One Room Challenge: Week 4 Progress

For this week’s One Room Challenge update, I’m going over curtains and lighting.

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The room is nearing completion! I’m a leeeettle nervous that my nightstands won’t arrive in time which would really be a bummer but here’s hoping.

This week, I’ve chosen and installed the curtains, wall sconce and table lamp so the room really is starting to look dressed up!

Curtains

I don’t like rules but there are a few curtain guidelines that never seem to fail me. 

• Hang your curtain rod at least 10-12″ above your window (or even just below the ceiling if you can!) Just hanging the rod at window height can often make your window appear shorter and smaller. Really use up that space! I like curtains that just skim the floor. In this room, they puddle because I bought ready-made curtains and don’t want to spend money tailoring them to this particular window since this isn’t our forever home.
• A dark curtain rod works in almost every design situation. I love matte metals (grey or black is great) or wood-look rods. (I scored mine here!) Think of the rod as the picture frame to your window. Choosing lighter colored curtain rods like white or silver can often leave the window feeling unfinished and doesn’t create a natural stop for the eye. 
• Overwhelmed by curtain choices? White linen, cotton lined curtains (like mine here) are my go-to and they can work in so many situations. They lean a bit more casual, are easy to care for and can be super cost-effective. 

Lighting

When you get the “big” parts of the room right, you don’t need to do much in the way of styling and accessories. That’s where lighting comes in and it’s why I don’t mind sacrificing a bigger portion of my budget for it. Lighting can be both functional and beautiful and when you have an awesome light fixture or lamp, you don’t need a million tchotchkes to compensate.

I chose this swing arm wall sconce by Aerin Lighting. I purchased mine here because I was able to get it at a discount and shipping was free (I used my Pinterest shopping hack here to find the best deal!) I really wanted something that would make a statement and warm up the room but I was afraid a shiny metal would punctuate the room a bit too dramatically. This muted, distressed gold does the trick! Plus the size and shape of the lamp lends itself to that casual sophistication I was going for in this room. The fixture is also made for both hard-wire and plug-in installation which means it’s a perfect piece to transition from our current rental home to our future “forever” home.

I also chose this lamp above which was a semi-copy of a more expensive one here. It’s shape is simple and casual while the white keeps it feeling crisp and grown-up (but not too serious!)

Next week I’ll (hopefully) have my nightstands so I can work on styling and finishing touches! I will walk you through my process for creating a space that feels both put-together and laid-back.

Check out all of the One Room Challenge participants here! And follow me on Instagram for more behind-the-scenes.