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Wednesday, November 11, 2020

One Room Challenge/HPMK - Final Week

Today's the day people! The big reveal of the space we designed for the first ever One Room Challenge/Highpoint Market edition, an all-digital event. After last week's nail-biting election, our clients have decided to dedicate this meditation space to anyone who damn well needs it! Won't he do it!

I know it's been a long six weeks so here's a reminder of where we started and links to all the previous posts: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4 and Week 5

We also created a pinterest board for you to discover all the brands we used and pin away feverishly as you wish.

We used a room in an existing client's home as a starting point for a more elaborate retreat. We even added ocean views because hello, this is a virtual design challenge and we could kinda do whatever we like! The goal was to create a complete sanctuary where no noise or interruptions are allowed, just the warmth of a fire and the soothing sounds of water inside and outside. When you’re here only positive energy is allowed. The focus is to completely disconnect, listen to meditative apps, music, pray, read - essentially, whatever soothes your soul.

So once we pulled together the design options for the space, we have it rendered which is a layered process which takes hours. So we do some projects in house and outsource others to freelancers.

Among the stages is this first step where the camera angles, the lights, and all the furniture, accessories and floors are entered in white. It’s easier, cleaner and faster than doing all the materials and then seeing that the lights and furniture aren't correct.

If you're a long time follower then you know my love for a well layered space. Wood, wallpaper, art, patterned rugs and pillows; statement furniture that demand attention without overpowering a space. And of course, my all-time favorite color - orange. Here's what that combination looks like.

Shout-out to all the other designers who created some bad-ass fantastical spaces. We have all bonded via a group chat where we secretly sipped wine and bourbon and wondered how/if we would ever pull this off! I think we all did.

A huge thank you to Linda Weinstein who created this challenge in 2011 with a simple goal: to finish a room in her home while challenging a group of online friends to do the same. Here we are nine years later and the event has become a global sensation. Thank you lady.

Monday, November 2, 2020

One Room Challenge/HPMK Week 5 - A Virtual Meditation Retreat

We are a week away from the big reveal of our meditation retreat and there's a huge chance you'll see an image of me sprawled across the room, very much in need of a freaking escape. What a year! What an election season!

Doing a virtual challenge hasn't been easy, so much so that I'll never again complain about the deadline pressures of doing the challenge in real life. Anyway, this flat lay is a snap shot of most of the items you'll need in next week's reveal and a few inspiration items. Can you guess which?

Let's go see what the other 19 designers have been up to. Also, please, please go vote. Our lives literally depend on it.

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

One Room Challenge/HPMK - Week Four

Lord help me! It's Week 4 of the One Room Challenge/Highpoint Market Edition

and that is always a tough week because so much is happening but there isn't much to show...

If you're new here, and need to get caught up with a quickness, just read here, here and here.

Here's the actual space we are working on in real life and it'll be changed dramatically of course.

But since this ORC is all fantasy we have taken some liberties and have transformed the bones of our client's meditation retreat. Just a tad.

Okay. I lied. We changed things a lot. Instead of windows on the main wall, we've added all glass doors. Instead of a forest of trees, we've kinda added the ocean, a few palm trees and ya know, a sleek gas fireplace😜 Next week we'll dress the walls, start layering in some furniture and packing our bags. What other must haves would you want for your own meditation retreat?

Holla below and let me know. Now let's go see what the other 19 designers have been up to.

Also, please go vote. Our lives and sanity literally depend on it.

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

One Room Challenge/HPMK - Week Three

It's week three of our virtual One Room Challenge/Highpoint Market Edition and we are excited to finally share the mood board for our much needed meditation retreat. If you're new here, you can read what we've been up to since week one and two. We are now back from virtually soaking in loads of inspiration from Highpoint market and ready to dish about the inspiration.

Our clients, like everyone else on the planet, could really use this kind of escape from the intense anxiety filled year we have all had thanks to this global pandemic.

They love the Caribbean and the outdoors so the goal here was to incorporate elements and textures from both. Their meditation retreat will have a water feature, textured wood on the ceiling, a richly detailed wallpaper whose circles represent the sun and life; a heavy emphasis on natural textiles like the cane material on the daybed and a lounge chair made of cord.

The goal is to create a space where they can unwind whenever needed and decompress from the stresses of the world. But enough about us! Let's go see what all the other featured designers are up to this week.

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Our Turnt Up Meditation Retreat - One Room Challenge/HPMK Week Two

It's week two of the One Room Challenge/Highpont Market Edition and I'm having major FOMO since I'm not physically at market this year. If you're new here, then dive into all the week one details here

This week our clients have submitted their questionnaire, their Pinterest boards and we've been plotting away at their meditation retreat. Check out their answers! They are too fabulous and hooray for healthy budgets! Wink, wink.

High Point market aka Fashion Week for interior designers, remains one the best ways we find client inspiration. Since I'm not physically attending market this year, I'll be shopping in showrooms virtually but if you really want to see how we tackle HPMK then see these two highlights to understand how it all works. https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17847783208672819/

I'll also be participating virtually with these two events on Friday October 16 at 1pm and 3pm.

Here are my tips for market rookies:

1. Comfy shoes. Comfy shoes. That is all!

2. Lots of water. Lots of coffee. Lots of snacks. Lots of wine - at the end of the day for me because I'm a cheap date and cannot handle liquor all day!

3. Find a showroom you love and work with often and use them as your hub. Trust me, they don't mind as long as you're gracious and clean up your own mess.

4. Focus on showrooms that are your design aesthetic and your typical client price point so you can knowledgeably pitch these items to clients.

5. Have all those fancy catalogs and swag bags shipped to you. Schlepping those around market is a nightmare you never wanna experience.

And that's that for week two. I'll see you next week to reveal all the virtual market finds that I'll be using in our clients meditation retreat. Until then, go forth and see what all these other busy bee featured designers have been up to. They are NOT playing!

Albie Knows | Ana Claudia Design | At Home With Joseph | Barbour Spangle Design | Dwell by Cheryl

Eneia White Interiors | Gray Space Interiors | Haneen's Haven | Hommeboys | Interiors by Design

Jana Donohoe Designs | Laura Hodges Studio | Lauren Nicole Designs | Nicole White Designs | Nikole Starr Interiors

Wednesday, October 7, 2020

Our Very Turnt Up Meditation Retreat - One Room Challenge - HPMKT - Week 1

Holy one room challenge featured designer encore! Welcome to the ORC Fall 2020 roller coaster ride. I’m clearly a sucker for high pressure drama because who can forget that we completed the last challenge literally at the appointed hour. Gloribell was shooting final pics while I blogged feverishly You can see the evidence of that high-wired reveal here.

This time around the lord has stepped in to help us stay sane by making this challenge completely virtual. While our challenge is inspired by an actual project, since the goal is to design with no limits and use whatever we want, this will be a tad turnt up. Okay, a lot turnt up!

This is our design muse space but for the sake of this virtual challenge I'll be removing walls, windows, floors, essentially doing the damn most.

Our meditation retreat, inspired by the above images, will be the ultimate escape to stay calm and sane during this Covid pandemic and beyond. The space will be a complete sanctuary where no noise or interruptions are allowed, just the warmth of a fire and the soothing sounds of water inside and outside. When you’re here only positive energy is allowed. The focus will be to completely disconnect, listen to meditative apps, music, pray, read - essentially, whatever soothes your soul.

I’m excited to show you how we will pull this all together by using our access to trade only items available at highpoint market, how we change design gears if needed and how we will do cartwheels because in this design project the budget is endless and items being on back order is NOT an option! Won't he do it!

Stick around as all 20 featured designers take you through six weeks of our virtual process with a final virtual reveal as our grand finale. Let's do this!