One Room Challenge Studio – Week 2!

Hi Guys! I haven’t had quite the time I wanted to devote to the one room challenge yet but, we passed a big hurdle this week and I’m pretty excited about it! First off, remember that baseboard I was scared to touch and was going to make Chris saw off – well I did it myself with the Fein tool and I’m not really sure what I was scared of ’cause it cut like butter! (Being that I hadn’t really used a power tool in 5+ years and have always been a bit leery, I was quite grateful it was this easy!) However, this is by no means the most exciting accomplishment of the week…

I, Niki Conte, installed my own damn cabinets! While definitely still not done, I am kind of in awe that I managed to get most of the bases in without any help. Armed with a decent understanding of how things are supposed to go with cabinet install but no actual experience I said to myself “I’m gonna figure this out.” Because I wanted to make progress and though Chris was supposed to help me, he was busy. While it definitely wasn’t easy as the room has about a 2″ difference in level from one side of the floor to the other, I figured it out and I am super proud of myself for that!

I still have one base left to install, the drawer base that rounds the corner. I gave up on this towards the end of the day as I needed to create some supports to anchor the cabinet to since it doesn’t attach to the wall because of the heater. We will have a gap in the countertop to the wall there too to allow the heat to travel upwards, with some kind of grate to disguise it so this will take some figuring out before we are ready to install that.

For the wall cabinets, Initially I was going to leave them their current color – Agreeable Grey, but I decided to use a random damaged cabinet for a little more storage and that is white, not grey. So, with painting in mind and me already needing to do spray application in Black, I decided going all black was the best course of action. I love all black cabinets more than I think I can really convey, and clients NEVER agree to it (and neither would Chris) so if there’s one space I’m gonna get to do it, it’s my studio. Which is kind of the mentality I’ve taken with this entire space… I love to try things that are a little out there, and if there’s one place to push the boundaries a little, it’s a space all your own!

So… now I will be spraying the cabinets prior to install then touching them up once installed as I think that will be the best way to go about it, the same day I will also spray the interior of the closet black. I may build in the shelves & cabinets in there prior to spraying because I know I want those to be black too… so we might be a few weeks out from completing install.

Other things we decided this week: 

I bought my task lamp for the built in workspace, I found this lamp for a steal on clearance at Target, and I LOVE it… but we’re going to spice it up a little with a custom shade from one of our local favorites & One Room Challenge darling, Judy Lake of a.k.a. “The Lampshade Lady” of Lakes Lampshades!

I also found this basket at Target, I need a tall basket to hold some of my rolled bolts of fabric I’ve picked up over the years for future projects. Unfortunately, while perfect aesthetically, It arrived folded into a very small box and though cute, there is zero rigid structure. When filled with bolts it flops & falls over so it’s going back. If anyone has a lead on a rigid basket with a similar look – let a girl know!

Also identified as the perfect lamp, is this retro reproduction from Amazon of all places. Normally I would buy things like this from a trade vendor but being as we are also remodeling our kitchen at the same time, I’m on a major budget for this space and gotta keep the costs in check! This piece is perfect for next to my sewing table, it’s got a ton of light output and I can arrange the lamps directionally to give me light where I need it. Plus the mid-century vibe will be a great balance with the traditional table to keep the space feeling modern. 

The last item on my list to pick out and order is a new overhead fixture, as currently what’s there is a literal closet light with a bulb, no frills here! My struggle? Something affordable that provides good light, that won’t stick down too far and become a head knocker, but also will still look nice should someday we decide to convert the space back into a bedroom. All of the options below work dimensionally & can be installed high enough to not be a head bumper, but there are some pros & cons that make it a little hard to decide…

With A, I love the look & it’s definitely really unique, but I am not sure how it would look in a bedroom space. B I think is kind of a no brainer as I know it puts out a great amount of light & will look great in a bedroom space being a lot dressier than a standard style flush mount… but I do have a bubble light in the house already and Chris is not a fan of them. C I think is also and easy no brainer, its a fairly standard flush mount, but it’s a little boring and I’m worried it won’t produce enough light. I could however dress it up with a custom shade from the Lampshade Lady…. Hmm. D is hands down my favorite fixture with a good amount of light output, but I don’t know how it would look should the space transition back to a bedroom. Which is your favorite? Will you help me decide? Write your choice in the comments below!

Don’t forget to check out all the other amazing spaces being done one the One Room Challenge Blog!