Here’s the deal, friends… the big ORC reveal is today (at 1pm EST) and we’re far from being finished (read this post for more info ), but I promised to push on and continue sharing with a big smile on my face (because I’m HAPPY with the progress we’ve made!), so that’s exactly what we’re going to do! I’m cheering on my friends who are revealing their spaces later today and I’ll keep sharing weekly Wednesday progress reports with you here on the blog until we cross the finish line. Click through for the latest update and to see how things are unfolding in our formal living room. We’re getting closer! On a side note… Emmett took most of the progress images this week, if you’re wondering why the aesthetic or composition is a little different.
If you found me through the ORC site, hi there! I’m Sarah, a designer & blogger located in Salt Lake City, UT. You can see my current home renovation here, as well as my previous home tour here. My husband, Emmett, and I are renovating our third house. Join us as we tackle the formal living room. In case you missed previous updates, don’t worry! Catch up here: Week 1 (before images, floor plan, and design plan), Week 2 (demo), Week 3 (drywall), Week 4 (fireplace and lighting), Week 5 (sneak peek of furnishings).
The herringbone hardwood flooring feels like it’s taking a million years, despite Emmett pouring his time & energy into it every single night. It has truly been the most time consuming portion of our renovation thus far. Luckily, I know it will be well worth the effort- it’s already looking super beautiful!
My plan is to order millwork this weekend, as well as paint the windows and doors. If you missed the fireplace post yesterday, it’s a must-read! I shared additional details and information on the gorgeous cast limestone mantel.
We also started installing the built-ins this week. The base cabinets went in first. When nestled into the niche on the wall, they look normal in terms of scale… but check out the shelving in the image below! The built-in is massive in person and looks kind of crazy out of context.
Once we had everything in place, things started to come together. Can you see my vision unfolding?
As a reminder, here is my original design plan for the built-in wall…
Emmett built the doors over the weekend and the X detail I designed took him forever to craft. He had to put his geometry brain to use for all the mitered cuts. Those little details are what I live for though!
Luckily, since Emmett is the accountant at a cabinetry and fixture shop, he was able to take the doors into work after hours and run them into the spray booth for painting. That will save us a lot of time and the result will look super professional! The doors currently have one coat, are edge banded, and are awaiting two more coats of lacquer paint before we can install them.
Since so many generous One Room Challenge sponsors are on board and invested in this project, I’m going to link the items you can expect to see later on, when the time comes for the big reveal. Giant thank you to the official ORC brands who wanted to work with me and have been nothing but supportive- even after learning my room is going to take excess time to complete. You all are wonderful and I can’t wait to highlight these beautiful items in our living room! I knew they deserved to be photographed in a totally finished room, rather than styled quickly in a construction zone. I know it’s going to be worth the wait!
Handy Paint Products // paint pail + paint tray
Hudson Valley Lighting // sconces + floor lamp + picture lights
Lamps Plus // floor lamp + art stand + magnifying glass + bust statues
Fabricut // wallpaper + fabric for drapery
Minted // drip wall art + nude art + floral art + abstract art (see more in this post)
Emtek // door hardware + cabinet hardware (for the built-ins)
Garnet Hill // cashmere throw + baskets + table lamp + alpaca throw + faux fur
SWD Studio // velvet pillows + leopard pillow
Mainly Baskets // scallop ottoman
Overstock // swivel chairs + loveseat + faux tree + side tables
My fellow featured designers (who actually met the deadline on time… AKA- not me), are pushing their reveals live at 1:00pm EST. Please, please, please check out their gorgeous work this afternoon. We’ve all worked incredibly hard and I know there will be plenty of beautiful inspiration to pin and share! I’ll link them below for when the clock strikes one.
linked below…
At Charlotte’s House | Design Addict Mom | Erika Ward Interiors | Erin Kestenbaum | Girl & Grey
Gray Malin | Hommeboys | I Spy DIY | Jewel Marlowe | The Learner Observer | Making it Lovely
Nicole White Designs | Old Brand New | Oscar Bravo Home | Place of My Taste | The Rath Project
Room for Tuesday | SG Style | Undecorated Home | Veronica Solomon | Media BH&G | TM by ORC
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Peggi
November 6, 2019 at 4:23 am👏 OK. Truth be told, I rarely get excited about built ins. BUT. These are really going to wow! Those doors alone might qualify Emmett for “design executer” (vision fulfiller?) of the year! Seriously. The floors look stunning…and also like your living room is about half an acre! No wonder it’s taking so long. The bones of the room will be so beautiful, it’s almost hard to imagine it getting even better with all the furniture, textiles and lighting! I hope you are so excited and proud today because your work merits it-at all stages.💖
Sarah
November 6, 2019 at 10:36 amEmmett is incredible. I feel like this is his best work yet. I don’t know how I got so lucky marrying that guy. Haha! It’s taking forever, but I think it’s going to be worth it :) It took me a bit to move past the defeat of missing our “deadline”, but you all helped me realize, we’ve accomplished a hell of a lot in a short period of time- so thank you for that! I’m happy! Have a great day.
Colleen
November 6, 2019 at 5:50 amOMG those built-ins are going to be absolutely stunning……The precision of the X detail is amazing, and so very beautiful. Wow! And of course the floors are lovely, but what a ton of work 😱 Way to go Emmett!! This living room is going to be fabulous and worth the wait for sure 😉 Exciting!!
Sarah
November 6, 2019 at 10:37 amI hope so! Emmett did an amazing job. It’s so fun to see him bring my vision to life- he’s incredible! Thanks for cheering us on Colleen :)
Sarah
November 6, 2019 at 6:49 amI don’t think I’ve ever been so excited for a reveal! Although your kitchen was a close second ;) Props to you for doing it the right way in a realistic timeline. It’s going to be SO worth it in the end!
Sarah
November 6, 2019 at 10:40 amThank you Sarah!! I was bummed that we weren’t going to finish along with the other designers, but I think in the end- staying true to ourselves and the design plan will be worth it. Thanks for being a great friend and for cheering us on! xox
LRC
November 6, 2019 at 7:29 amI can’t wait to see the final room! What are the built-ins made of? Are they something that was preprinted and already had the shelving holes drilled in? Or did Emmett start will plywood and do all of that himself?
Sarah
November 6, 2019 at 10:41 amEmmett built the built-ins from scratch. They’re made out of PDF. He drilled those holes for adjustable shelving in the hidden part of the base cabinet :) We followed this exact process- see this post: https://roomfortuesday.com/diy-built-ins-and-office-organization/
Anne H
November 6, 2019 at 9:19 amThat fireplace, those floors, those X details – oh, my! It’s looking fantastic, Sarah & Emmett! It’s really coming together beautifully and absolutely worth taking the extra time to get everything right. I know it’s going to be one of the most gorgeous and well thought out rooms in the ORC and I’m excited to keep seeing it come to life over the next couple of weeks!
Sarah
November 6, 2019 at 10:42 amThank you Anne! We appreciate you coming back and sticking with us til the end on this renovation :) I think (and hope) it will be worth it! I’m excited with the direction we’re headed. xo
Melanie
November 6, 2019 at 9:53 amThe floor looks amazing!
Question about painting bookshelves: I’m planning to put in some semi-custom bookcases along a wall of my office. I’ll use Ikea Billy bookcases, secure them to the wall, and then add moulding and trim to give them the look of custom bookcases. When is the best time to paint? Before the pieces are assembled, after the bookcases are assembled but before they’re attached to the wall, or after everything is built and in place? I assume the best way is to paint them with a sprayer once everything is finished, but I’m wondering about drips since it’s not a flat surface and I’ll need to get into the “cubbies” of the shelves and I’m worried about how to paint down to the very bottom since they’ll be sitting on carpet.
Sarah
November 6, 2019 at 10:44 amThanks Melanie! You can really do either. It also depends on what you’re using to paint them. If you’re rolling them- do it before they’re assembled. If you have a spray gun, you can definitely do it after. We did a little of both this time and luckily, Emmett’s place of work has a spray booth and machines we were able to take advantage of after hours. If you use a spray, I’d recommend following up with a high density foam roller to blend any drips. Hope this helps :)
Veronica Vilora Solomon
November 6, 2019 at 2:19 pmI know this will be super gorgeous! Already loving all the details! Beautiful job so far
Sarah
November 6, 2019 at 6:25 pmThank you so much!! Your laundry room is incredible :)
Michelle
November 6, 2019 at 4:42 pmThe finished result will be so incredible! I love those floors – what a work of art in and of itself.
Sarah
November 6, 2019 at 6:32 pmThank you Michelle :) xox