Six weeks go by fast. I can’t believe we’re at the end of One Room Challenge, but on the other hand, I’m so glad we are, so I can finally live in and enjoy my new living/dining space. I feel like I’ve become a completely different person over the past few weeks after going through a lot of self-discovery, getting baptized after my RCIA journey, and the life change I shared in my first post. It’s been a journey but I made it!

At the start of April, I moved from Midtown Sacramento to The Bridge District, which is a newly built area in West Sacramento. It’s literally minutes to Downtown Sacramento and easy to connect to all of the major freeways. I love my new hood and am so happy to say I love my space, too!

At the beginning of One Room Challenge, I didn’t know what lied ahead and wasn’t even sure I was legit enough since interior design is not my niche, but my heart is so full over having a place that is so personal and so pretty. The funny part is that as I placed the last touch before we took photos, I called my space “perfect,” which is a word I don’t embrace often but to say it’s perfect for me means everything. My goal is to keep this space as clean as it looks in these photos, but we’ll see what happens.

Without further ado, here’s the big One Room Challenge reveal!

The Couch + Living Room

In my studio apartment a few years ago, I had a velvet settee and I remember how hesitant I was about getting it because it made such a statement. Well, I loved it, and so, in this space, I wanted to bring back that art deco richness that I spoke of in my intro One Room Challenge post, so chose the Sven Sectional Sofa in Pacific Blue from Article. Don’t you love how it screams, lounge on me… NOW!? And you can, no matter what side you choose. My Equa side table from Article is another essential for the space, and so is this sconce from IKEA that blends into the gallery wall.

There’s no rhyme or reason to the pillows. The peacock pillow actually doesn’t match at all, but I LOVED the vibrancy of it. You can pick one up from IKEA with the insert for less than $15 right now. And can we talk about the coffee table! The marble adds an elegant touch, and this tray (a fun find at World Market) was perfect to house my new favorite candles and favorite flowers. We can’t not talk about the rug that laid the foundation of this space. The Deco Façade Rug from west elm made my art deco dreams come true! It comes in various sizes.

The Functional Dining/Workspace

Because I work for myself and from home, having a place to work and lay things out is essential for me as a creator. Since I have a 1-bedroom apartment, space is limited. I opted for the Mid-Century Dining Table from west elm in Dark Mineral (also comes in walnut) because it’s extendable, great for projects or a larger dinner party. I’ve organized all of my office supplies on a rolling cart (that is neatly tucked away in my coat closet when not in use) so everything is accessible when I need it. The citrine colored dining chairs add the perfect pop of color, while the tufted ottoman from my friends at Homepop acts as a great bench for dining, but you can easily slide to the other side to be part of the cozy living space.

But also ready to party

I love having the Terrace Bar Cart from west elm in my home! I went ga-ga for it on stories and by your votes, you did, too! It’s on wheels, so if the party moves closer to the sofa, it’s no thang to make a quick adjustment. I made sure the bar was stocked with all of my favorites: Aperol (for Aperol Spritzes, of course), Gin from J.J. Pfister (remember when I went to their distillery?), Titos, Bulleit, and St. Germain.

The Writings (and pictures) On the Wall

Thinking PINK

I can’t even tell you the meaning of the pieces in the frames on the statement wall without first giving a shout out to Clare for their support. After a quick convo with Rebecca about which paint color to go with, I chose Wing It and can’t believe I’m a chick with a pink wall. But, I LOVE IT!! It gives just enough girlie girl vibe while evoking the sophistication of a lady. Ordering from Clare was a breeze. I got all of my supplies in their 5-piece paint kit and everything arrived at my door safe and sound within a matter of days.

Gallery Wall Central

A lot of the pictures on the wall are from my travels or have special meaning. The cactus/palm prints were taken by Christina when we were at Moorten’s Botanical Garden during Alt Summit. Other photos were taken during trips (New York Fashion Week last September, El Born in Barcelona a couple of years ago, Hawaii and Cabo too). The butterfly print looks like your standard science chart, but it means so much more. During this process and particularly during Holy Week, I kept seeing pairs of butterflies on days that I was feeling a little bit discouraged. Butterflies symbolize hope and rebirth, and I think it was definitely a sign – and maybe even from my mom and grandma. I still see them (I saw one today) and when I came across this print at IKEA, I knew I had to give it a home.

The “nook” has the earliest picture of my grandmother that I can find. I believe she is about 20 years old (which means it’s circa 1943), and being that my grandmother was the “hat lady” in her crew, I love that this picture perfectly captures her essence. Speaking of my grandmother, the sketch of the woman and her baby, as well as the two warriors came from my grandmother’s house. The sketch is dated 1967. If you look in my old family albums, you can see these on the walls in the background of pictures. It makes me feel so so good to have them with me.

All of my (new) photo prints for One Room Challenge were done by Steve of ParkerGuys.com, and the quality and turnaround time was unprecedented. Crunch time didn’t feel as crunched and I can’t wait to place my order for my next feat: the bedroom.

Make it Personal

While I leaned in hard to art deco and mid-century modern elements for the base of this space at the onset of the project, this is a place that truly feels personal and like home. Rebecca helped me cultivate the base for the space and even supplied a few pieces of art and pottery to tie everything together. It fuses a lot of different design styles and ties color and tone in together nicely. It fits every one of my personalities (haha – don’t read too much into that) and having a mix of family heirlooms, vintage finds, and new pieces to adore, I am proud to live here and seriously cannot wait to entertain!

Shoutouts

To my brand partners:

Article

west elm

Clare

Homepop

Thank you for your generosity and belief in my vision. I cannot wait to create even more content in this beautiful space, and without you, it wouldn’t be possible.

To my Tribe:

NONE of this would’ve happened without my incredible group of friends, family and of course, the #TKLTribe that’s been following on Instagram during One Room Challenge. While so many have offered words of encouragement and support during this process, I have to shout out the folks that rolled up their sleeves and made things happen for me:

Jayme, who fed me on my first week at my new place with champagne even though I had no furniture. It’s time for more!

Miya, for coming in hard and helping me paint! I had NO idea what I was doing and laughing with you and talking ish made it so much more fun.

Marta who helped unpack those boxes I was sitting on and fueling me with caffeine.

Michelle, for the IKEA trip before I had anything, and for popping in during the last week to lend some framing advice and of course, surprising me with a milkshake.

Katrina, for another dang IKEA trip and giving me good advice on the curtains! I can’t wait til you see them in person, girl!

Alli from Propagate who came and dropped off some awesome cascading plants for the house and repotted my fiddle! Thank you for adding life to my space.

Erica, for listening to me rant and even coming to my house to wait on the most anticipated shipment to finish everything off. You ARE the MVP.

Kim, Calvin, Vince, and Austin at west elm Sacramento (Ice Blocks), you guys treated me like family when it came down to the wire and I am so grateful.

Christie, who didn’t just take all of these amazing photos, but she came over and helped me put furniture together and hang the gallery wall. She took my brand to the next level with her photography when I moved back home in 2013 and made me legit AF. She is an irreplaceable friend and collaborator and I love her so much.

and last but most certainly not least, Rebecca of Studio Plumb, who supported me design-wise and emotionally during this entire process…and when she had her own One Room Challenge! She has always pushed me to reach for something greater and something that might make me a little uncomfortable so I can get to higher ground. Six years ago when I thought she was the coolest chick featured on Closet Case, I was just figuring out how to get that sequin jacket. I ended up getting one of the best friends and mentors I could ever ask for…and the jacket, too! I could cry typing this. Well, I am…

So what’s next?!

Wondering what’s next? A nap. 🙂 In the middle of One Room Challenge, I added a couple more clients to my roster and had numerous events to attend. Your girl is TI-RED, but in the best way.

Thank you for checking out the grand reveal!

Be sure to dive into the other ORC Guest Participants and see how they transformed their spaces. Thank you One Room Challenge for pushing my comfort zone and lighting a fire inside me to create again.

Much love.

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Reveal photos by Christie Spencer Photography