ONE ROOM CHALLENGE: WEEK 8 – THE FINAL REVEAL!

The day is finally here!! It is the FINAL REVEAL of the entryway! This was my first time participating in the One Room Challenge, and it was a last minute decision to join in. What a good decision it turned out to be! I am so, so proud of how far this entryway has come, and how it turned out exactly as I had pictured and designed. My fiancé and I learned how to skim-coat drywall; this was our first time, and while it’s definitely not perfect, WE DID IT WITH OUR OWN TWO HANDS! All the work we personally put into this space makes it all that more special and something I am so freaking proud of. I will be dragging a chair in to relax with a glass of wine just to stare at it.

 

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If this is your first time on the blog -welcome! My name is Amanda, and I am a full time construction project manager, and spend my “spare” time building and designing as the creator of Steel Toed Stilettos. I am participating for the first time as a guest in the One Room Challenge as we completely transform our entryway. You can check out all the other amazing spaces and find your favorites to follow along with.

 

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First, if you haven’t been following along with the process, I just want to share where we started.

 

 

 

Without further adieu, I’m just going to let the pictures speak for themselves. Thank you to my future sister-in-law, Ariel Cameron, for capturing the space so beautifully!

 

Please excuse the stains on the beam – these were existing, and despite long hours every day after work, we just couldn’t get that last detail completed before the photography came, buuuut we will be correcting that!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The only two items still to complete that did not get finished for this reveal are the walnut table top for the planter-turned-entryway table and wood plantation shutters to replace the existing white shutters. The shutters have an eight-week lead time and the moisture content in my walnut still is too high.

 

A future makeover will be of my favorite space in the house…. the brick-floor patio. One of the goals with the entryway was to create a seamless flow into our outdoor space. It work nicely, don’t you think? Also did you know I designed and built that patio couch from scratch?! I will eventually do a blog post about it, but for now go check it out on my Instagram high-light.

 

 

 

 

Do you love details as much as I do? The details are what truly tell the story of a space.

 

“A ROOM SHOULD FEEL

COLLECTED,

NOT DECORATED.”

              -ALBERT HADLEY

 

 

This beautiful vintage oak chest got a facelift with new brass finish hardware

 

I love the texture the light fixture brings to the space while the interior shade brings an elegant touch

 

With natural light pouring into this space, and the rich green color,

the goal was to bring the outside in 

 

 

I love a dual purpose detail such as these wall hooks that also provide interesting wall art

 

These art selections just bring the space to life. The blue heron is a watercolor I painted myself, and the cypress watercolor reminds me of home and the Mobile Delta and is by the talented Keith Andry

 

Each piece was specially chosen for this space. Here we take inspiration from nature with a little added glam

 

My fiancé and I have a tradition of collecting an art piece everyone we travel. In 2019, our collected piece took the form of this carved woman from a local artists’ shop in Curacao. 

 

“In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful.”

                  -Alice Walker

 

I knew I wanted to paint a special piece for this room. I created a composition of caladiums which I then brought to life in watercolor. There are several areas in the backyard with large clumps of elephant ears which are in the same family. This piece really ties the backyard to the space.

 

 

 

 

 

Books are a deep source of knowledge. I love that I was able to choose a few from my own collection for this display

 

It is amazing what some updated hardware can do to a vintage piece. This chest is so elegant

 

Don’t forget about the utilitarian elements of a space. They deserve the same level of detail. I am in love with the classic lines and brass detailing on these cover plates.

 

 

I did so many DIY’s as part of this project. In case you don’t follow me on Instagram, I made this curtain rod! I had something very specific in mind for my curtain rod, and to purchase it would have been way out of my budget. I made this one using a 10′ closet rod I purchased from Lowe’s and unfinished brackets I purchased from The Curtain Rod Shop. I completed it with brass end caps purchased from Etsy.

 

 

Classic linen curtains with this velvet detail at the bottom…..so good

Curtains from West Elm

 

 

Y’all…..I am so happy. This design began formulating in my brain nearly immediately when I closed on my house in 2019, and I am so dang excited it is now DONE…or nearly haha. I am so proud of it and absolutely in love. The fact that this was all done ourselves gives such a sense of confidence and pride. A huge shoutout to my fiancé for all his help and support during this process. I’m usually pretty hard-headed and want to do everything myself….and usually do, but he worked so hard on this space right along with me.

 

Thanks to the One Room Challenge for this amazing push to get my space finished.

I’d love to hear what you think in the comments!

 

Xoxo,

Amanda