Wow! I wouldn’t have even guessed that’s the same room! It turned out fantastic! It looks like such a fun, happy space to work in. Great job!
Thank you – it’s definitely a fun and happy space to get crafty in now. Thanks for stopping by!
Wow!! You must spend all of your time in this space now. I know I would! Lol. The transformation is beautiful. Love the colours you choose. And the idea board – I need one of those! Hope you get a chance to pop by and see our transformation too 🙂
I have definitely spent a lot more time in this room since making it over. It was ugly and had no purpose before, so it’s nice to be using it now. The idea board is so fun! I love brainstorming on big paper with markers.
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Gorgeous! And very inspirational. I love how you decorate with thrift store finds and make it look so professionally done!
Thanks much, Kim! Thrifted finds are a great way to save money and to create a collected look.
Wow! You did such a great job! That’s a dramatic transformation. You made your craft space look so much brighter, and I’m a sucker for jewel tones. So pretty!
Thank you, Emily! I wish everyone could see the transformation in person!
Um, what?! This is astounding! You did such a great job 🙂
Thanks!!!
So bright and colorful! What a transformation! I know you will put that space to good use now:) Great job!
Why thank you, Sherry. I hope you got a few ideas for your own space, too.
I can’t even believe that is the same room. This is amazing. Well done, and your color selection is perfect.
Thank you sooo much, Linda! The One Room Challenge was a ton of fun. Thanks for hosting!
Hello Emily!! Just stopping by to let you know that your post has been selected as a Feature over at the Welcome Home Wednesdays Link Party! Come on over and see your link and grab a Featured Button as well!
Yay! Thanks for hosting the party!
I love all of the color combinations. I just can’t get over the transformation, to something completely bare bones and hard to imagine what it COULD look like, to this. Job well done, good for you hun. I love it! 🙂
Thank you so much, Lindsay! It’s been so rewarding to turn this room into something functional. It has a real purpose now!
Wow, what a lovely place to work in! Well done:)
Thank you so much, Anna!
Your studio is just the happiest place! Love all of your details…Thanks for linking to Monday Funday~xo
Thank you, Robin!
Wow! This space is amazing! There are so many great ideas in here that I absolutely LOVE. The white board calendar, the giant paper roll for ideas, a shower liner for the table cover. Great job! I just love it! I’m pinning this room for sure!
Shucks. Thank you for your compliments, Erin. And thanks so much for stopping by!
What a difference! You totally transformed it. I’m impressed!
Thank you so much! It’s been so rewarding to give this room a true purpose. It’s finally getting used!
Oh my goodness I love it all! I think my favorite parts are the gallery wall and the washi tape on the pencil sharpener! What a great idea to jazz it up. I’m so glad you kept the pencil sharpener.
Come do my house next!
Thank you!!! The pencil sharpener feels right at home in this room. Let’s plan a visit so I can help you decorate!
Way cool, Emily! Love it!
Thank you!!!
Great job, Emily!!! So many great detailed shots of yummy craft supplies! Love it!
Thank you, Megan. I certainly enjoyed taking all the pretty craft supply photos 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
What a fun space! I’m sure this room gets your creative juices flowing. Well done!! 🙂
Thanks Sarah! I’m definitely wanting to spend more time creating now that I have my very own space for it.
Yay! It looks wonderful! I think this means we need a craft night soon. ;). The guys can play call of duty or something. 😛
Totally! Let’s find a day to get together. We can have some awesome crafting adventures.
I wish you could hear me shrieking right now. You did a fantastic job on your transformation Emily! The colors that you chose are perfect =) I can imagine an epic girl’s night in your new craft room. Fun!
Awww, thank you soooo much Lyn. I’m glad you enjoy the colors. Come to Iowa and we can have a craft night together 🙂
Wow! I wouldn’t have even guessed that’s the same room! It turned out fantastic! It looks like such a fun, happy space to work in. Great job!
Thank you – it’s definitely a fun and happy space to get crafty in now. Thanks for stopping by!
Wow!! You must spend all of your time in this space now. I know I would! Lol. The transformation is beautiful. Love the colours you choose. And the idea board – I need one of those! Hope you get a chance to pop by and see our transformation too 🙂
I have definitely spent a lot more time in this room since making it over. It was ugly and had no purpose before, so it’s nice to be using it now. The idea board is so fun! I love brainstorming on big paper with markers.